Monday, February 25, 2019

How To Pass The IELTS Speaking Exam

I'm frequently asked how to pass the IELTS speaking exam. So I thought it would be helpful to summarize the IELTS speaking exam for candidates. Candidates must learn the key aspects of the exam. In particular they need to understand how the exam will proceed and where they should place their emphasis for maximum marks.

Here is my advice:

The exam is approximately 14 minutes in length and there are three parts to the exam. Part 1 is between 4-5 minutes in length and is designed to help candidates settle in to the exam. The examiner begins recording and will ask their name to confirm their name and IELTS number. He or she will also ask the candidate to state their nationality. Then the examiner will ask questions about them. These may include; where they live, their country of origin and the country in which they study. They will ask what the candidate does, whether they work or study.



The examiner will then ask questions about one or two topics. This completes Part 1.
In Part 2 of the exam, which lasts between 3 and 4 minutes, initially, candidates are given a topic to talk about. They are given the topic question and then one minute to prepare and make notes. Typically for a question candidates have three points to mention and should develop a concluding sentence. In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Exam they have a maximum of two minutes to speak.



Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Exam lasts 4-5 minutes and the examiner asks a selection of global topics related to their presentation.

Understandably IELTS Test candidates are very keen to understand how they are assessed.

The examiner will be listening to see how fluently the candidate expresses themselves. They will listen for use of language and for any hesitations in speech. The examiner also listens for how logically ideas are put together e.g. the candidate's use of linking and whether what the candidate says is easy to follow. The examiner also assesses the grammatical accuracy of the candidate's speech and the clarity of the pronunciation.

A question often asked is whether candidates lose marks for a strong accent if, for example, they sound noticeably Spanish. The unequivocal answer is no, as long as they can be easily understood.

Other questions include whether candidates can ask the examiner to repeat or explain the question. The answers are yes and yes. The examiner will repeat the question for candidates, if asked, and is also allowed to paraphrase the question to aid the candidate's understanding. The candidate will not lose marks for this unless they misunderstand the question and answer incorrectly.

Frequently candidates know nothing about the topic they are given for presentation. They may know little or nothing about architecture, for example. During their preparation for the IELTS Test, candidates must develop and learn a range of natural expressions which say that they "don't know". Examples could include; "I'm really sorry, I don't know anything about that topic", "I'm sorry, I haven't got a clue about architecture", "I'm really useless at talking about topics like that" or "That's a difficult one, would you mind expanding a bit?" This will guide the examiner to try to elicit ideas from the candidate.

When planning their preparation candidates who are aiming for IELTS Band Score 7 or better should remember that if they use more complicated grammar and more natural expressions, this goes a long way along the path to obtaining a band 7.

Candidates should remember that it is all right to be adventurous and make mistakes. This does not necessarily lose them their band 7, although using simple but perfect English will not earn them much more than band 6.

If you would like more help, tips and techniques for the IELTS Speaking Exam and other aspects of the IELTS Test, James I England is passionate about teaching people to speak English and has developed online preparation materials and resources to suit all pockets.

Find out how you can obtain these by going to our website to learn more about our IELTS Test free and premium resources.





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