IELTS Speaking Test Preparation

Know the test

The Speaking test is an interview with an examiner that lasts between 11 and 14 minutes.

The interview has three separate parts and is divided up as follows:

• Part 1 (4-5 mins) The examiner will ask you questions about familiar topics (e.g. hobbies, likes and dislikes, daily routine).
• Part 2 (3-4 mins) The examiner will give you a booklet showing a topic and some suggestions on it. You need to talk about the topic for 1-2 minutes. You have about one minute to write notes before you begin. The examiner may ask you some follow-up questions.
• Part 3 (4-5 mins) The examiner will ask you more detailed and more abstract questions linked to the topic in part 2.

Aim to maximize the four IELTS Speaking criteria: Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, Pronunciation. A high score means: natural flow, wide/precise vocabulary, complex and accurate grammar, and clear, expressive pronunciation.

8-Week Step-by-Step Plan

Daily commitment: 60–90 minutes recommended (intensive weeks can be 120 min). Adjust to your current level.

Week 0 — Diagnostic (1 session)

• Do a full mock speaking test (Parts 1, 2, 3). Record it.

• Self-score (use rubric below). Identify 2 biggest weaknesses (e.g., hesitation + limited vocab).

• Set target band (e.g., 7.5 → 8.5) and note top 3 focus areas.

Weeks 1–2 — Foundation: fluency + pronunciation + vocab bank

• Daily: 20 min listening & shadowing (news/interviews); 20 min focused pronunciation drills; 20–30 min vocabulary building + short answer practice.

• Learn 6 topic lexical clusters (travel, education, work, family, environment, technology). For each cluster: 15 collocations/phrases + 5 idioms.

• Start a pronunciation diary: record 1 short answer daily (Part 1 Q). Compare Day 1 vs Day 7.

Weeks 3–4 — Part-by-Part technique & structure

• Part 1: fast, natural answers 10–20 sec, but stretch to 30–40 sec with 1 example. Practice 20 Q/day.

• Part 2: structure (Intro → Story/Details → Personal reaction). Practice planning in 1 minute and speaking for 2 minutes. 3 cue cards every other day.

• Part 3: practice developing opinions, comparing, speculating — 3 deep questions/day. Practice linking ideas and supporting with examples.

• Mock test every 7 days; focus on pacing and coherence.

Weeks 5–6 — Complexity + accuracy + real feedback

• Add complex grammar deliberately (relative clauses, conditionals, mixed tenses).

• Do focused accuracy drills: error log; 15 min/day rewriting spoken mistakes.

• Exchange spoken practice with a partner/teacher twice a week; get feedback targeted to band descriptors.

Weeks 7–8 — Polish + exam simulation

• Full mock tests every 3 days under strict exam timing; record and self/teacher mark.

• Work on micro-issues: filler avoidance, linking, intonation patterns.

• Final week: rest two days before test, light practice, sleep well.

2-Week Crash Plan (if short on time)

Daily (2 weeks): 90–120 minutes

• Day 1: Diagnostic mock + rubric scoring.

• Days 2–4: Intensive Part 2 training (5 cue cards per day; record & review).

• Days 5–8: Part 1 quick responses + Part 3 depth practice (focus on linking and expansion).

• Days 9–12: 4 full mocks spaced every other day; prioritize error correction.

• Final 2 days: light practice, breathing, rest.

Concrete daily schedule (example — 75 min)

• 0–15 min: Warm-up & shadowing (short interview audio).

• 15–30 min: Pronunciation drill (linking, stress, minimal pairs).

• 30–50 min: Part practice (alternate Part 1/2/3 per day).

• 50–65 min: Vocabulary / collocations + incorporate into mini answers.

• 65–75 min: Record one full Part (1/2/3 rotate); quick self-feedback.

Part-by-Part strategies:

Part 1 — Quick, natural, expand slightly

Question: Do you like cooking?
Model (Band 9) answer (30–40s):
“Yes — I really enjoy cooking, mainly because it relaxes me after a busy day and I get to be creative with flavours. I tend to cook at least four or five times a week; my go-to dishes are simple Mediterranean salads and grilled fish, because they’re healthy but full of taste. I also love trying one new recipe each month — that keeps things interesting.”
Why it’s strong: natural fluency, specific details, varied vocabulary (relaxes, go-to, Mediterranean, flavours), short complex clause (“mainly because…”) and a personal example.

Part 2 — Structure & sample

Cue card: Describe a memorable meal you had.
Plan (1 min): When/where → Who → What was served (details) → What made it memorable → Feelings/conclude.
Model (~1:30–1:50):
“Last December I attended a holiday dinner at my aunt’s house which I still think about fondly. There were about ten family members there — a lively mix of ages from toddlers to grandparents. The centrepiece was a slow-roasted lamb, marinated with garlic, rosemary and lemon, accompanied by roasted root vegetables and a homemade cranberry sauce. What made it memorable wasn’t just the food — though that was excellent — it was the atmosphere: everyone chipped in to prepare dishes, and we shared stories from the year. I remember laughing until my sides hurt, and feeling very connected to my family. That evening reminded me how food can bring people together, and I left feeling warm and grateful.”
Why it’s strong: clear structure, sensory details, linking phrase (“what made it memorable”), emotional reaction, varied grammar and vocabulary.

Cue-card notes (what you might write):

• When: December, aunt’s house

• Who: family, 10 people

• Food: slow-roasted lamb, garlic, rosemary, lemon, roasted veg, cranberry sauce

• Why memorable: atmosphere, shared cooking, stories, laughter

• Feeling: warm, grateful

Part 3 — depth & analysis

Question: Why do people prefer eating out nowadays?
Model (Band 9) answer (50–70s):
“I think there are a couple of powerful reasons. Firstly, convenience — modern life is hectic, so going out or ordering in saves time. Secondly, dining out has become a social experience; many restaurants now offer distinctive atmospheres and cuisines, which people treat as an occasion. There’s also a cultural factor: younger generations are more experimental with food and view dining as part of lifestyle expression. That said, cost and health concerns still temper this trend for some households.”
Why it’s strong: develops several reasons, links to culture and demographics, uses hedging (“I think”, “that said”), balanced view.

Common high-scoring language & useful phrases (short list — use naturally)

• To broaden one’s horizons /tə ˈbrɔːdən wʌnz ˈhɔː.raɪ.zənz/ — expand experience. Travelling really broadens one’s horizons.

• A go-to (thing) /ɡəʊ təʊ/ — preferred choice. My go-to breakfast is porridge.

• To chip in /tʃɪp ɪn/ — help collectively. Everyone chipped in to prepare the meal.

• To be hard-pressed to /hɑːdˈprest/ — find it difficult. I’d be hard-pressed to give up coffee.

• Off the beaten track /ɒf ðə ˈbiː.tən træɡ/ — unusual place. We stayed off the beaten track.

• To temper (something) /ˈtɛmpə/ — moderate. Costs temper people’s enthusiasm.

• A mixed bag /ə mɪkst bæg/ — variety. Opinions are a mixed bag.

• To be all the rage /ɔːl ðə reɪdʒ/ — very fashionable. Plant-based diets are all the rage.

• To be inclined to /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ — be likely to. I’m inclined to agree.

• To take something for granted /ˈɡrɑːn.tɪd/ — not appreciate. We often take public services for granted.

Use 2–3 of these naturally across Part 2/3 answers. Don’t force.

Grammar patterns to practise (with short drills)

• Relative clauses — expand: The book (that I bought) helped me.

• Conditionals (2nd & mixed) — If I had more time, I would… / If I had known, I would have…

• Perfect tenses to show sequence: I’ve been studying, I had finished before…

• Complex noun phrases / passives: The policy, which was introduced last year, has…

Drill: Take a 20-sec Part 1 answer → convert 3 simple sentences into 1 complex sentence.

Pronunciation checklist & drills

• Word stress (record multisyllabic words: comfortable /ˈkʌmf(ə)təb(ə)l/)

• Sentence stress & intonation: emphasize key words; practice rising intonation for questions.

• Linking: practice chains: I want to go → I wan(t)ə go.

• Minimal pairs: ship/sheep; live/leave — 5 min/day.

Practice: shadow 1 min audio, then mimic sentence stress exactly.

Self-marking rubric (fast & actionable)

Score each criterion 0–9; give examples to justify.

Fluency & Coherence: (9 = effortless flow, natural connectors, no long pauses)

Lexical Resource: (9 = wide range, rare collocations used precisely)

Grammar: (9 = wide range of structures with near-zero errors)

Pronunciation: (9 = fully intelligible; uses intonation to convey meaning)

After mock, write short plan addressing the weakest criterion for next practice.

How to practice each criterion (exact drills)

Fluency & Coherence

• Drill: Timed 2-minute monologues on random cue cards. Force continuous speech; ban “umm” for first 30s; allow small pauses.

• Linking practice: Use connectors: actually, moreover, what’s more, on the one hand/on the other hand, for instance, as a result — practice inserting one per sentence.

• Cohesion pattern: make a plan (point → reason → example → brief conclusion) for every answer.

Lexical Resource

• Technique: Learn clusters not single words (e.g., for “travel” learn: budget travel, backpacking, cultural immersion, off the beaten track).

• Active use: For each new word, produce 3 original sentences and record them.

• Avoid: memorised long answers and awkward idioms that don’t fit.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

• Deliberate practice: 15 min daily rewriting spoken mistakes; write 5 complex sentences per day using target structures (relative clauses, conditionals, passive, inversion, reported speech).

• Production drill: Take a simple sentence and expand it twice using subordination/relative clauses.

Pronunciation

• Shadowing: Short TED talk or broadcast — mimic rhythm, stress, intonation.

• Linking & weak forms: practice connected speech: “want to” → “wanna”, “I have to” → “I hafta” (use in practice but speak naturally).

• Intonation drill: turn statements into questions and emotions (surprise, pride, uncertainty).