IELTS Preparation: What Do Examiners Look For During the IELTS Speaking Test
IELTS preparation is no joke! It takes time and dedication if you intend to do well.
In this article, we are going to focus on the IELTS speaking test. We’ll share with you exactly what the tests examiner is looking for when the candidate is taking the IELTS speaking test. This way, during your IELTS preparation, you can make sure to study and practice everything we tell you in this article! To get a better glimpse of some very common mistakes made during the test, check out this article here!
Format of IELTS Speaking Test
Lets discuss the general layout of the IELTS speaking test. It’s made up of 3 parts. The IELTS speaking test is essentially a dialogue between the candidate and the examiner. The whole of it takes approximately 12 minutes to complete. For the first and second parts, the test examiner utilizes a script and bases questions off it for the candidate to answer. They ask about everyday activities of the candidate. Some potential topics would be family, work, school, or favorite sports. As the test progresses, so does the difficulty of questions from the examiner. By part three, the examiner asks the candidate to take certain actions on their conversation, such as take a position on the subject and explain why they believe that way, or to evaluate the situation. This shows the examiner that the candidate can think complexly in English.
Evaluation the Candidate in the IELTS Speaking Test
During this section of the exam, the examiner is paying extremely close attention to everything the candidate is saying. They rate the candidate on a scale from 1–9 based on a set of four criteria.
The first thing assessed by the examiner is fluency and coherence of the candidates speaking skills. This means the examiner is listening to the pace in which the candidate speaks. Too slow? Too fast? Additionally, it refers to the candidate’s ability to understand the English language at 3 different levels: word, sentence and text.
Next, the IELTS test examiner is looking to make sure the candidate chooses relevant words in terms of the context. This links to another thing the examiner is looking for: the range of variety in the candidate’s choice of vocabulary. Are they using the same words over and over again? Or do they use a good variety of words?
Lastly, the test examiner is listening carefully to the candidate’s pronunciation of every word he or she says. The examiner listens intently during the IELTS speaking test. They evaluate based on whether they needed to strain their own listening skills in order to understand the candidate. They also listen for any accent the candidate may be using.
Yes, this is a challenging part of the IELTS exam, so it is necessary for candidate to practice this during their IELTS preparation. A good way to practice this is to do a mock version of the test. Find a friend or a family member to take a few minutes and act out the speaking test with you. By doing this, you wont be as nervous and you’ll have a clearer mind when taking the actual IELTS speaking test!
I’ve found this article extremely helping in terms of information for IELTS preparation. I think it would be assistance to anyone studying for the IELTS speaking test!
