Skill hub
IELTS Speaking
A recorded conversation with an examiner, in three parts, over eleven to fourteen minutes. Four criteria decide the band, and none of them is confidence.
Identical on Academic and General Training: the same three parts, the same examiner and the same four criteria.
- 11 to 14 min
- Three parts, with an examiner
- 2 min
- The long turn in Part 2, after one minute to prepare
- 4
- Criteria, each with equal weight
What the test asks for
Part 1 is an introduction and interview of four to five minutes on familiar ground: home, family, work, studies, interests. Part 2 is the long turn, where you speak on your own. You get a task card and one minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes. The whole part takes three to four minutes.
Part 3 is a discussion of four to five minutes that takes the Part 2 topic somewhere more general and abstract. The test is recorded. At a test centre it is face to face with an examiner. On IELTS Online, which is for Academic only, it is a video call. The format is the same on Academic and General Training.
How it is scored
Four criteria with equal weight: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. The examiner gives a band for each and the four average into your Speaking band. Each criterion has a public descriptor, and the guides below take them one at a time.
Start with how Speaking is marked
Where marks go missing
- Chasing speed. Fluency is marked on how you keep going and develop an idea, not on how fast you talk. The band 6 to 7 step is not about hesitation.
- Rare words. Lexical Resource rewards paraphrase and words that fit the situation. A rare word in the wrong place counts against you.
- Counting errors. Accuracy is judged on error density and effect, and a few basic errors survive at band 7 and even band 8. Range is the half most candidates neglect.
- Working on accent. Pronunciation is assessed through intelligibility, and four of its five indicators sit above the level of individual sounds.
Tools
There is no Speaking calculator, because nothing about Speaking is arithmetic. The tools that work for every section: Band Score Calculator and Target Band Gap Calculator and IELTS to CLB Calculator and IELTS to CEFR Converter and Study Planner and IELTS to TOEFL Converter and Visa Score Requirements.
Speaking guides
All 11 in the guides indexSpeaking
IELTS Speaking Topics: How to Prepare
The test owners give examples of Speaking topics, not a list. This guide shows how topics link across the parts. It also shows how to prepare for a topic you cannot predict.
Published
Speaking
Do You Need Idioms in IELTS Speaking?
Not for band 6. From band 7, the Speaking descriptors mention idiomatic items. No set number of idioms is required. This guide shows the wording band by band and how to learn idioms without a list.
Published
Improvement planSpeaking
How to Improve Your IELTS Speaking Score
Find which of the four Speaking criteria holds your band down. Then work on what the next band adds in that criterion, and practise it out loud.
Published
Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 2: The Cue Card and the Long Turn
In Part 2 you get a task card and one minute to make notes. Then you talk alone until the examiner stops you. You may then answer one or two short questions.
Published
Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 3: The Discussion
Part 3 is a discussion with the examiner about bigger questions from your Part 2 topic. Answer first, then give a reason and an example. Speak about people in general, not just yourself.
Published
Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 1: What Happens and How to Answer
Part 1 is a few minutes of short questions about you and familiar topics. Give a direct answer, add one reason or example, and stop.
Published
Speaking
Pronunciation in Speaking: Why Band 7 Has No Wording of Its Own
In the Pronunciation column, bands 7, 5 and 3 have no wording of their own. Your accent counts only through how easily you are understood. This guide shows the bands, and what band 7 needs.
Published
Speaking
Fluency and Coherence: What Counts as Fluent, and What Does Not
Fluency and coherence covers two things: how smoothly you speak, and how well your ideas connect. Speed is not what the descriptors reward. This guide shows the bands, and what changes from band 6 to band 7.
Published
Speaking
Grammatical Range and Accuracy in Speaking: How Errors Are Counted
This criterion has two halves, the range of your grammar and its accuracy. A few basic errors are allowed even at band 8. This guide shows the bands, and what changes from band 6 to band 7.
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Speaking
Lexical Resource in Speaking: Why Paraphrase Is a Scored Skill
Lexical resource in Speaking is not only the size of your vocabulary. Paraphrase, style and word pairs are marked too. This guide shows the bands, and what changes from band 6 to band 7.
Published
Speaking
How IELTS Speaking Is Marked: The Four Criteria Explained
Four criteria decide your Speaking band, and each one counts equally. This guide explains what each one measures. It also shows how the four scores combine, and what changes from band 6 to band 7.
Published
Format facts checked against ielts.org's Speaking format pages for Academic and General Training on 6 September 2026, and how the test is delivered against its Ways to take IELTS page on 19 October 2026. Band-level claims come from the public Speaking band descriptors, which are undated, and the key assessment criteria document.
More hubs
Speaking practice is planned, and the rest is ready now
The Compass IELTS app does not have Speaking yet. Reading and Listening tests, Writing drills and a free mock test are there now, and these guides cover the four Speaking criteria in the meantime.