Can you ask the examiner questions? This page explains clearly about asking the examiner questions in each part of the IELTS speaking test. Learn what questions can you ask and which you can't ask.
You can ask the examiner to repeat the question in IELTS speaking part 1 (Could you repeat that, please?) but that's all. You can't ask other questions. The examiner is limited to asking questions only in speaking part 1 and can't help you or explain. The examiner can't explain questions and can't explain words.
You can't ask any questions in part 2. You can't ask to change the topic. You must use the topic giving to you and try your best to talk about something related to your cue card.
If you don't understand a word on your cue card, the examiner can't help you. You need to follow the topic on your card and follow the prompts you understand. You can add any other information you want to your talk to make it longer which relates to the topic.
The examiner will tell you when to start talking and when to stop. You don't need to ask.
Can you change the question?
Can you give me a different topic?
Sometimes you need to time to think about the question and think of your answer. One way to do that is to ask the examiner to repeat the question. It is a useful way to gain time to think. Alternatively, you can say "It's an interesting question. I've never really thought about it before. I suppose…" You could use that method for difficult questions in part 3.
Will I lose marks if I ask the examiner to repeat the question?
No, it won't affect your score. Your score is calculated on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. There is no score for understanding or comprehension. So, it is fine to ask the examiner to repeat one to two questions in part 1 or to explain a question in part 3.
Hello Mam, today In speaking test, part -1 was ok for me. In part-2 i spoke nicely but quickly ( Bcoz I speak very fast) also I spoke 2-3 Bad grammer sentences and in part 3 I gave 3-4 wrong answers teacher interupted many times but i gave irrelevant answers my fluency of English was good and pronounciatuon was also better how much i can score? I also told examiner that I was quite nervous thank you for creating a good environment..in the end when she asked me to leave. Can I score 7.5+?
Your score is based on fluency, grammar, vocab and pronunciation throughout your whole test.
Thank you for all the lessons and tips. They really helped.
I took my speaking test on 14th of February. The examiner was my English teacher, and I failed a speaking test with him when I was his student. So, it made me really nervous more than I already am. I know that I'll get a lower score because of this situation.
He didn't do anything wrong, and acted professional, but my memories made me anxious. Is there anything I can do about this? Should I just wait for my results?
There is nothing you can do. You must wait for your results. If you need to take the test again, try taking it in another centre to avoid your teacher.
1) Where do you live at the moment?
2) What do you like about the place ?
3) What do you think about pictures and sketches?
4) Would you like to have pictures at your home?
5) Would you like someone to make your sketch?
6) Do you like team sports or individual?
7) Which sports is famous among people?
8) Who is your favorite sportsman?
1) Have you made a difficult decision along with someone?
1) Some people make quick decisions and some take time? Why people make decision quickly?
2) Decision by politicians are important. How should they make their decisions?
It has no impact on your score. You were being friendly and that's nice.
hey Liz, I asked the examiner do I still have time? during my part two. I know I was not supposed to. Is it very bad like do we lose points for that?
The examiner will stop you when 2 mins is finished in part 2 – you do not need to ask if you still have time. You talk until you are stopped. It does not lower your score to ask, but it certainly won't help your confidence when the examiner doesn't respond as you expect due to exam constraints.
Yesterday it was my LRW test. it was nice but in writing test I used 9-10 advance vocabulary. So, i am afraid that will it affect my score bcz of using so many vocabs.? Also Day after tomorrow is my speaking test and i wanted to know that is it okay if i speak using regular words(instead of using advance vocabs) will that affect my score??
Vocabulary only counts for 25% of your marks for both writing and speaking. This means it should not be your main focus. In the speaking test, be naturally, be chatty and be friendly. It is an informal speaking test.
Mam. During speaking, can we used simple words it did not any effect on our score or we should used difficult words?
You should speak naturally. Vocabulary is only 25% of your marks. Your aim is to use a range of topic based vocab.
Will it affect my score if I speak all two minutes and the examiner stops me at the end and in the middle? or on the other side, If I reach out to end of my answer somewhere past 1 or 1.5 minutes, should I just keep quite and wait for him to announce the end of 2 minutes?
They usually look at their watch for the time and I find it hard to know if 1 or 1.5 min are past and get stressed if I need to risk it and stop or keep talking till end.
Of course you should aim to speak for 2 mins. This is your chance to show fluency and show that you can speak at length without effort. You should always speak until the examiner stops you for every question in every part of the test. If you stop early and you have nothing more to say (nothing at all), then say "I've finished" and the examiner will move to the rounding off questions and then part 3.
I've read some of the details of your site but I forgot if you've mentioned about the number of questions for the speaking if it's advantageous to get more questions or not because I am concerned with my speaking exam today although I find it just enough with the allotted length of time. The examiner asked me several questions in part 1 and part 3. Do you think my answers were just short and not enough? In part 1, we tackled several topics from work, food and time while in part 3 she asked me several questions about competition like 5-6 of them.
Anyway, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Your site is of great help especially I am a full time mom that I am only able to sudy when my son is asleep.
The number of questions is decided by the examiner and does not impact your score. The examiner decides how long you can speak for, except in part 2 when you have a full 2 mins.
Can I ask the examiner's name?
Hi Liz. I took my speaking test today and unfortunately I hadn't read this page before. I made mistake on asking the examiner "have you been there?" after he gave me a follow-up question after I finished explaining about a quiet place I like in part 2. He said "no" yet now I'm wondering if it will affect my score. Could you please share your opinions? Thank you.
It's not a problem if you ask a question – but the examiner can't express his or her views, or tell you any details. For many candidates, they feel uncomfortable if the examiner gives a one word reply. The rules do not allow the examiner to say more. This means that during the test, it will affect your confidence – but it will NOT affect your score.
Today was my IELTS speaking exam . After asking my name and occupation, examiner asked " how often you like to do planting". I was very sure she asked about planning and I said, " I like to do planning for my sister's birthday and parents anniversary, sometimes for holiday trips also . But in the trailing question I said" oh you asked about plants?" And answered the rest of the questions very well.
How it will affect my score ? I mean how many points will be deducted for that particular question and answer. ?
No, it doesn't affect your score. Understanding questions is NOT a marking criteria for IELTS speaking.
My Answer to a question was "Art, History". Is it wrong ?
Because the right answer was "Art History" Does even punctuation count as a word ?
It's fine. On the whole, you do not need to use commas. Two words and that's all. But your answer will still be marked correct.
Today I had my IELTS speaking test and i was asked what sort of outdoor activities I like?
My answer was i really like attending music concerts.
Will it be marked wrong??
Please help with the same.
There is no right or wrong answer in IELTS speaking.
Just finished my test on November 2,2017. My main concern is on my speaking test. I observed that my examiner was not really chatting with me but asking questions from a check-list and recording directly into the recorder. My question is -is it possible that I will be assessed by what he hears on the recorder after the test or by an on -the-spot assessment?
Your score is decided at the end of the test. The recording is only used if you ask for a remark.
Your understanding is not marked.
liz, is it wrong to use a native non english word accidentally during speaking test? like sleep of tongue… how may it effect the score?
If you accidentally use a foreign word in your test, you should immediately paraphrase it by saying "which means ….". You should avoid using foreign words but it if happens by accident don't worry but make sure you explain the meaning.
I asked my examiner at the end if I did well. He said that he cant really say so I asked him if he was pleased with my performance to which he had the same answer. Will they terminate my speaking exam?
I do not understand your question. What do you mean "will they terminate your test"? The examiner explained that he/she can't answer the question – that's all. What is the problem? I don't see any problem at all.
My speaking held yersterday and I want to clear two doubts.
In this i spoke about 1 and a half mins n examiner stop me and i m worried about the content i spoked on medicine rather than any particular topic.
Is this effect my score?
Is it also effect my score?
1. content is not marked in speaking – only language you produce is marked.
The examiner is not allowed to stop you in part 2. You have up to 2 mins to speak and the examiner can't take that away from you unless you stop speaking. Are you sure it happened in part 2?
Yes. The examiner MUST stop all students at the end of 2 mins.
In the second one before the start of speaking part of the exam ,she start asking me : did isee you before!!!
Why your repeating the exam improve your English fist?!!!!!
Dear is she allowed to say such a thing..she put me in pressure and I became very anxious and frustrated and she gave me low score !!!!
The examiner was giving you good advice. Students should not take the test again and again and again. If you get a low score, you need to develop your English and then take the test again. Development and improvement are required for a higher score. However, the examiner should not have said this at the beginning of your test because it would make you uncomfortable. She didn't break any rules. I have not heard of someone asking to change their speaking examiner.
When I began answering one of the questions during the speaking exam, I got lost on my own thoughts and said "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question. I got lost". Will that affect my score?? And then I realized that the question asked the same as the point that I got to on the previous question, therefore I started my answer with "like I said before" and tried to develop my previous idea a bit more. Is that ok? Or will it prevent me from getting band score 8?
Hope you are doing well. In speaking, I think my grammar is okay, but I face problems regarding ideas. I can't get ideas or proper answers quickly while speaking, what can I do?
My speaking is very week. My speaking is on 11th August so plz give me some tips related to speaking. So i can score well.
Roman numerals are numbers, not words. Just copy the examples given on your question paper.
I booked my ielts on coming 29 july.
So, could anyone tell about their recent test questions came in ielts academic.
If remeber, please write here.
Good morning, my speaking was yesterday and it went very smoothly. I was asked about robots in section one and section 2 was about swimming pool, section three was about leisure facilities and how it affect the youths of the community.
I am hoping for 8.5. thanks LIz your materials have been very helpful.
my Reading, hearing and writing is on the 24th.
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Good luck in the next part of your test. Keep your eye on the clock in reading and writing – manage your time well !!
i am in australia and my test is on 24th june. i want to ask something on speaking.will examiners notice our clothes?? and what we can do if we dont understand the cue card,i mean we dont know the meaning of a given cue card.what will happen if we wish them good morning at 1pm , will it affect the bands?please reply as soon as possible.
I took my speaking on April 29th at British Council inViet Nam, my examiner yawned repeatedly when I begin, so I felt uncomfortable with my answers. He also asked the wrong question 3 times. I wonder whether these things happened frequently in IELTS exam?
Hi liz , i watched ur videos nd they are awesome thank u for ur help 🤗 I had my speaking test today. In part 3 the examiner didn't give me much time to speak she was speaking all the times , is it ok? Nd she also finished my test in 9-12 mins . What does that mean?
The speaking test can last between 11 and 14 mins. It is not a reflection of your score.The examiner should not talk but the examiner will frequently ask questions or interrupt your answers.
It means they stop you in the middle of your answer and ask a new question.
I took my speaking test today in Lagos Nigeria.
I tried to speak correctly and fluently throughout the test. I hope I get a good bandscore. Thank you so much Liz, your lessons came in handy especially the one on shoes.
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Lucky you got known topics in part 1 🙂 Good luck with your results !!
Liz's got this a whole. I did my speaking test today. I answered the questions as exactly as outlined by Liz and I noticed the interviewer smile as I answered.
You will be marked on your overall performance, not just in part 2. It is not possible to predict if it will have an impact or not.
I have been very impressive with your website . It really helped me a lot whilst I preparing for IELTS exam . I did pretty well in morning section ( listening, reading , writing ) . But I was nervous in the speaking test . I make the most ridiculous mistake ever in my history . Examiner was asking me do you take bag everytime you go out ? I said , no , of course my (bed) stays only at home . And again he asked what kind of bags do you like and why? I love soft and comfy ( beds) !! because I couldn't sleep easily . !! So I misunderstood the word bag as bed !! Too bad ! Will I get band score zero for not understanding the question at all ? It will be a shame 🙁 i feel still guilty of being confident and kept blaming myself for an hour already and decided to share with others here .
Thanks for all your tips anyway . I can't wait two weeks to get my results !!
Today i had my speaking test, and i have a few questions that been bothering me so much.
First, In part one the examiner was keeping on interrupting me and kept rushing me which got me more nervous, and he wasn't friendly at all, is it okay for examiner to do all that? I honestly got uncomfortable for the whole time. As for the second part, i read what you just written up there, that its not allowed to ask questions in second part, which unfortunately i did 🙁 i had no idea that we can't ask to rephrase the questions, however my question for you is that will I lose any marks for asking the examiner in second part?
Part 1 is usually rushed. There are only 4 to 5 mins to ask questions and the examiner needs to cover a range of topics and language points. It is not possible to lose marks in speaking. You are marked only on your ability in the English language, not on anything else. So, if you ask any questions that the examiner can't or doesn't answer, it won't affect your score.
Hi liz, can u explain me please. Can i ask the examiner to explan words or explan questions?
Please read the above page which explains exactly what you can ask.
Can we ask for examiners comments after the result?
The examiner will not give you the results at the end of the test. You must wait until your results are released to find out. The examiner does not comment on your performance.
The examiner will not tell you your score. You must wait for your results to be published by IELTS.
Hi, Liz.. I had my speaking test today. It was so easy and the environment was very friendly. at the end of my speaking test, the interviewer had said me thank you, have a good day and GOOD LUCK.
Keeping this last sentences in mind, what band should I expect in speaking ? My speaking part 1 was good, part 2 was of 1:25 or 1:30 minutes and I was speaking but she interupted and started part 3… the part 3 was also good (she had a strange look towards me on point of view,,, because she had asked me about "are males, and females, both are confidant in your culture. I said no and I had justified it to her too.).
my speaking test was today.i think i did well. my test took 26-28 mins approx. while other test-takers were jus coming out in 14-15 mins max. I was asked a lot of questions. Which according to me i answered fairly well and fluently. In the last part me and examiner had a casual debate about should use of public libraries be free or chargeable. I said they should be but examiner was against it. She was asking lots of why's and how. I stuck to the first answer i gave and tried to justify what i said. i was calm and cool. But i m worried that i contradicted examiner's view-point. Can a healthy debate make the examiner pissed-off? Or it doesnt matter if you agree with the examiner or not? before this topic. I was asked about other topics also namely sports, newspapers, my job,my city. They werent asking anyone else sooo many questions. I m confused. Is it a good that i was questioned for the maximum time or it doesnt matter?
You are marked on your use of English language and not your ideas. So, if your ideas are different to the examiner's, it shows that you have a reasonable level of English to be able to communicate and discuss differences. At no time can any examiner extend the speaking test past 14 minutes. It isn't allowed. It is possible your test finished but the examiner continued to chat to you informally. Good luck with your results – let me know your score.
hello Ruby what is your score in ielts?
Ruby what was your score?
We wonder about your score.
Hi Liz. I'm just wondering, can I use the word "etc" for the speaking test?
It won't help your score. Try to showcase your English language by explaining in depth.
In part 3, you can ask the examiner to repeat or explain the question. There is no set number of times but if you do it often then is does show weakness in your English and wastes time in the test.
I found your web site very useful for ielts students.
I have a doubt. how does it affect the score if I added the examples in speaking part 2?
It doesn't change the score. You are marked on your English language.
Mam I have problem in speaking actually mam my grammer is fine but I have problem with ideas. I can't get ideas quickly.
At the end of my speaking test i asked the examiner how was my performance during the test. So i feel it was not correct to ask him that kind of questions. Is it going to affect my score?
It was my speaking yesterday. I got questions about hometown , doing works quickly and cue card was about how you would spend a day off from work and following questions were related to free time.
I answered all the questions very well But i am really very stressed because Examiner was repeating the questions even without any request for repeating from my side. Will itaffect my scores. Thanx in advance i.
again m writing test on 14 of jan with idp can u plz help me.
thanks for your tips, you really helped me for my IELTS preparation. My results are L7 R7 W6.5 S6. And I need 6.5 in every section. My speaking was quite confusing, the examiner was trying to help me with various face expression which in fact distracted me. I don't really remember my answers because I was nervous but I tried to keep strong vocabulary and grammar. I might got off topic in the first task. However, do you think that appealing will be worthy? Is there any chance that I can hear the recording and decide whether to appeal or not. How much time does it take to get an answer if I decide to appeal?
I have my exam on 5th Dec 2015,previously I had through ielts exam on August and I got L-6,R-5.5,W-6,S-6.
Please go through all my pages on the speaking page for tips.
How many proverbs we can use in writing task2?
I think use of proverbs is a better way to make it impressive.
i will have ielts exam in January ,i do know whether acadamic or general. What do you advise me ? Thank you once again.
You must decide for yourself depending on your aims. See the official IELTS site for information.
really your lessons about ielts are so helpful.
There are 300 pages of tips and practice on this blog. Please use them. I don't have more at present.
I scored a band of 8 in the recent exam held on the 24th oct. From the bottom of my heart I bless you from providing us with the study materials for free, which enables us to practice.
I pray to God to give you the strength and tools to do a lot more and prosper.
100% false. All IELTS tests are the same standard worldwide because they are written by the same company. The examiners train in the same way and often together for all testing centers. All IELTS tests are equal.
My name is Abdullah and wish to enroll for the IELTS test after two weeks but still i am under the orientation Process, Could you share with me your Experience after conducting Your IELTS, Please? I hope you to hear from you soon.
WAtch my preparation video on the home page and then read the information pages. After that, you decide your time span. Don't book your test until you repeatedly get the score you want on practice tests.
I have just give my ielts speaking on 2nd November. Its all good but i asked examiner to change cue card topic and she said no….hopefully i understood the topic at the end of given time. I spoke very well without being hesitate. Is it affect my score..?
It won't affect your score. You can't change cue card but you can talk about anything you want related to the topic. You are scored only on your English language, not on ideas or relevancy.
See the recent exams questions in the right hand column.
it was my speaking today .I got questions from home town,swimming,and hand writing areas ,while for Q card it was "talk about an apartment or building that you would like to live in the future ?
then in the 3rd part she asked about link between climate and structure of homes.
rest of my modules are on 7th of this month.
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Good luck!