IELTS Speaking is the last section of the IELTS examination. The IELTS speaking test consists of 3 parts and it involves having a face-to-face conversation of 11-14 minutes with the examiner. The IELTS speaking test will be the same for both, Academic and General training sections.
IELTS Speaking Scoring Criteria
IELTS Speaking criteria is broken down into 4 different types. You must know the speaking assessment criteria of IELTS as it will help you get the band score you desire.
IELTS speaking marking criteria:
IELTS speaking marks will be calculated based on the 4 different levels. The overall IELTS Speaking Score will be calculated by the arithmetic mean taking into consideration all 4 different criteria.
Here is the IELTS speaking band score chart that provides an idea regarding the IELTS speaking score:
| Fluency and Coherence | 6 |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 7 |
| Lexical Resource | 7 |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | 8 |
| Total IELTS Speaking Score | 7 |
The examiner assesses the candidate’s speaking skills based on the below listed four criteria.
Fluency & Coherence
The IELTS speaking criteria examine how fluently one can speak at length, the individual’s ability to talk without any pause or hesitation, and self-correction is considered. It also assesses the efficient use of cohesive devices. The test takers must be able to speak in an accent and language that is easily understood by the examiner that too without hesitation or long pauses in an easy-to-understand way.
| Band score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5.0 and lower | This band score means many students have used much repetition and self-correction while talking. There is an uneven flow of delivery. |
| 6.0 | Occasional hesitation and repetition. There is the use of different words and phrases for presenting thoughts and ideas. |
| 7.0 and higher | Ability to talk at length with very few hesitations. The test taker used various connective words and transitions. Development of ideas into short self-contained stories. |
Tips to Improve
Lexical Resource
In this criterion, the examiner checks whether the candidate is able to use a wide range of vocabulary or not. The student must try to convey the meaning in different words and use less difficult words. The usage of collocations and paraphrasing in the proper place is also considered and scores are given after considering all the factors.
To increase the score for LR:
| Band score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5.0 and lower | The student has a limited range of vocabulary, which is not perfect to convey their thoughts. There is very less paraphrasing of the questions asked. |
| 6.0 | Enough flexibility of words to communicate the thoughts clearly, but with minor errors. There is sufficient paraphrasing of the questions. |
| 7.0 and higher | The students have a huge knowledge of different context-specific vocabulary to effectively communicate a variety of ideas. There is effective paraphrasing of the questions. |
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Here, the student’s formation of sentences, the building of complex sentence structures, and proper application of grammar are examined. The structures must be set accurately so that it looks natural when spoken. Try not to use more prepositions, conjunctions, and articles as it will result in overstuffing.
To increase the score for GRA:
| Band score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5.0 and lower | There is more use of basic sentences. There are many grammatical errors while forming longer and more complex sentences causing hindrance to comprehension. |
| 6.0 | The students have used a combination of simple, compound, and complex sentences. There is some grammar but without hindering comprehension. |
| 7.0 and higher | The students have used a different range of complex grammatical structures with very less errors. |
Pronunciation
In this section, the individual’s ability to use intonation and the way they pronounce any word is considered. Make sure to use a clear accent so that the examiner can clearly understand it.
To increase the overall score:
This section judges individual’s ability to produce English sounds as close to native speakers as possible.
| Band score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5.0 and lower | Mispronunciation of words results in confusion. There is an inability to produce different types of sounds common in English. |
| 6.0 | Understandable pronunciation of most of the words. Mispronunciation of some kinds of words. |
| 7.0 and higher | Precise pronunciation of words as spoken by native speakers. The test taker used easy-to-understand words. |
Note:
Pronunciation and accents are two separate things. The IELTS test does not ask candidates to speak in any particular accent, like the American or British accent. However, knowledge of accents can enhance pronunciations as well.
IELTS Speaking Score Calculation
Each of these criteria will score from 0 to 9 points. After that an arithmetic mean is calculated to check the overall section’s score. For example, if the marks of candidates are: FC – 7, P – 8, LR – 7, and GR – 6, then the total score will be (7+8+7+6) divided by 4 = 7
