IELTS Speaking: which part is the most important?

Do the 3 parts of the speaking test carry equal weighting when your score is calculated, or is one part more important?

The simple answer is that the 3 parts are not scored separately; the examiner rates the candidate's performance as a whole. In this sense, neither part is more important.

However, it's useful to think about the 3 parts like this:

• Part 1 is supposed to be quite easy (like a warm-up), so you won't get a high score if you only do well in this part.
• Part 2 is when the examiner really gets a chance to assess how good you are. He/she will now have an idea of what scores to give you.
• During part 3, the examiner is making his/her final decision. A good performance here can boost your score.

Comments

[Oleg]

My experience of making speaking assessments is it works like this:
1) A quick impression of what level we are dealing with.
2) Deciding which two possible levels to choose between, for example, Band 6.5 or 7.0.
3) Checking which of the two is correct and confirming the score.

That said, the assessment can be over relatively quickly for lower scores such as 4.5 or 5.0. It may be pretty obvious that communication is somewhat restricted, so a long discussion is not necessary, although an examiner may go through the motions.

Choosing between 8.5 or 9.0 is much more difficult and requires the whole interview time. There is a difference between being just about able to participate in a discussion, and being fully able to make your point clearly and present a good strong argument logically when your views are challenged. It takes time to slowly work up to the top level and see where the interviewee bombs out.

[Simon]

Yes, I agree with everything you've said Oleg. Thanks for adding your thoughts!

[Pachu]

Sir, why most of score in speaking test is between 5 and 5.5? some says that I have done well , I have given answers to all questions but not getting the score above six? what is the reason for this ?

[zsófi]

Pachu

Some possible reasons:

"Transcription is incredibly important for many reasons including:

1. Identifying level 7 vocabulary (or normally lack of it) and simple words you repeat too much
2. Picking up simple errors (although getting a native speaker to correct it is far more preferable)
3. Getting an idea of 'how much' language you are providing. Very slow speaking can produce very little language to grade (and also affect FC and P)
4. Seeing how you 'link' your ideas. Are you using 'native-like' linking, such as 'well' 'you know' 'actually' 'personally' etc, or are you, like most candidates, saying nothing?

This is how examiners grade the LR and GR boxes - by simply looking at (really, listening to) the language and seeing if it fulfils the level 7 criteria (or higher).

Finally, remember that this is only around half the test score. The other half is related to how you deliver the language (FC and P)." per sjm

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2014/03/ielts-speaking-advice-how-to-practise-part-2.html

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2015/04/ielts-speaking-is-accent-important.html

"Accent is a contentious issue in IELTS. Technically speaking, even if natives have a very strong 'accent' (such as some Scottish or even Irish speakers) then they can be penalised, even heavily for a lack of intelligibility. Examiners have to make a decision on whether the 'average native speaker' would have difficulties in understanding the candidate. wherever they come from. This is very difficult to do.

Accent alone is not supposed to affect the score, if the candidate is intelligible, however accent does usually affect the features of pronunciation. For example, if a candidate cannot pronounce the schwa correctly, then this will usually mean that they cannot produce weak sounds and in turn this can have a dramatic effect on word and sentence stress." sjm

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2016/05/ielts-speaking-main-tip-for-3-parts.html

"The first thing an IELTS examiner notices in the speaking test is the sound of your voice, in particular, your fluency (pausing, repetition, and speed variation), and the clarity and rhythm of your pronunciation. In particular, examiners are comparing you to a native speaker."

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2018/06/ielts-speaking-pronunciation.html

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2016/05/ielts-speaking-whats-most-important.html

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Pachu, if you really think that you are being short-changed by the system, then you will need to find a native English teacher to assess your speaking and give you some honest feedback. Whether some people say that you have done well is neither here not there. What matters is what an examiner would think. It is not all about answering the questions; half the marks are for how you answer them in terms of fluency and pronunciation, these are crucial for a good score.