The three parts of the Speaking test
The Speaking test lasts 11–14 minutes and takes place face to face with an examiner, recorded for marking.
- Part 1 (4–5 minutes): questions about familiar topics such as your studies, work, home, hobbies or neighbourhood.
- Part 2 (3–4 minutes): you receive a cue card, get 1 minute to prepare, then speak for up to 2 minutes. The examiner may ask a short follow-up.
- Part 3 (4–5 minutes): a discussion of broader, more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.
You are marked on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Fluency first, then accuracy
A common approach in Pune classrooms is to correct every grammar error. That helps eventually, but in Speaking it can make you hesitate before every sentence. Fluency and Coherence is a full quarter of the score.
- Extend your answers. In Part 1, aim for two to four sentences: an answer, a reason and an example. One-word or one-line answers limit your score.
- Keep talking through small mistakes. Self-correct only when the error changes the meaning.
- Use natural fillers sparingly. "Well", "actually" and "let me think" are fine; long silences and repeated "basically" are not.
- Build accuracy in practice, not in the test. Review your transcript afterwards and fix the patterns that keep appearing.
Pronunciation points for Marathi and Hindi speakers
Pronunciation is about being easy to understand, not about sounding British or American. Indian accents are perfectly acceptable. These are practical points that many Marathi and Hindi speakers in Pune work on:
- "v" and "w". Marathi and Hindi have one sound where English has two, so "vest" and "west" can sound alike. For "w", round your lips without touching your teeth.
- "th" sounds. "Think" and "this" are often said as a hard "t" or "d". It rarely blocks understanding, but practising a soft tongue-between-teeth sound helps clarity.
- Word stress. Words like "deVElopment", "phoTOgraphy" and "comPAny" change meaning or clarity when the stress moves. Note the stress when you learn a new word.
- Sentence stress and intonation. Marathi has a fairly even rhythm. In English, stressing key words ("I really enjoyed it") makes you sound fluent and engaged.
- Short and long vowels. "Ship" and "sheep", "full" and "fool" are worth practising in pairs.
- Speed. Speaking very fast to sound fluent often hides good vocabulary. A steady pace scores better.
Part 2 topics with a Pune flavour
Cue cards often ask about a place, an event, a person or an object. Pune gives you ready material, so prepare stories you can adapt:
- a place you like to visit: a fort trek to Sinhagad or a monsoon drive towards Lonavala;
- a festival or celebration: Ganeshotsav, with its pandals and processions;
- a busy place you know: a market lane in the old city, or the morning crowd at an IT park gate;
- a teacher, a project or a skill you learnt at your college.
One good story can answer several cards, but do not memorise scripts. Examiners recognise rehearsed answers, and they can lower your score.
Practising when you have no partner
Finding a regular speaking partner is hard when friends are busy with placements or night shifts. You can still practise properly alone:
- Use our 186 prompts for Parts 1, 2 and 3, so you hear unfamiliar questions rather than ones you choose.
- Record your answer and read the AI feedback on your transcript. Fillers, repeated words and overused phrases are much easier to notice in text.
- Repeat the same question a day later and compare the two transcripts.
- Shadow English audio: play a short Listening clip, pause, and copy the rhythm and stress aloud.
- Think aloud in English for five minutes on the bus or while walking, describing what you see.
The cue-card timer and teacher sessions
Part 2 catches many candidates because one minute of preparation feels very short and two minutes of speaking feels very long. Our cue-card screen uses a real 1-minute preparation and 2-minute speaking timer, so you learn exactly how much you can say. Use the minute to note four or five keywords, not sentences.
AI feedback is useful for daily practice, but Speaking is ultimately a conversation. A 1-to-1 online session with an IELTS teacher, about 20 minutes from ₹299, gives you a realistic Part 1 to 3 interview and honest comments on pronunciation and range. Many students book one at the start and one about two weeks before the test.
Getting started
The free sample mock includes a Speaking section, and the blog has weekly tips on Part 3 answers. Register free to start IELTS Speaking practice in Pune; Full Access, at ₹999 for 2 months, unlocks every prompt and mock.