Introduction
The IELTS Speaking test is a vital part of the exam, and achieving a high score requires effective preparation and practice. Whether you’re aiming to ace your IELTS Speaking exam in 2023 or seeking online practice options, this blog post will provide you with essential tips to boost your band score. From mastering speaking parts 1, 2, and 3 to improving your academic speaking skills, we have you covered.
1. IELTS Speaking Practice: The Key to Success
To excel in the IELTS Speaking test, you have to get used to answering questions out loud. Engage in regular speaking practice sessions to build your confidence and fluency. While it’s important to utilize sample speaking test materials available online or in IELTS preparation books to simulate the actual exam environment, not many of them give you feedback. If you’re stuck practicing with a list of questions on a blog, PDF, or a page in a book — look no further. TestGlider IELTS Speaking mock tests record your answer and give you an AI-graded band score plus feedback in less than 2 minutes. We highly recommend that you practice speaking about a wide range of topics to improve your ability to express ideas clearly and coherently. Remember to time yourself to develop a sense of pacing.
2. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3: Mastering the IELTS Speaking Parts
The IELTS Speaking test comprises three parts and each varies in recording time and topic. Part 1 focuses on personal experiences, opinions, and familiar topics. You should aim to speak for about 20 to 40 seconds for each question in Part 1. Part 1 will take four to five minutes to complete. Prepare by practicing discussing topics related to your life, hobbies, or experiences. For a high-scoring answer, stick with a consistent story and implement a more diverse vocabulary to tell the same story.
Part 2 involves delivering a short talk or presentation on a given topic for two minutes. You’ll be given one minute to prepare your answer, so use this time wisely. Keep a note handy and jot down 3 major points to mention about your chosen answer topic. Enhance your performance by brainstorming ideas, organizing your thoughts, and practicing delivering a structured response within the time limit.
Part 3 is a continuation of Part 2 and lasts around four and five minutes. The interviewer will ask you questions that are related to your answer in Part 2, and this will allow you to build on the answer you’ve already given and explore your opinions, ideas, and issues related to it.
To learn more about how to answer each of the IELTS Speaking parts, head over to the TestGlider Study page and watch the lectures about each IELTS Speaking part.
3. Constructing Speaking Answers for IELTS
Although many people search for IELTS Academic Speaking or IELTS General Speaking answers, there is only one type of IELTS Speaking exam for both academic and general types of IELTS exams. Whichever exam you take, you’ll encounter the same type of questions. Unlike any other section of the IELTS, you won’t be constructing your answer from the given information. Instead, you’ll have to formulate an answer to the best of your knowledge, and utilizing outside knowledge such as the news, current events, and your personal experience is highly encouraged.
Please note that you do not have to use any sensitive personal information and will not be penalized for creating an answer that is completely different from your personal experiences. For example, when asked about the type of place you live, you can construct an answer about living in a lake house or a cabin. However, the answer for Part 2 must be consistent with the answer you give in Part 3, so be careful.
4. Review Audio Scripts
The best way to improve your IELTS Speaking band score is to review your previous answers and improve them. When you practice, record your speaking answers and review them after. Check each answer for all four categories and see which area you struggle with the most. For a practical approach, try practicing with different topics. Practice questions on TestGlider are not only varied by topic, but you can also practice by part. Once you’ve recorded your answer, go through this criteria list that IELTS examiners will look for in each answer:
- Fluency and coherence
- Lexical resource (fancy word for using diverse vocabulary)
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Pronunciation
Check your answers one by one and listen for repeated words, long pauses, and moments that are hard to understand. TestGlider answer reviews make this process a bit easier with answer audio and speech-to-text transcripts of your answer for each question, so you can pinpoint exactly which of the four categories you need to improve.
If you’re curious about how each category is measured according to band scores, make sure to check out the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors rubric.
Conclusion
Scoring higher in the IELTS Speaking test requires practicing in a realistic environment, strategizing for each part, focusing on the grading criteria, and improving previous answers. By following these essential tips and incorporating online practice into your routine, you can confidently tackle the IELTS Speaking section and improve your band score.