Things to remember on the Speaking test day of IELTS

IELTS exam is one of the most popular exams among the people who are looking to move to English speaking countries for study and immigration purposes. It has now become mandatory to take a proficiency level test in order to move to an English-speaking country for all the reasons except the tourist visa. The IELTS exam is held in more than 30 cities across India and in some of the centers the exam is conducted four times a month. There is an increasing number of people over the years who are beginning to take the IELTS exam like never.

This surge in the number of people has also resulted in an escalation of the count of institutes that one can see everywhere. There has been a decline in the quality of the education that these institutes are offering. Increasing in the quantity generally affects the quality of everything. A lot of student’s study in these institutes but they will be surprised to know that majority of their trainers do not have the first-hand experience of the IELTS exam. So, how those teachers are going to tell the candidates that what to expect on the exam day?

Don’t worry! I have a solution for you. I have taken the IELTS exam three times and eventually scored 9 Bands. I got a lot of experience while I gave the exams. I come to know about the tiny things that can really be helpful for anyone who is looking to take the IELTS exam and I want to share it with you all. There are several things that you need to remember before going into the IELTS exam. I will be sharing the things to remember on the IELTS Speaking exam day.

The first thing to keep in mind is that on the exam day you must carry few documents along with you. The first thing is the original passport along with its colored photocopy. I know, that they don’t generally ask for the copy of the passport, but if they do then you shall present it. So, the conclusion is that you should carry a copy of passport in order to avoid last minute rush. Apart from this, you must also take the print copy of the acknowledgement letter that you receive in the e-mail id provided by you at the time of test registration. These are the necessary documents that you need to carry otherwise the test taker will not allow you to take the IELTS exam.

Secondly, its indispensable to be well rested before the test. If you are in a relaxed state of mind, then it becomes very easy for you to perform good in any task. Therefore, before going into the examination hall, you must make sure that you had a good night’s rest. At the exam center, you should reach 30 minutes before the reporting time. Try to choose a slot in the first half of the day as one feels fresh and raring to go.

As soon as you reach the exam center, you are made to wait for 10 minutes and some formalities are completed. After that, you are escorted to the speaking room where you will be greeted by the examiner. If the examiner remains quiet, then you should take the initiative to wish him/her. Afterwards, the examiner will tell you to sit down or you can ask the permission for the same. Once the interview starts, you are not allowed to take a break. In case you are feeling anxious before your interview, you can ask for a glass of water and tell them to wait for a couple of minutes. The staff at the examination center is generous enough to accept demands like these.

There are three rounds in the speaking interview. The first one is known as the general round in which the examiner will ask you around 10 – 15 questions. For these questions, you should not answer in detail. Your answers should be to the point and not more than three or four lines maximum. You must also not answer in simple yes or no. give a minute detail about the topic and try to keep it short but expressive. Once the examiner finishes asking you the general questions, he or she will give you a Cue-Card topic

The Cue-Card topic is kept in front of you and there are some sub questions along with it. You should try to cover all the sub points given and remain relevant to the topic asked. The examiner will give you 1 minute to prepare notes on the topics. Once you are ready with your points, you shall speak on the topic for a minimum of one and a half minutes to a maximum of two minutes. If you are exceeding the given time, the examiner generally gives you an indication to stop. So, if you see the indication, you should hurry up and taper off the topic in the next two or three lines. Don’t linger with the topic too much, keep it within the limits.

After the Cue-Card topic is over, the examiner will ask you at least 8 to 10 questions regarding the topic. This round is known as the follow-up round. In this round, the examiner will try to confuse you by asking you the questions about the things which you have already spoken. So what? Whatever the questions are, your duty is to give the answer. This round usually lasts for about 5 minutes. The total time for interview is around 10 to a maximum of 15 minutes.

When you interview ends, you must greet the examiner and come out of the examination hall. There can be a lot of distraction while you are giving the speaking interview, but your concentration should be strictly on your speaking test rather than the things that are distracting you.

 I advise all the students to keep in mind these things before they can take the IELTS Exam. These tips are to be practiced regularly in the class to gain the maximum out of it. These little habits can be exemplary in fetching great IELTS scores.