Don’t memorise answers 

The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorized your answer, and this may negatively affect your band score. Memorized answers, especially in Part 1, fail to give the examiner an accurate measure of your English-speaking skills. 

2. Don’t use big and unfamiliar words 

Although it’s tempting to want to impress the examiner by using big and complex words, better to err on the side of caution and avoid using unfamiliar words. There is a higher chance of making a mistake, either by mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context, and mistakes can affect your final band score. 

3. Use a range of grammatical structures 

When assessing your speaking skills, the examiner will mark you based on the following criteria:  

• Fluency and Coherence 

• Lexical Resource 

• Grammatical range and accuracy 

• Pronunciation 

Try and use a mix of simple and complex sentences to express what you wish to say. You are assessed on your ability to accurately use different grammatical structures, so make sure to practice speaking about the past, present, and future using the proper tenses.  

4. Don’t worry about your accent 

The IELTS examiner understands a wide range of accents and will be able to understand you as long as you can communicate well. Do work on sounds that give you difficulty and be sure to employ stress and intonation since English is a stress-timed language.   

5. Pause to think 

There is nothing wrong with taking a brief pause to think about what you are going to say. We all do it all the time. There are phrases you can employ to give you time to think, phrases such as: 

• That’s an interesting question 

• Let me see 

• Let me think about that for a minute 

• Well, some people may agree with that. However, I think… 

6. Avoid using fillers 

We tend to use fillers when we don’t know what to say. Speak confidently and avoid the use of fillers (Like, Um, Well, you know, etc.) as much as possible. Fillers give the examiner the impression that you can’t access appropriate speech, so avoid them as best you can and use the phrases provided in Tip 5 instead.  

7. Extend your answers 

Answer the examiner’s questions in full. When your answers are short, it reveals to the examiner that you are unable to speak in detail on a topic. You may be given a prompt such as “Why?” to give reasons for your answer and to extend your response more fully. Better to extend your answers on your own and not wait for a prompt to do so. 

8. Smile! 

Smiling calms your nerves which in turn helps your pronunciation. When we smile, we enunciate clearer, and the tone of our voice becomes more friendly. Clear enunciation and tone go a long way toward increasing your band score. 

9. Avoid speaking in a monotone 

When we speak flatly with little variation in tone, it is referred to as a monotone. Speaking in a monotone makes it more difficult for the listener to recognize which parts of your message are important. Emphasizing certain words and pausing at certain sections can contribute to a more engaging conversation. Stressing key words also makes it easier to compare and contrast ideas and increases the conversation flow. Remember: 

• Don’t speak in a monotone 

• Vary the intonation and stress to add emphasis 

• Gesture with your hands to help the rhythm of the conversation 

10. Practice common IELTS topics 

Practice common IELTS topics with friends, family, and colleagues to improve and to broaden your vocabulary associated with each topic. Some common topics you can practice include: 

• Travel and tourism 

• Education 

• Transport 

• The environment 

• Family life 

• Crime and punishment 

• The Internet 

• Advertising and retail 

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, so with these ten tips and plenty of practice, you’ll be well on your way to getting the band score you need on the IELTS Speaking Test! Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!