Test format

About the IELTS Speaking test

The Speaking test is the same in Academic and General Training. It runs 11–14 minutes and is scored 0–9 across four criteria.

Part 1

Introduction & Interview

~5 min

A 4–5 minute conversation. Three topic clusters, ~3 questions each.

Scored on: Fluency, lexical range on familiar topics, basic accuracy.

Part 2

Long Turn (Cue Card)

~4 min

Cue card topic, 1 min prep with notes, 1–2 min monologue, 1 follow-up.

Scored on: Coherence, vocabulary range, pronunciation, ability to extend.

Part 3

Discussion

~5 min

A 4–5 minute back-and-forth on broader themes.

Scored on: Argument development, complex grammar, abstract vocabulary.

The four band criteria

Fluency & coherence

Speak at length without long hesitation; logical flow and discourse markers.

Lexical resource

Range of vocabulary, idiomatic and topic-specific usage, paraphrasing.

Grammatical range & accuracy

Mix of simple and complex structures; few systematic errors.

Pronunciation

Clear individual sounds, appropriate stress and intonation, easy to follow.

What this simulator does

A real Cambridge examiner reads from a script — the structure of each part is fixed. The simulator replicates that structure with a voice examiner and stores the transcript locally for review.

After a full test, you get a report scored against the public IELTS band descriptors — fluency & coherence, lexical resource, and grammatical range. Pronunciation is marked N/A because it cannot be judged from a transcript alone.