How the Speaking test runs
The test lasts 11 to 14 minutes, face to face with an examiner, and is recorded. It has three parts.
- Part 1 (4 to 5 minutes): familiar questions about your home, studies, work, hobbies and daily life.
- Part 2 (3 to 4 minutes): a cue card. You get one minute to prepare with a pencil and paper, then speak for up to two minutes without interruption.
- Part 3 (4 to 5 minutes): a deeper discussion linked to the Part 2 topic. Expect "why", "how" and "what do you think will happen" questions.
You are marked on four criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Fluency or accuracy?
Many students think they must speak perfect English. They freeze, correct themselves mid-sentence and leave long pauses. Others talk quickly but loosely, with errors in almost every sentence.
Examiners want both, in balance. Practical guidance:
- keep talking and fix a mistake only if it changes your meaning;
- extend answers in Part 1 with a reason or a short example, but stop after two or three sentences;
- use natural fillers such as "Well, that's an interesting question" sparingly, not as a script;
- in Part 3, give an opinion, explain it, and add a contrast or consequence.
Pronunciation points for Nagpur speakers
Most people in Nagpur grow up with Marathi, often the Varhadi-influenced speech of Vidarbha, alongside Hindi, and many also speak another home language. That gives you clear, strong consonants, which is an asset. The points students here commonly work on are small and fixable:
- v and w. Marathi and Hindi do not separate them, so "wine" and "vine" can sound alike. Round your lips for w; touch your top teeth to your lower lip for v.
- th sounds. "Think" and "this" are often said with a t or d. Practise putting your tongue lightly between your teeth.
- Word stress. English stresses one syllable strongly: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy, photoGRAphic. Even stress across every syllable makes speech harder to follow.
- Vowel length. "Ship" and "sheep", "full" and "fool" need different vowel lengths.
- Intonation. A flat tone can sound uninterested. Let your voice rise and fall, especially on key words.
You are not expected to sound British. Pronunciation is about being clear and easy to understand, and a Nagpur accent is perfectly fine.
Practising when you have no partner
Finding someone to practise with is hard if friends are busy or not preparing for IELTS. Solo practice works if it is structured:
- Use real timing. Our cue cards give you a genuine one-minute preparation timer and a two-minute speaking timer, so you learn what two minutes feels like.
- Speak aloud, at full volume. Practising in your head does not train your mouth.
- Read your transcript. IELTS Learning transcribes what you said and gives AI feedback, so you can see repeated words, missing articles and unfinished sentences.
- Repeat the same card a day later and compare transcripts.
- Describe what is around you in English: the Metro ride to Sitabuldi, a Sunday at Futala Lake, how your family prepares for Ganeshotsav. These are exactly the kinds of experiences cue cards ask about.
What the platform gives you
- 186 Speaking prompts across Parts 1, 2 and 3, grouped by common topics.
- Cue cards with the real one-minute preparation and two-minute timer.
- AI feedback on your transcript, covering fluency, vocabulary range and grammar.
- Study Notes with a Speaking chapter on extending answers and handling difficult Part 3 questions.
Practise with a real teacher
Nothing replaces a live conversation. Book a Teacher gives you a 1-to-1 online session of about 20 minutes, from ₹299, which is just right for a full mock Speaking test with comments afterwards. Many students book one early to find their level and one shortly before the test.
A live session also trains something solo practice cannot: responding to an unexpected follow-up question without freezing. Ask the teacher to interrupt you with "Why?" or "Can you give an example?" in Part 3, exactly as an examiner might, and notice which kinds of question make you hesitate. Those are the topics to practise next on your own.
Getting started
Try the Speaking section of the free sample mock on the practice tests page. Full Access, ₹999 for 2 months, unlocks all prompts; teacher sessions are booked separately. Register free to begin.