IELTS Speaking Test Score Calculation with Charts

By / March 14, 2023

Back to: IELTS Basics

The IELTS Speaking test is an essential component of the IELTS exam, which evaluates the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in English in various situations. The test is scored on a band scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest score.

The IELTS Speaking test consists of three parts, and each part is scored separately. The scores for each part are then combined to calculate the overall band score for the test.

Here is a breakdown of the scoring criteria for each part of the IELTS Speaking test:

Part 1 – Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes) In this part, the examiner asks general questions about the candidate’s background, interests, and daily life. The score is based on the following criteria:

  • Fluency and coherence
  • Lexical resource
  • Grammatical range and accuracy
  • Pronunciation

Part 2 – Individual long turn (3-4 minutes) In this part, the candidate is given a topic card and asked to speak on the topic for two minutes. The score is based on the following criteria:

  • Fluency and coherence
  • Lexical resource
  • Grammatical range and accuracy
  • Pronunciation

Part 3 – Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes) In this part, the examiner and the candidate discuss abstract ideas related to the topic introduced in Part 2. The score is based on the following criteria:

  • Fluency and coherence
  • Lexical resource
  • Grammatical range and accuracy
  • Pronunciation

After each part, the examiner provides a score for that part using the band scale of 1 to 9. The scores for each part are then combined, and the average score is taken to calculate the overall band score for the IELTS Speaking test.

Here is an example of how the scores for each criterion are calculated:

Fluency and Coherence:

  • 9: Speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction; any hesitation is content-related
  • 8: Speaks fluently with occasional repetition or self-correction; hesitation is usually content-related
  • 7: Speaks with some effort and occasional repetition or self-correction; hesitation is sometimes content-related
  • 6: Hesitates frequently or has to reformulate basic ideas; may make frequent errors in pronunciation and grammar
  • 5: Has difficulty expressing ideas and often hesitates or pauses; makes frequent errors in pronunciation and grammar
  • 4: Has limited ability to express ideas and frequently hesitates or pauses; makes frequent errors in pronunciation and grammar
  • 3: Speaks only in isolated words or short phrases; little or no coherence
  • 2: Can only produce a few intelligible words
  • 1: Cannot speak at all

Lexical Resource:

  • 9: Uses a wide range of vocabulary with precision and flexibility
  • 8: Uses a wide range of vocabulary with some flexibility
  • 7: Uses a range of vocabulary with occasional inaccuracies and inappropriate usage
  • 6: Uses basic vocabulary but with some variety and limited effectiveness
  • 5: Uses only a limited range of vocabulary, with frequent errors in word choice
  • 4: Uses a very limited range of vocabulary, with frequent errors in word choice
  • 3: Uses only isolated words or memorized phrases with little understanding of their meaning
  • 2: Uses only a few isolated words
  • 1: Cannot use any words

Grammatical Range and Accuracy:

  • 9: Uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy
  • 8: Uses a range of structures with some flexibility and accuracy
  • 7: Uses a range of structures with occasional inaccuracies and inappropriate usage
  • 6: Uses basic sentence structures but with some variety and limited effectiveness
  • 5: Uses only a limited range of structures, with frequent errors in grammar
  • 4: Uses a very limited range of structures, with frequent errors in grammar
  • 3: Uses only simple structures with little understanding of their meaning
  • 2: Uses only a few isolated words
  • 1: Cannot use any words

Pronunciation:

  • 9: Native-like pronunciation
  • 8: Clear pronunciation; occasional mispronunciation of words
  • 7: Generally clear pronunciation; some mispronunciation of words
  • 6: Some effort needed to understand pronunciation; noticeable mispronunciation of words
  • 5: Frequent mispronunciation of words, leading to some difficulty in understanding
  • 4: Limited ability to pronounce words correctly; leading to difficulty in understanding
  • 3: Pronunciation is severely limited; leading to significant difficulty in understanding
  • 2: Can only produce a few intelligible words
  • 1: Cannot speak at all