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The speaking component of the IELTS test

The IELTS speaking test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and is in the form of an oral interview between the candidate and an examiner. 

During the interview you will need to answer questions asked by the interviewer, speak at length on a topic selected by the interviewer and give and justify your opinions on a range of issues related to that topic.

The interview has three main parts:

  • some general questions about yourself, your life and your interests
  • a short talk on a particular topic
  • a discussion of issues linked to the talk in part 2.

It is important that you relax and speak as confidently as you can. Candidates who are not able to participate fully in the conversation may not achieve their potential band score. This may be because they haven't been able to demonstrate the level of language they are capable of producing.


Download a copy of the speaking booklet

You need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to print the document.
Click on the button to download the Acrobat Reader program from the Adobe Acrobat web site.

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