10 Ways to Improve Your Band Score in the IELTS Speaking Test

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The IELTS speaking test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes, so you don't have long to prove your grammar and vocabulary knowledge or impress the examiner with your conversation skills. The most important thing is to make sure you communicate your ideas and opinions clearly throughout the speaking test, so here are the top ten things you can do to increase your band score. 

1. Understand what the examiner is looking for

In order to improve your band score you need to know what to expect in the IELTS speaking test. If it's your first time taking the test, it can help you feel more relaxed to familiarise yourself with the format and marking criteria. 

The IELTS speaking test consists of 3 parts. In part 1 the examiner will ask you some questions about familiar topics such as your habits, hobbies or interests. In part 2 you will have to speak for 2 minutes about a topic chosen by the examiner. The topic will be presented on a cue card with some bullet points to help you structure your speaking and you will have 1 minute to prepare. In part 3 the examiner will ask you some general questions associated with the topic you spoke about in part 2. This is an opportunity to speak more generally about important global/moral issues. 

Your speaking will be assessed throughout the test against the following criteria:

1. Fluency and coherence - Is what you're saying easy to follow? Are your sentences complete and do they provide enough detail to answer the question fully? Is the meaning clear?

2. Pronunciation - are you pronouncing words clearly so that they can be easily understood?

3. Lexical resource (vocabulary) - are you using advanced vocabulary appropriately?

4. Grammatical range and accuracy - are you using a variety of tenses and grammatical structures, such as modals, conditional clauses, adverbial clauses and subordinating conjunctions to give interesting, extended answers to exam questions?

2. Prepare ideas to answer questions on all of the IELTS topics 

Using commonly asked IELTS questions for each part of the exam will build your confidence and fluency. You will also have lots of ideas and examples to extend your answers. Having said that, you should not rehearse and memorise answers to any questions as it won't sound natural or conversational and the examiner will pick up on this straight away. You can find a list of commonly asked questions and download free topic card PDFs for the IELTS speaking test on my website.

3. Learn fixed expressions and synonyms to introduce ideas and opinions

 'I think' is probably one of the phrases most repeated by English learners, but there are so many other expressions that you could use instead. Taking some time to learn alternative phrases can make a big difference to the quality of your interactions. Here are some phrases to get you started: 

In my opinion...

From my perspective... 

Personally, I believe that...

For me...

If you ask me...

As far as I can tell...

I would say...

To my mind...

4. Listen to English as much as you can

You may be wondering why it's important to listen carefully if you want to improve your speaking skills, but listening is not only vital for developing good pronunciation habits, it will also help you notice how native speakers use intonation to add emphasis or alter meaning. The more you listen, the more natural you will sound when you are speaking.  

5. Take speaking classes with an IELTS teacher 

As much as it helps to practise speaking on your own or with a friend, a qualified teacher will hear mistakes straight away and quickly identify gaps in your knowledge, which will allow them to make recommendations to improve the quality of your communications and increase your IELTS band score. With the right teacher, just a few sessions can make an enormous difference. 

 

6. Speak clearly and at a natural speed

Speaking quickly is not the same as speaking fluently. Fluency refers to meaning being communicated clearly and efficiently. Most native speakers of English do not speak rapidly, it is more important to use intonation and word stress appropriately to convey your emotions and to change between tenses and grammatical structures without hesitation. Speaking very quickly in the IELTS test may adversely affect your band score, particularly if the examiner cannot hear you clearly enunciate verb endings, plural nouns or possessive forms. 

 

7. Use appropriate vocabulary and extend your answers

It might be tempting to get a band 8 vocabulary list and try to shoehorn as many as possible into your sentences, but this can backfire if you aren't using the words appropriately in context. Using formal or academic vocabulary in an informal conversation about friends, for example, may sound jarring and unnatural, and spending too much time searching for more advanced vocabulary can interrupt your fluency and stilt conversation. You should, however, try to extend your answers so that the examiner can hear you using a range of grammatical structures.

 

8. Record yourself speaking

Listening to yourself speaking about different topics is a great strategy to identify mistakes in grammar, but is particularly useful to practise for part 2 of the IELTS speaking test. 2 minutes can feel like a long time to speak about one topic and many students panic and repeat things when they run out of ideas. Listen to yourself speaking and think about whether all of the sentences you are using bring something new to discussion about the topic. 

 

9. Use your 1 minute wisely

If you are given a topic you don't have any opinions about or much experience with in part 2, don't panic! Use your 1 minute preparation time to be creative or put yourself in someone else's shoes. Think of a story based on a friend or family member's experience and pass it off as your own. The stories you tell don't have to be strictly true, you simply have to show that you can communicate a story or experience clearly and effectively. Use pen and paper to write key words to remember in case your mind goes blank or you lose your train of thought. 

 

10. Be patient

Achieving a band 6.5 or above doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to develop fluency and confidence to speak about all of the topics covered in the IELTS exam, but with the right tools and strategies, it is possible to make big improvements in a relatively short space of time.

IELTS Speaking Test: How to Greet the Examiner

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In this lesson I will tell you everything you need to know to greet the examiner in your IELTS speaking test. It is important to make a good first impression in your IELTS speaking test so remember to smile and follow instructions exactly, as this shows that you are a confident speaker and able to listen carefully. Always wait for the examiner to ask you a question before you speak. 

1. Take a seat

When you first enter the examination room you will be shown where to sit. If you are not invited to sit straight away, the most polite thing to do is to ask 'may I sit here?' before taking your seat. Do NOT say 'can I sit here?' Using can in this formal situation is likely to come across rude or disrespectful in English speaking culture. 

2. Say your full name

Once you are seated the examiner will introduce themselves. They might say 'Hello, my name is _________, what is your full name, please?' You should answer by saying 'My name's ___________.' Using the contracted form my name's instead of my name is shows the examiner that you can use a more natural pronunciation style. Be sure to say your name slowly and clearly as it can be difficult for some people to hear the correct pronunciation of foreign names. 

3. Tell the examiner what name you would like to use for the test

The examiner will then ask 'what should I call you?' You can answer this question in a couple of different ways. You could say 'please call me ______' or 'just call me _______.' If you have an English name that you like to use it is fine to tell the examiner 'you can call me by my English name, _______.'

4. Say where you are from

After this, the examiner will ask you where you are from. You should respond to this question with just one sentence, but adding a little extra detail shows better use of English. You could say, for example, 'I'm from Shanghai, which is a large city on the east coast of China.' Do NOT give any recommendations or ask the examiner any questions. 

5. Show your ID

The examiner will then ask to see your identification documents. When you pass your documents you do not need to say anything to the examiner, but it is polite to say something like 'I have my passport here' and the examiner will probably thank you for this. 

Finally, remember to smile and make eye contact. You want to present yourself as a confident speaker. Be friendly to set a good first impression. 

Have you done an IELTS speaking test before? Do you wish you did anything differently? Do you have any advice for other students? Write your answers in the comments!