The IELTS Speaking test is a recorded, face-to-face conversation with an examiner. It has 3 parts and lasts 11 to 14 minutes, and General Training uses the same 3 parts and timing as Academic. You are marked on 4 criteria of equal weight: Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Almost every list of Speaking tips says "extend your answers". This guide says by how much. In the first GoPrep mock Speaking tests of 1,376 learners, very short answers went with scores a full band or more lower, and average scores stopped rising at about 20 to 30 seconds per answer in Part 1, 90 seconds in Part 2 and 40 seconds in Part 3. That is an association, not proof that speaking longer raises your score. Below you get a target for each part, one method to reach it, the same answer at band 6, 7 and 8, and a 20-minute daily routine.
The 3 parts at a glance
Each part asks for a different length of answer. Here is what happens and what to aim for, with a full guide to each part.
| Part | What happens | Aim for | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: interview, 4 to 5 minutes | Questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies or interests | 2 to 4 sentences, about 20 to 30 seconds per answer | Part 1 questions |
| Part 2: long turn, 3 to 4 minutes | A task card, 1 minute to prepare with pencil and paper, then your talk. The examiner stops you when time is up and may ask 1 or 2 questions | Keep talking until the examiner stops you, up to 2 minutes | Part 2 cue card |
| Part 3: discussion, 4 to 5 minutes | More general and abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic | An opinion, a reason and an example: about 40 to 60 seconds | Part 3 questions |
You don't need special knowledge of any topic: the examiner rates your English, not your ideas. Practice questions by theme are in our list of common IELTS Speaking topics.
How long should your answers be?
We looked at the first full GoPrep mock Speaking test of each of 1,376 learners, 12 to 26 September 2026. The typical Part 1 answer lasted about 20 seconds, the typical Part 2 talk close to 2 minutes (median 108 seconds) and the typical Part 3 answer about 40 seconds. Short answers were common: in 1 in 5 of these tests the Part 2 talk lasted under a minute, and in nearly 3 in 10 the Part 3 answers averaged under 30 seconds. Here is how answer length lined up with the Speaking score.
| Part | Answer length | Learners | Average Speaking band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Under 15 seconds | 226 | 5.0 |
| Part 1 | 15 to 19 seconds | 401 | 5.5 |
| Part 1 | 20 to 29 seconds | 288 | 6.0 |
| Part 1 | 30 to 39 seconds | 190 | 6.0 |
| Part 1 | 40 to 49 seconds | 123 | 6.0 |
| Part 1 | 50 seconds or more | 148 | 6.0 |
| Part 2 | Under 60 seconds | 272 | 5.0 |
| Part 2 | 60 to 89 seconds | 238 | 5.5 |
| Part 2 | 90 to 117 seconds | 434 | 6.0 |
| Part 2 | About 2 minutes (118 seconds or more) | 432 | 6.0 |
| Part 3 | Under 15 seconds | 131 | 4.0 |
| Part 3 | 15 to 19 seconds | 82 | 5.0 |
| Part 3 | 20 to 29 seconds | 188 | 5.5 |
| Part 3 | 30 to 39 seconds | 302 | 6.0 |
| Part 3 | 40 to 49 seconds | 448 | 6.0 |
| Part 3 | 50 seconds or more | 225 | 6.0 |
Two things stand out. First, the shortest answers sat a full band or more below the rest: about 5.0 for Part 1 answers under 15 seconds and for Part 2 talks under a minute, and about 4.0 for Part 3 answers under 15 seconds. Second, average scores stopped rising at about 20 to 30 seconds per answer in Part 1, 90 seconds in Part 2 and 40 seconds in Part 3. Differences between the longer groups were small and disappeared after rounding.
This does not mean that talking longer raises your score by itself: stronger speakers usually find more to say. But a 10-second answer gives the examiner little language to rate, and the descriptors reward a willingness to "produce long turns" (band 6) and to speak at length "without noticeable effort" (band 7) in the official band descriptors. Use these timings as flexible practice guides, not scoring thresholds. Averages are rounded to the nearest half band.
One method for every answer: Answer plus 2
To hit the length without padding, give a direct answer in the first sentence, then add 2 moves from this list (in Part 3, add 3):
- Reason: why? (because, since, the main reason is)
- Detail: when, where, who or how often? A concrete picture beats a general word.
- Contrast: but, though, unless, except when.
- Time: how it was before, or how it might change (I used to, these days, if … I'd).
Watch it build on one Part 1 question: Do you often use public transport?
- Answer: Yes, almost every day. (3 seconds, too short on its own)
- + Reason: I take the metro to university because it's the quickest way across the city, especially in the morning rush hour.
- + Contrast: If I'm running late, though, I'll grab a taxi instead.
That is about 15 seconds, and no sentence repeats another. Add a detail (It does get packed, so I listen to a podcast on the way) and you are past 20. The same moves fill a Part 2 talk (a detail and a reason for each point on the task card) and a Part 3 answer (opinion, reason, example, other side).
The same answer at band 6, 7 and 8
Length gets you in the game; what you do with it decides the band. These are our own practice examples, written for this guide. A single answer never gets a band in the real test, so read the labels as "shows band 6 (7, 8) features". The criteria are explained in our Speaking band descriptors guide.
Question: Do you often use public transport?
Shows band 6 features
Yes, I use it quite often. I usually take the bus to my university, because it is cheap. But sometimes the bus is very crowded and, um, it is not comfortable. So I prefer taxi when I have money.
Shows band 7 features
Yes, almost every day. I take the metro to university because it's the quickest way across the city, especially in the morning rush hour. It does get packed, so I usually listen to a podcast to make the journey go faster. If I'm running late, though, I'll grab a taxi instead.
Shows band 8 features
I do, yes, mostly the metro. It's by far the most reliable way to get around, since the roads tend to be gridlocked by eight in the morning. What I've come to appreciate, oddly enough, is the journey itself: it's the only half hour of the day when nobody needs anything from me, so I catch up on reading. That said, if the new tram line ever reached my area, I'd happily switch.
| Criterion | Band 6 answer | Band 7 answer | Band 8 answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | Relevant and extended, but the links are basic (because, but, so); the written um illustrates a possible hesitation, but delivery must be assessed from audio | Each sentence adds something new; though marks the contrast | Ideas build to a point of view; oddly enough shows attitude and that said turns to the other side |
| Lexical resource | General words: very crowded, not comfortable, cheap | Natural word pairs: rush hour, get packed, running late | Precise, less common words: gridlocked, by far the most reliable, catch up on |
| Grammar | Short sentences with basic links; one error (prefer taxi, no article) | A conditional with will, emphatic does, all correct | A what clause, present perfect, a conditional with would, all correct |
| Length | About 40 words, 16 to 20 seconds | About 50 words, 20 to 25 seconds | About 70 words, 29 to 37 seconds |
Notice what changed least: the basic situation. All 3 answers describe regular public transport use, but the third develops a different reason and adds a hypothetical alternative, and it is almost twice as long as the first. The step from 6 to 7 is natural word pairs and correct, varied grammar. The step from 7 to 8 is precision: words that say exactly what you mean and structures chosen for effect, not to show off. For Part 2 and Part 3 answers compared the same way, see full Speaking sample answers at band 6, 7 and 8.
Tips for each criterion
A few habits cover most of the lost marks. On GoPrep, grammar had the lowest average of the 4 criteria in the AI examiner's scores (about 5.0, against about 6.0 for pronunciation, in 6,886 Speaking tests), and subject-verb agreement was the fix the AI examiner suggested most often: in 62% of 6,394 tests with a list of fixes. Both are from 12 to 26 September 2026.
Fluency and coherence
- Pause at the end of an idea, not in the middle of a phrase.
- Buy time with a real phrase (Let me think about that for a second), not a string of "ums".
- If you notice a small slip, correct it once and keep going (she work... works in a bank). Don't restart the whole sentence.
- Don't learn answers by heart. Examiners are trained to spot them. Prepare ideas, not scripts.
Lexical resource
- Learn words in pairs, not alone: heavy traffic, make a decision, a tight budget.
- If a word won't come, describe it and keep going: paraphrase is part of this criterion.
Grammatical range and accuracy
- Check the -s after he, she and it in the present simple: she works, not she work.
- Aim for variety you can control: one conditional or relative clause said correctly beats three that break.
Pronunciation
- Your accent itself does not affect your score. Being easy to understand is what counts, so slow down a little and stress the words that carry the meaning.
A 20-minute daily practice routine
You can't hear your own gaps while you talk, so record yourself and listen back. One routine, 20 minutes a day (for a month-long version, see a 4-week solo practice plan):
- Warm up (3 minutes). Answer 3 Part 1 questions aloud with Answer plus 2. Time one of them.
- One Part 2 talk (4 minutes). Set a 1-minute timer for notes, then talk for 2 minutes. Stop at 2 minutes, as the examiner would.
- Three Part 3 questions (3 minutes). Opinion, reason, example and, if it fits, the other side: about 40 to 60 seconds each.
- Listen back and fix (10 minutes). Pick one criterion for the day. Write down one fix, then record the same answer again with that fix.
Once a week, do a full 3-part test in one go and compare it with last week's. GoPrep's Speaking tests transcribe your answers and give feedback on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, if you'd rather not check every recording by ear. Other apps that score Speaking are compared in a separate guide.
FAQ
How do I improve my IELTS Speaking?
Speak every day and record yourself: answer a few questions from each part, listen back, choose one criterion to fix and record the same answer again. Extend short answers with a reason, a detail or a contrast instead of learning answers by heart.
How long is the IELTS Speaking test?
It lasts 11 to 14 minutes in 3 parts: an interview of 4 to 5 minutes, a long turn of 3 to 4 minutes including 1 minute to prepare, and a discussion of 4 to 5 minutes. The format is the same for Academic and General Training.
How can I get 7.5 in IELTS Speaking?
Your Speaking band is the average of 4 equally weighted criteria, so 7.5 means, for example, band 8 in 2 criteria and band 7 in the other 2. Band 8 asks for precise vocabulary, mostly error-free sentences, pauses that are mainly about what to say, and speech that is easy to understand throughout.
Is 6.75 converted to 7 in IELTS?
Yes, for the overall band score: an average of the 4 skills that ends in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band, and one that ends in .25 is rounded up to the next half band. Your Speaking result itself is always reported in whole or half bands, such as 6.5 or 7.0.
Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?
Yes. If you didn't catch a question, ask politely: "Could you repeat that, please?" It is better to ask than to answer a question you misunderstood.
Where to go next
Start with the part that feels hardest: Part 1 questions, the Part 2 cue card or Part 3 discussion. For practice questions by theme, see IELTS Speaking topics. To see how your Speaking band feeds your overall result, read how the IELTS score is calculated. To spread practice over the weeks before your test, see an IELTS study plan.
Tips work best with a plan. Tell the quiz your target score, exam date and hardest part of IELTS, and GoPrep will build a personal study plan around your answers.
GoPrep Team
GoPrep guide authors
We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
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