Do's and Don'ts on Speaking day test of IELTS

A day prior to the interview

It is important that you have read this book thoroughly till the day prior to your interview. On the day before exam it is advised that you should not practice a lot of speaking. Reading of this book should also be avoided. Reading should be done before that. Don’t mark anything as important or common. Read the whole book carefully and take out ideas for your speaking test.

Sleep on time a day before the interview. If you sleep well, you will be energized for the test day. It is important to be active on important days. This helps you to perform better.

On the test day

Reach the exam center at least 40 minutes before your speaking slot. You will also receive an acknowledgement via email. Just take a printout of that and take it along with original passport and a photocopy of it on the exam day.

Don’t read any book or try to practice anything on the day of speaking test. It is important to stay focused and blank before the interview.

In the interview (one on one)

These days in many IDP centers, speaking is done through webchat. But in this section, I am going to give you tips regarding the conventional type of speaking test. The one on one IELTS Speaking test is taken by one examiner in an enclosed cubical or a test room.

In this type of a test, the examiner will ask you questions, and you must answer them one by one. There are some things that you need to remember before going in the exam. The do’s and don’ts are as follows:

Do’s

§  Reach the exam center at least 40 minutes before the speaking test slot

§  Take along acknowledgement, original passport and copy of passport at the time of exam

§  Drink a full glass of water before the start of exam (ask anyone there, they will be happy to help you)

§  Dress formally for the speaking test

§  Knock before you enter the speaking test room

§  Ask for a permission to sit

§  Greet the examiner with a smile

§  Listen to the questions carefully

§  Always answer a bit loud and with clear tone

§  Make eye contact with the examiner (this increases your confidence)

§  Use formal language to communicate (Avoid

using slangs)

§  Ask the examiner to repeat the question politely if you don’t understand it

§  Prepare notes for the Cue-card Topic

§  Stop speaking when examiner tells you to stop

 

Don’ts

§  Never wear accessories like earrings or metal studs (for boys)

§  Never reach late for the exam (it will rush you and your thoughts)

§  Don’t start your answer before the question is completed

§  Don’t keep your hands on the table while speaking

§  Don’t use memorized phrases and topics

§  Don’t wear a watch in the exam as it will distract you

§  Don’t take too many pauses

§  Don’t use a lot of hand movements and gestures

§  Don’t repeat the question before giving the answer

§  Don’t smile too much at the time of speaking (just be natural)

§  Don’t finish your answer mid-way

§  Avoid using repetitive vocabulary and words

§  Don’t rush in giving your answers

§  Don’t stop the cue card topic before time

§  Don’t ask the examiner about the interview at the end (simply say thank you and goodbye)