The three parts of the Speaking test
The test lasts 11 to 14 minutes and takes place face to face with an examiner.
- Part 1 (4 to 5 minutes): questions about familiar topics such as your home, studies, work, food or weekends. Answer in two or three sentences with a reason or example.
- Part 2 (3 to 4 minutes): you receive a cue card, have one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes. The examiner may ask one or two short follow-up questions.
- Part 3 (4 to 5 minutes): a discussion of more abstract ideas linked to the Part 2 topic. This is where higher bands are won or lost.
You are marked on four criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Fluency or accuracy?
Many Karachi students lean one way. Some speak quickly and confidently but with frequent slips; others pause to build a perfect sentence and lose fluency. Neither extreme scores well.
Aim for speech that keeps moving. If you make a small error, correct it briefly or carry on. Use natural thinking phrases such as "That's an interesting question" or "I'd say it depends on..." sparingly, not as memorised fillers. In Part 3, extend answers with a reason, an example and a contrast: "In Karachi, for instance..." is a perfectly good way to bring in a local example.
Pronunciation points for Urdu and Sindhi speakers
Pronunciation is marked on how easily the examiner understands you, not on accent. A Karachi accent is fine. These are the features speakers of Urdu, Sindhi and other Pakistani languages commonly work on:
- V and W. Urdu and Sindhi use one sound for both, so "west" and "vest" or "wine" and "vine" can merge. Practise the top teeth touching the lower lip for /v/ and rounded lips for /w/.
- "Th" sounds. "Think" may become "tink" and "this" become "dis" or a soft dental "d". Put your tongue lightly between your teeth and practise pairs such as "three / tree" and "they / day".
- Extra vowels before consonant clusters. "School", "station" and "speech" sometimes become "iskool", "istation" and "ispeech". Start directly on the "s".
- Word stress. English stress moves: PHOtograph, phoTOGraphy, photoGRAPHic. Pakistani English often stresses syllables more evenly, which can blur meaning. Check the stress of new words when you learn them.
- Sentence rhythm. English stresses key words and reduces small ones ("I'm going to the market" sounds like "I'm GOing to the MARket"). Giving every word equal weight can make speech sound flat and harder to follow.
- Retroflex t and d. Many speakers use a heavier, curled-back "t" and "d". This is rarely a problem for understanding, so treat it as a low priority compared with the points above.
Choose one feature a week. Record yourself, listen back and practise slowly before speeding up.
IELTS Speaking practice in Karachi when you have no partner
Finding a practice partner who will give honest feedback is hard, especially if your friends and colleagues switch to Urdu as soon as the conversation gets relaxed.
- Record and transcribe. Our 186 Speaking prompts let you answer aloud, then give AI feedback on the transcript. Seeing your own words written down makes repeated fillers and unfinished sentences obvious.
- Use voice notes. Karachi runs on WhatsApp voice notes. Send yourself a 2-minute voice note on a cue-card topic each day and listen back the next morning.
- Practise on the move, safely. As a passenger on the Green Line or in a ride-hail car, run through Part 1 questions in your head or quietly aloud.
- Agree an English hour at home. If a sibling or flatmate is also preparing, keep one hour a day English-only.
The cue-card timer matters
Most students underestimate how short one minute of preparation feels. On IELTS Learning, Part 2 runs with a real one-minute preparation timer followed by a two-minute speaking timer, just like the test. Use the minute to jot four or five key words, not full sentences, and plan to keep talking until the timer stops. Running out of ideas at 70 seconds is one of the most common reasons for a lower Fluency score.
When to book a teacher
For Speaking, a human examiner-style conversation is hard to replace. A 1-to-1 online session with an IELTS teacher lasts about 20 minutes, from $5, which is enough for a full mock Speaking test with feedback. Book one early to find your level, and another close to your test date to check progress.