ScoreFluentIELTS Speaking, part by part.
A recorded, face-to-face interview with an examiner in three parts and 11–14 minutes: familiar questions, a long turn on a task card, then a discussion. Academic and General Training candidates take the same Speaking test, marked on four equally weighted criteria.
Checked 15 and 16 October 2026 against ielts.org. ScoreFluent is not affiliated with IELTS.
How long is IELTS Speaking, and what happens in each part?
| Part | Name | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Introduction and interview | The examiner introduces themselves and checks your identity, then asks general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies or interests | 4–5 min |
| Part 2 | Long turn | You get a task card and one minute to prepare, with pencil and paper for notes. You then talk on the topic until the examiner stops you, and they may ask one or two questions on the same topic | 3–4 min, including preparation |
| Part 3 | Discussion | You and the examiner discuss issues linked to the Part 2 topic in a more general and abstract way and, where appropriate, in greater depth | 4–5 min |
The whole test is 11–14 minutes. IELTS describes it as a face-to-face interview between you and an examiner, and the test is recorded. Source: IELTS Speaking test format, checked 15 and 16 October 2026.
Is IELTS Speaking different for Academic and General Training?
No. IELTS states that the Speaking test is the same for both, and that each part is designed to test a different aspect of your communication ability. Listening is also shared, so Reading and Writing are the only sections where your version changes the preparation. The IELTS Academic and General Training guide covers choosing between them.
The three parts are tested differently on purpose: Part 1 tests giving opinions and information on everyday topics, Part 2 tests speaking at length on a topic and organising ideas, and Part 3 tests explaining opinions and analysing, discussing and speculating about issues.
How is IELTS Speaking marked?
Certificated IELTS examiners assess your performance throughout the test on four criteria. They carry equal weighting, and the overall average gives your Speaking band. The glosses below are our paraphrase of IELTS’s descriptions.
| Criterion | What it looks at |
|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | How well you speak at a normal speed without too much hesitation, and whether your ideas follow a logical order with appropriate linking |
| Lexical resource | The range of vocabulary you use and how accurately and appropriately you use it, including expressing yourself another way when you do not know a word |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | The range of grammar you use and how accurately and appropriately you use it |
| Pronunciation | Whether you can be understood without too much effort |
There is no separate score for each part: you receive one Speaking band. Read IELTS’s Speaking band descriptors (PDF) to see what each band looks like, and how IELTS is scored for how the Speaking band feeds the overall.
How do I answer each part?
The part descriptions are IELTS’s; the technique below is ours.
Part 1 — a reason in every answer
This part tests giving opinions and information on everyday topics. Answer the question first, then add a reason or a small example, so that each answer runs to two or three sentences. A quick check: record ten answers and count how many are a single sentence with no reason. Those are the ones to extend.
Part 2 — use the minute for keywords
IELTS says the card’s points and your notes should let you structure the talk and keep going for two minutes. Write keywords, not sentences, beside each bullet on the card, plus a closing thought. Practise the minute and the two minutes against a timer until neither feels strange.
Part 3 — opinion, reason, then step back
This part tests explaining opinions and analysing, discussing and speculating about issues. Give your view, a reason, and then widen it: compare two groups, or say what might change in future. An answer built only from your own life sounds like Part 1.
Across all parts — fix what you can hear
A recording shows you what the examiner hears. Record an answer and play it back once for each criterion: pace and hesitation, word choice, grammar slips, then clarity. Fixing one criterion per recording is faster than trying to fix all four.
All three guides, with the rest of the question types, are on the IELTS question-type index.
How does IELTS Speaking practice work on ScoreFluent?
ScoreFluent has practice for all three parts, including the Part 2 cue card. You record your answer, and the report scores the four published criteria. Results are practice estimates, not official IELTS scores.
The estimate is provisional
The IELTS speaking grader has not been calibrated against examiner-marked recordings. Read the band as a rough pointer, and weigh the criterion feedback above the number.
There is no examiner in the room
You record alone, so you can rehearse what you say but not the live exchange of Parts 1 and 3. Practise with another person as test day gets closer.
Cost
New accounts start with 40 free credits. Speaking reports cost credits per answer, and the pricing page has the current prices. The IELTS full mock test includes all three Speaking parts.
Straight from the test owners.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to IELTS, the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Checked on 15 and 16 October 2026:
- IELTS Academic: Speaking test format — the three parts, timings, Part 2 preparation and the four criteria.
- IELTS scoring in detail — equal weighting of the four criteria.
- Speaking band descriptors (PDF) and key assessment criteria (PDF) — what each band looks like.
- IELTS sample test questions — includes the official Speaking sample tasks (PDF).
Exam details change. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the IELTS guide, Writing, Reading, Listening, scoring and the practice test guide.
IELTS Speaking questions, answered.
How long is IELTS Speaking?
IELTS Speaking takes 11–14 minutes in three parts. Part 1 is 4–5 minutes, Part 2 is 3–4 minutes including preparation, and Part 3 is 4–5 minutes.
What are the three parts of IELTS Speaking?
Part 1 is an introduction and interview on familiar topics. Part 2 is an individual long turn on a task card. Part 3 is a discussion of more general and abstract issues linked to the Part 2 topic.
Is IELTS Speaking face to face?
Yes. IELTS describes the Speaking test as a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner, and the test is recorded.
How long do you prepare and speak in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
You get one minute to prepare, with pencil and paper to make notes, and the card should give you enough to keep talking for two minutes. The examiner stops you when time is up and may ask one or two questions on the same topic.
Is IELTS Speaking different for Academic and General Training?
No. IELTS states that the Speaking test is the same for both versions, so one practice routine covers both.
How is IELTS Speaking marked?
Certificated examiners assess your performance throughout the test on four criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. They carry equal weighting, and their average gives your Speaking band.
Do I get a separate score for each part of IELTS Speaking?
No. The examiner assesses you across the whole interview and you receive one Speaking band, reported in whole or half bands.
Does ScoreFluent offer IELTS Speaking practice?
Yes. ScoreFluent has practice for all three parts, scored against the four published criteria. Results are practice estimates, not official IELTS scores, and ScoreFluent is not affiliated with IELTS.
How accurate is ScoreFluent’s IELTS Speaking estimate?
It is provisional. The speaking grader has not yet been calibrated against examiner-marked recordings, so treat the band as a rough pointer and rely more on the criterion feedback than on the number.
Can ScoreFluent replace speaking with a real examiner?
No. On ScoreFluent you record your answers alone, so you can rehearse what you say but not the live back-and-forth of Parts 1 and 3. Use it to build material and fix delivery, and speak to a person before test day.
Start practising IELTS Speaking today.
IELTS practice is live on ScoreFluent — speaking, writing, reading and listening, free to start.
Start practising IELTS free →Not sure IELTS is the right test? Which English test should I take? →