The IELTS Speaking test: Parts 1, 2 and 3 explained (2026)

The IELTS Speaking test process

1. 1Examiner introduces themself and checks your identity.
2. 2Part 1 (4-5 min): general questions on two or three familiar topics — home, work or studies, food, hobbies.
3. 3Part 2 (3-4 min): task card with bullet points, one minute to prepare with pencil and paper, then speak for 1-2 minutes; the examiner stops you and may ask a rounding-off question.
4. 4Part 3 (4-5 min): two-way discussion of issues linked to your Part 2 topic — compare, evaluate, speculate.
5. 5The examiner closes the test; scores arrive with your overall result, bands 0-9 in half steps.

The three parts, honestly

Each part filters for something different. Part 1 tests natural, conversational fluency on easy material. Part 2 tests sustained speech — can you hold the floor alone for two minutes without support. Part 3 tests thinking out loud — building and defending an opinion in real time, with no card and no preparation.

The four criteria (and the one nobody explains)

Fluency and coherence means speaking at length without excessive hesitation, and linking ideas with more than ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘so’. Lexical resource means precise, varied vocabulary and paraphrasing when a word is missing rather than stalling. Grammatical range and accuracy means attempting complex structures, not just avoiding mistakes in simple ones. Pronunciation is the one nobody explains: it can only be judged by ear, on stress, rhythm and intonation — not by any transcript or app, however accurate the words on the page are.

The memorised-answer problem

Examiners hear the same rehearsed openings dozens of times a week and are trained to interrupt or redirect them. A recited answer also cannot adapt when the exact question changes — and it always does. Natural extension sounds different: a direct answer, a real reason, a small concrete example, delivered like conversation rather than a prepared speech.

Part 2 survival: the one-minute plan

Use the preparation minute for keyword notes against each bullet on the card, not full sentences — you will not have time to read them back. The most common collapse is running out of things to say at 40 seconds: the fix is spending the most time on the card’s final ‘explain’ instruction, since that line is where reasoning — and marks — live.

Academic vs General Training, and One Skill Retake

The Speaking test itself is identical whichever version of IELTS you sit — the difference between Academic and General Training is entirely in the Reading and Writing papers. If speaking is your only weak skill, One Skill Retake lets you resit just that component without repeating the whole test, where the option is available.

Real IELTS speaking questions

Grouped by part — the core bank every section child draws from.

Pricing

IELTS speaking FAQs

Sources

More interview guides

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