There is a good chance that if you are reading this blog post you probably want to understand how the examiner would assess your IELTS speaking performance. The IELTS speaking test is a crucial component of the exam as it evaluates a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in English across a range of topics.
Examiners use four criteria to score your speaking and understanding them can greatly enhance preparation and boost scores. This guide breaks down those four key Speaking Assessment Criteria and provides actionable tips to help test-takers perform at their best.
What are the IELTS Speaking Criteria?
Four IELTS speaking marking criteria are used to evaluate the Speaking Task:
- Fluency and Coherence: This assesses how smoothly and naturally you speak, including your ability to connect ideas, use appropriate pauses, and maintain a logical flow of speech.
- Lexical Resource: This evaluates the range and appropriateness of vocabulary you use in your speech.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Correct use of simple and complex sentence structures. This examines your ability to use a variety of grammatical structures correctly.
- Pronunciation: This assesses how clearly and accurately you speak in English, including stress, intonation and rhythm.
Each criterion contributes equally (25% each) to the final speaking band score, making it essential to develop well-rounded speaking skills. collectively influence the candidate’s speaking score.
Fluency and Coherence
This refers to how comfortable you are at speaking English and how well you connect your ideas. Being fluent means that you speak at a natural speed and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to speak in English. It also checks if you need to hesitate, self-correct and repeat yourself to keep going.
Key Indicators of Fluency
- Speech rate: ideally, not too slow (hard to keep links between words/propositions in mind)
- Speech continuity: ideally, flow of speech will not be excessively interrupted by false starts, backtracking, functionless repetitions of words and phrases, and/or pausing during which the test taker searches for words.
Coherence on the other hand means to connect ideas logically, using linking words and phrases and organizing your ideas to help you move on to another point.
Key Indicators of Coherence
- Logical sequencing of ‘spoken sentences’
- Clearly define stages in a discussion, narration or argument utilizing proper pausing, spoken discourse markers, and fillers.
- Relevance of spoken sentences to the general purpose.
- Use of cohesive devices within and between spoken sentences (e.g. logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions).
Tips to Improve Fluency and Coherence:
- Practice speaking without hesitation by thinking in English.
- Use linking words and phrases (What’s more, or having said that,) conjunctions (and or because), and pronouns (them) to connect ideas smoothly.
- Avoid long pauses by using fillers like “well” or “let me think.”
- Organize thoughts before speaking using simple structures.
- Record and analyze responses to identify areas for improvement.
Example:
- Poor fluency: “Umm… I think… uh… technology is… um… useful.”
- Good fluency: “Technology plays a vital role in modern life, helping people stay connected and work efficiently.”
Lexical Resource
A strong lexical resource means using the right words and phrases to express yourself clearly while avoiding repetition. It’s meant to draw your attention to the fact that, rather than merely using any casual vocabulary, the words you select to speak should be easily understandable, relevant to the topic of discussion and showcase a diverse vocabulary.
Key Indicators of Lexical Resource
- Variety of words used.
- Adequacy and appropriacy of vocabulary in relation to the requirements of: referential meaning, style, word forms, collocation and the speaker’s attitude to content.
- Ability to use paraphrase, with or without noticeable hesitation.
How to Expand Vocabulary:
- Learn vocabulary relevant to popular IELTS speaking topics, such as education, technology, and the environment.
- Incorporate idiomatic expressions like “Piece of cake”, “Beat around the bush”, “a blessing in disguise” etc. where appropriate.
- Read articles to improve your vocabulary and maintain a journal to note down and remember all the new words.
- When you can’t think of the right word or phrase, use synonyms or paraphase to avoid repetition (e.g., “important” → “crucial”).
Example:
- Weak vocabulary: “I like traveling because it is fun.”
- Strong vocabulary: “I am passionate about traveling as it broadens my perspective and exposes me to diverse cultures.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
This criterion focuses on your ability to produce speech that is grammatically correct using both simple and complex structures while limiting your grammatical mistakes.
Key Indicators of Range
- The length of spoken sentences.
- Appropriate use of subordinate clauses.
- Complexity of the verb phrase and other phrases.
- Range of sentence structures.
Key Indicators of Accuracy
- Error density (the number of grammatical errors in a given amount of speech)
- The communicative effect of error (its effect on intelligibility and precision/expression)
Strategies to Improve Grammar:
- Practice forming complex sentences (e.g., “Although I prefer tea, I sometimes drink coffee.”)
- Understanding the basic concepts like Nouns, Pronouns, Conjunction, Preposition may help you to get command over grammar.
- Get feedback from tutors or online grammar checkers.
- Speak in complete sentences instead of short phrases.
Example:
Become aware of the grammatical errors you usually make: incorrect verb tenses, subject-verb agreement issues, missing articles, improper use of prepositions, pronoun errors, confusion with comparatives and superlatives, and not using the correct singular/plural forms.
- Common mistake: “She go to work every day.”
- Correct sentence: “She goes to work every day.”
Pronunciation
How clean, clear and precisely you speak holds your marks here. However, You’re not expected to sound like an English native speaker, but your pronunciation must be clear. The examiner will be listening for how easy it is to understand you, and how clearly (and correctly) you pronounce words. They will also listen to how you use stress and intonation to emphasize important words or contrast ideas. They will also listen out for pronunciation errors made when you say your words.
Key Indicators of Pronunciation
- The ability to break down speech into understandable parts within the spoken sentences.
- The appropriate use of rhythm and stress timing, and the linking of sounds to produce connected speech.
- The use of stress (e.g. emphatic/contrastive) and intonation to enhance meaning.
- The production of sounds at the word and phoneme level, and the degree of effort required of the listener to understand these.
- The overall effect of accent on intelligibility.
Pronunciation Tips:
- Pay special attention to word stress patterns and stress the appropriate syllables
- Practice difficult sounds by listening & imitating the rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation of native speakers.
- Record speeches and compare with model answers.
- Speak slowly and clearly rather than rushing.
Example:
- Unclear: “Wudjamean by that?”
- Clear: “What do you mean by that?”
Differences Between Band 6 and Band 8
If you are aiming for getting a good band score in the Speaking test, you should be aware of the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors. They outline the specific expectations for each band based on the four criteria discussed above. Below is a comparison table for Band 6 and Band 8:
| Criteria | Band 8 | Band 6 |
| Fluency and coherence | Fluent with only very occasional repetition or self-correction. Hesitation may occasionally be used to find words or grammar, but most will be content related. Topic development is coherent, appropriate and relevant. | Able to keep going and demonstrates a willingness to produce long turns. Coherence may be lost at times as a result of hesitation, repetition and/or self-correction. Uses a range of spoken discourse markers, connectives and cohesive features though not always appropriately |
| Lexical resource | Wide resource, readily and flexibly used to discuss all topics and convey precise meaning. Skillful use of less common and idiomatic items despite occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. Effective use of paraphrase as required. | Resource sufficient to discuss topics at length. Vocabulary use may be inappropriate but meaning is clear. Generally able to paraphrase successfully. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Wide range of structures, flexibly used. The majority of sentences are error free. Occasional inappropriacies and non-systematic errors occur. A few basic errors may persist. | Produces a mix of short and complex sentence forms and a variety of structures with limited flexibility. Though errors frequently occur in complex structures, these rarely impede communication. |
| Pronunciation | Uses a wide range of phonological features to convey precise and/or subtle meaning. Can sustain appropriate rhythm. Flexible use of stress and intonation across long utterances, despite occasional lapses. Can be easily understood throughout. Accent has minimal effect on intelligibility. | Uses a range of phonological features, but control is variable. Chunking is generally appropriate, but rhythm may be affected by a lack of stress-timing and/or a rapid speech rate. Some effective use of intonation and stress, but this is not sustained.Individual words or phonemes may be mispronounced but this causes only occasional lack of clarity. Can generally be understood throughout without much effort. |
Tips to Maximize Your IELTS Speaking Score
Improving your Speaking score requires consistent practice and a strategic approach. Try incorporating these strategies into your IELTS Speaking preparation and see the difference.
- Engage in daily conversations: Make English a part of your daily routine by thinking and speaking in English. Speak in English with everyone as much as possible.
- Expand Your Vocabulary: Using varied vocabulary and synonyms makes a strong impression. Read articles, listen to podcasts, and keep a vocabulary journal.
- Work on Your Pronunciation: Pronunciation is not about having a native accent but speaking clearly. Use platforms with audio and video features like YouTube or Podcasts to mimic the native speakers for clear and accurate speech.
- Structured Answers: Organize your answers logically and avoid jumping between the ideas. Use structures like the O.R.E.O method (Opinion, Reason, Example, Opinion) to maintain coherence and clarity.
- Time Management: Manage your time effectively during the test. Use the preparation time to outline your response and allocate time for each part of the speaking test.
- Practice with Mock Tests: Simulate real IELTS conditions by practicing with timed mock tests. Get Regular Feedback from a Tutor as they can identify mistakes you may not notice.
- Stay confident: Stay confident and maintain eye contact with the examiner. Practice speaking in front of a mirror or with a study partner to boost confidence.
Conclusion
It takes skill to become proficient in in fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. When preparing for your IELTS test keep in mind the above-mentioned things that your IELTS examiner looking out for. By understanding the assessment criteria and implementing these strategies, candidates can significantly boost their scores. You can also benefit from personalized IELTS coaching. All the best!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are the Criteria for IELTS Speaking?
Ans: The IELTS Speaking test is evaluated based on four key criteria:
- Fluency and Coherence: Ability to speak smoothly without unnatural pauses while logically organizing ideas.
- Lexical Resource: Use of a wide range of vocabulary, including synonyms and topic-specific words.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Correct usage of simple and complex sentence structures with minimal errors.
- Pronunciation: Clear speech with proper word stress, intonation, and rhythm, making it easy to understand.
Each criterion contributes equally (25%) to your overall IELTS Speaking band score.
2. How Can I Predict My IELTS Speaking Score?
Ans: You can estimate your IELTS Speaking score by evaluating yourself against the four assessment criteria. Here’s how:
- Record Yourself: Speak on common IELTS topics and check for fluency, vocabulary variety, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation clarity.
- Use IELTS Band Descriptors: Compare your performance with official IELTS Speaking band descriptors to gauge your level.
- Get Feedback: Ask a tutor or native speaker to assess your responses and suggest improvements.
- Take Mock Speaking Tests: Practicing with sample questions under timed conditions helps you get a realistic score estimate.
While self-assessment can provide a rough idea, professional feedback offers a more accurate prediction of your IELTS Speaking score.
