When is the IELTS Speaking test?
What is the process on the day of the IELTS Speaking test?
What should I prepare before the speaking test?
The following is a summary of the IELTS speaking test day process~
Remember to collect after reading the little test ducks!
Source: IELTS official website
PART.01 / IELTS Speaking Test Time
01
The exam time is determined
The paper-based speaking test is usually scheduled on any day from the week before the written test to the week after the written test, and the computer-based speaking test is usually scheduled on the day of the written test or as close to the date as possible to the date of the written test. Please check the official website for specific times.
02
Prepare for the exam
On the day of the oral test, you need to arrive at the test center 30 minutes in advance, show your ID card and table card when you sign in, and the staff will arrange for candidates to take on-site photos and have their fingerprints scanned before the test.
PART.02 / 雅思口语考前准备
01
Entrance session
The IELTS Speaking test is a face-to-face speaking test with a duration of about 10-15 minutes.
Candidates need to arrive at the oral test center 30 minutes in advance, and can enter the test room between half an hour before the test and 15 minutes before the test, otherwise they will be considered late and will not be able to enter the test room again.
After entering the examination room, they will be introduced to a room to complete the sign-in, check the certificate information, take photos, record fingerprints, and issue oral examination bracelets.
02
Classroom waiting session
The test center staff will tell you which classroom you are in, and the candidate will find the corresponding classroom and sit at the door, and wait for the examiner to open the door and invite you to enter the classroom.
Pay attention:
Before the examiner opens the door and calls you, you must not knock or even push the door in.
While you are waiting, the staff will check with you if you are bringing anything unrelated to the test, remember to follow the rules of the test room, and you must bring your ID card.
When you are at the door, the examiner will ask you and answer no.
接着会问你回答yes就好。
03
Information recording session
Before the exam begins, the examiner will make a recording of the information including the date of the test, the location of the test, your name and the name of the examiner.
Candidates can take this opportunity to relax themselves, or they can familiarize themselves with the examiner's accent and adjust their state in advance.
04
Introduce the introduction session
The IELTS Speaking test starts with a general introduction, and as soon as each student enters the test room, there will be an interview of about 5 minutes, at which time the examiner will ask some short questions.
For example, 01.
Good morning/ good afternoon. My name's X. Can you tell me your full name, please?
❎ Don't say "Good morning, Mr. John." Because Mr.Miss, Mrs.and Ms, are used before the last name, and the examiner usually tells you only the first name and not the last name.
✅ 参考回答：“Good morning, John. My name is XXX.”
❎ Don't adjust the order of the names, thinking that saying "first name, last name" is more foreign, just say your name in the normal Chinese pronunciation order.
✅ Be sure to pronounce your name clearly because the examiner is verifying your identity, and don't delay the exam by repeating your name because you don't pronounce it clearly.
❎ Don't be in a hurry to tell the examiner your English name, because the next question is this~ Telling the effect in advance may be counterproductive, so that the examiner will mistakenly think that you are setting a speaking template.
例如02. What can I call you?
❎ You don't need to explain your name to the examiner, it will seem very verbose, please say your name directly, and don't add to it.
✅ Try to choose common English names and make sure that you answer your English name clearly and accurately.
❎ Don't say "You may call me XX." Because the modal verb "may" generally means to allow.
✅ 参考回答：“Please call me XX.” 或是 “ You can call me XX.”
❎ Not to mention "All my friends call me XX", an answer that may appear on the template of many speaking books, in fact, the examiner has heard it many times.
例如03. Can you tell me where you're from?
❎ 这个问题实际上等同于“Please tell me where you’re from.” 所以不要用“yes”开头，然后再说来自哪儿。
✅ 回答要完整，要包含你来自哪个省和哪个市。 如：“I'm from XX, XX Province.”
❎ Don't say, "I came from XX, XX Province." Here you need to use the simple present tense, not the past tense, so you must be careful to pronounce the pronunciation as come.
For example, 04.
Can I see your identification, please?
This question can be left unanswered, and it will not be much of a problem to simply give the admission ticket to the examiner.
✅ If you have to say anything when you show your admission ticket, answer the "Sure!" or "Ok!" and hand the ID card to the examiner.
❎ Don't say, "Here you go." Or "There you go." These two phrases feel too casual, and if you don't say them well, they can make people think you're on top!
❎ 还有些考生会说：“Of course.” 或者是 “Of course. Here you are.” 建议尽量不要用“Of course.” 这显得过于礼貌正式。 一般在餐厅吃饭的时候顾客问“Could I have a menu, please?” 服务员回答时才说：“Of course, Sir. Here you are.”
If there are no obvious mistakes in the opening question, the examinee will not be deducted points, but if the answer is inappropriate, the examiner will not be impressed.
In the IELTS speaking test, the first impression is very important, so everyone should still pay attention to the accuracy of expression and some details~
PART.03 / Exam starts
The IELTS Speaking test is divided into three parts (11-14 minutes), Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
01
Part1
Part 1 usually asks about 3 topics for about 4-5 minutes, and generally topics related to daily life (such as personal background, hometown environment, hobbies, etc.).
Candidates are required to demonstrate their ability to communicate on everyday topics in the form of answering questions, including expressing opinions, providing information, and describing common life experiences.
Generally, two or three sentences are sufficient, and if the answer is too short, it will not be sufficient, but if the answer is too long, the examiner will interrupt you.
It is recommended to take a look at the IELTS conversation template, but do not memorize the template and try to understand the content of the template so that you can get a high score in the test.
02
Part2
Part 2 is the topic card answer, prepare for 1 minute, speak for 2 minutes, a total of 3-4 minutes.
The examiner will give you a topic card from a topic book, and at the same time, you will be handed a whiteboard and a pen. You have one minute to write key words on the whiteboard. The examiner will then give you one to two minutes to answer the questions, and when they are done, the examiner will take back the pen, whiteboard and topic book.
It is recommended to pay more attention to the new speaking questions to ensure that there is an idea for each topic.
03
Part3
Part 3 is an in-depth discussion of Part 2 topics, usually about 5-9 questions, 4-5 minutes.
The questions are more difficult and abstract, and the questions in this section are divided into three levels, and the difficulty level tends to increase. The examiner will select the questions to match according to the candidate's answers.
Candidates are required to express and state their opinions, analyse, discuss, and think deeply about problems. This section examines the candidate's analytical skills and depth of thinking.
04
Come to an end
The examiner may end by saying something like "Thank you, the speaking test is over". At this point, you can put away your ID card and speaking test card.
End of exam.
Please leave the test room immediately after the test and do not discuss the test content, otherwise it will be considered a violation.