SPEAKING TEST WORKSHEET Exam Essentials

Watch the video of a model IELTS Speaking interview, and do the activities which relate to each part.
You can check your answers and look at the full script on separate PDFs on this DVD-ROM.

Part 1 (00:00 to 06:14)

Watch Part 1 of the Speaking test and answer the questions below.
1 Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test consists of different tasks. Each task is a group of questions
on the same subject. How many tasks are there in Part 1?

2 What are the topics or subjects of each of these tasks?

a
b
c

3 Which of these sentences best describes the tasks in Part 1?

a a talk about something that happened in your life
b a number of short questions about everyday life
c discussions about subjects of general and global interest

Watch Part 1, Task 1 of the test again (01:12 to 02:11) and answer the questions below.
4 In this part of the test, the questions will either be about where you live or what you do. Why
does the examiner ask about home or work/study?
a The examiner wants to get to know you better.
b These are easy questions to make you feel relaxed and confident at the beginning of
the test.
c It’s an opportunity for you to tell your life story.

5 Watch Part 1, Task 1 again and answer the questions.

a Where does the candidate come from?
b How many facts does the candidate give about this place?
c What are they?

d Does she think it is an interesting place to live?

e How many reasons does the candidate give to support her answer that it is an interesting
place to live?
f What are the reasons?

g Will she live in this place in the future?

h What additional information does the candidate give in answer to this question?

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 1

6 Complete the table about your home town or city.

Question Simple answer More information

Where do you live in your

country?

Is it an interesting place to
live?

Will you live there in the

future?

Watch Part 1, Task 2 of the test again (02:12 to 04:29) and answer the questions below.
7 In this part of the test, you are asked to give additional information about the topic. Match
the two parts of the sentences.

1 Do-it-yourself a is still very popular, especially now

these days with the new e-readers.

2 Sewing and knitting b which is when people make things for

their homes.

3 Reading c aren’t so common nowadays.

TIP: Giving extra information in the IELTS exam will improve your score as you can show the
examiner your vocabulary and grammar skills. Using the verb to be followed by an adjective
clause is one way to give extra information e.g. Sewing and knitting aren’t
so common nowadays.
Subordinate clauses using which and who are examples of complex sentences. The examiner
will be listening for these and if you use them correctly your mark will increase.

8 Complete the sentences with details of hobbies that you know about.
a which
b which
c is
d is

9 Listen to the candidate’s response to the second and third questions in this task again and
answer these questions.
a What type of paintings does the candidate like to buy? Why?
b What does the candidate think are silly but fun?
c What did her parents do to help her with one of her hobbies?
d Was she good at this hobby?
e What happened at the concert?

TIP: The candidate makes her answers longer by talking about her personal experience with
each hobby. This gives her an opportunity to show the examiner her good vocabulary and
ability to use past tense verb forms.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 2

10 L
 isten to the last question in this task again. The candidate gives three reasons for her belief
that it is good for children to have hobbies. What are they?
a
b
c

TIP: Giving reasons for your answers shows that you have the ability to express yourself in
English. It is important to do this to increase your score.

11 T
 hink of three hobbies you do now or did in the past. Make notes in the table below and
answer the questions.

Hobby Personal experience

a Which hobbies and interests do you enjoy?

b What hobbies and interests did you have as a child?

c Give one good reason for doing each of these hobbies.

Watch Part 1, Task 3 of the test again (04:30 to 06:14) and answer the questions below.
12 In this part of the test, the candidate is asked to talk about the weather. Answer these
questions.
a What reasons does the candidate give for liking cold weather?

b In the answer to the second question why does the candidate speak only about the weather
in Hyderabad?

c Why does the candidate say that most children prefer the summer?

d What has the candidate noticed about water in recent years.

13 Complete these sentences.

a I most people hot weather, it is always so hot in my
country …
b I like most children I would say the summer, when we had the long school
holiday, I always spring.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 3

14 The candidate redefines one of the questions.
a Which question is redefined by the candidate?
b Complete the sentence the candidate uses to redefine the question.
‘Well, India is so big that there are many different climates, I’ just
about the weather in Hyderabad.’

TIP: If you want to change the question slightly then it is important to use language that
shows the examiner that you understand the question but would like to redefine it a little.
It is perfectly acceptable to do this in the exam.

15 Watch the last question of this task again and answer the questions.
a Does the candidate think that the weather has changed in her country?

b What reason does she give for climate change in some countries?

c What two words does she use to describe the weather where she lives?

d What has she noticed?

16 C
 omplete the table below for your country and yourself. Where appropriate, say something
about other people or places.

Question Answer with reason Other people/places

Do you prefer hot or cold

weather?

Tell me about the weather

in your country at different
times of year.

Which time of year did you

enjoy most as a child?

Has the weather changed

much in your country in
recent years?

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 4

Part 2 (06:15 to 10:26)
Watch Part 2 of the Speaking test and answer the questions below.
1 The candidate describes a gift that someone gave her recently. Answer these questions.
a What is the present?
b Who gave it to her?
c What was the occasion?
d Where were they?
e Which building did they visit?

2 The candidate uses some very high level vocabulary. Match the words she uses when she is
talking about the Blue Mosque with the definition or synonym (a–d).

captivate  startling  exquisite  breathtaking

a very surprising
b extremely beautiful and delicate
c amazing, exciting, remarkable
d attract and hold someone’s interest

TIP: You will increase your chances of a good score if you use high level words. It is better
to use them than only using simple words.

3 The candidate uses collocations. Complete the collocations.

a to fulfil a d a high
b no real e beautifully
c totally

TIP: Collocations are very important in English: this is when two words are often found
together. For example: tragic accident is a very strong collocation. Use of collocations in your
interview will increase your band score as they make your English sound more natural.

4 In this part of the test, the candidate is telling the story of the present her husband bought
her. Put the following events in the order they happened in real life.
a The waiter gave the candidate the present.
b They walked down a pedestrian lane.
c Her husband wanted to go to Istanbul.
d The went to the Blue Mosque.
e They went to the tile shop.
f They had a few days’ holiday.
g They went out for her birthday meal.
h They went to Istanbul.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 5

5 Why does the candidate not tell the story in the order it happened in real life? Tick all the
correct reasons.
a Because she has forgotten some things.
b Because it can sometimes be boring just to say how one thing happened after
another thing.
c It is a good way to show the examiner how you can use past tenses correctly.
d She wants to confuse the examiner.
e Some events are more important than others.
f It is a more natural way of telling a story.

6 When we tell a story we tend to use different past tense forms. We call these the narrative
tenses. Look at this sentence and answer the questions.
‘Just as we were finishing the dessert, the waiter came over and handed me the most
beautifully wrapped gift.’
a Underline the three verbs in the sentence.
b Which two tenses are used in this sentence?
c Which tense is used to talk about an event that was in progress while another event or
action happened?
d Which tense is used to talk about an event or action while something else was happening?

Complete the following rule by choosing the correct tense.

• We use the past simple / past continuous to describe a completed action in the past.
• We use the past simple / past continuous to talk about something that was happening in
the past.

TIP: Appropriate and correct use of the narrative tenses will significantly improve
your band score.

7 Think about a present you received and complete the table below.

What was the present?

What was the occasion?

When did it happen?

Who gave you the present?

What story can you tell about this present?

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 6

Part 3 (10:27 to 15:41)
Watch Part 3 of the Speaking test and answer the questions below.
1 Are the statements true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false statements.
a Choosing a gift depends on who you are giving it to.
b When adults make things, it’s the thought that counts.
c Most advertising is for things that can be given as presents.
d It is important to give our mothers the recognition they deserve.

2 In this part of the test you should give reasons for your answer and develop your argument.
Put these ideas about gifts in the order that the candidate says them.
a If adults are to give homemade gifts they have to be of good quality.
b It’s important that homemade gifts don’t look like a ‘cheap’ alternative.
c A grandchild makes a gift for their grandparents.
d What is important with a shop bought gift is that time has been spent on choosing it.
e Grandparents will treasure the gift.

3 Answer these questions about shop bought gifts.

a Does the candidate think there is anything wrong with shop bought gifts?
b What is important if you decide to buy a gift from a shop?
c What example does the candidate give of a bad present?

TIP: Notice how the candidate gives reasons for her answer then supports her
reasons by giving examples.

4 Listen to the candidate’s answer to the question. ‘Do you think that children get more
pleasure receiving gifts than adults do?’ Look at the statements. Write A if the candidate is
talking about adults or C if the candidate is talking about children.
a They love receiving gifts.
b They have the resources to buy gifts.
c They get a lot of gifts.
d It’s much harder to buy presents for them.
e They can afford the things they want but they can’t justify the expense.
f They may not be able to afford everything they want.
g The more gifts they get, the less they value them.

5 The final question in this section asks another comparison question about the giving and
receiving of presents. Listen to the candidate’s response and answer these questions.
a Why do we not always get pleasure from giving gifts to children?

b What two reasons does she give that will make giving a gift a real joy?

c What two reasons does she give for the receiver of the gift not feeling good about the gift.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 7

Interaction with the examiner
In an IELTS speaking test it is important to remember that the examiner is a real person, as well as
being a highly trained examiner. You will have watched the video several times by now and this section
focuses on the work the examiner does in the test and how best you can help them, to help you.

1 When you enter the examination room which of the following should you do? Give reasons
for why you should not do the others.
a smile
b ask about the examiner’s health and wellbeing
c get comfortable on the chair
d talk to the examiner about who you are
e ask the examiner questions about the exam
f check that you have your identification.

2 The first thing the examiner does is to read out a prepared statement identifying who you
are, who they are and where and when the exam is taking place. What is the reason for this?

3 In Part 1 of the test, does the examiner make up the questions or does he/she read from
the folder?

4 In Part 1, is the examiner allowed to make up extra questions to help the candidate?

5 In Part 1 you do not understand one of the words, so you ask the examiner what it means.
What do they say?

6 In Part 1 you don’t understand the question at all. What should you say?

7 In Part 2 you don’t understand one of the words in the task, so you ask the examiner what it
means. What do they do?

8 In Part 2 you get a topic that you feel you do not know anything about. You ask if you can
have another topic. What do they say?

9 In Part 2 when you are speaking for two minutes, which of the following do you think the
examiner could be doing?
a reading a book
b looking at the folder to match what you are saying to the marking descriptors
c making eye contact
d sitting sideways to the table and looking at the folder
e not looking at you at all
f maintaining eye contact throughout the two minutes
g writing lots of notes

10 In Part 3 the role of the examiner changes as the test becomes a discussion rather than just
an interview. Which questions in Part 3 has the examiner asked in response to comments the
candidate has made? (There are five.)

11 Remember that in Part 3 the examiner is able to ask their own questions. If you do not
understand a question and you ask the examiner to explain, what will they say?

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Worksheet 8

SPEAKING TEST VIDEO SCRIPTS Exam Essentials
Examiner: Hello, come in. Please, take a seat.
Right, let’s get started. This is the Speaking Test of the International
English Language Testing System taking place on Saturday 11th
March at Beacons Centre, Centre number BN367. The candidate is
Sabreen Vellencherry and the candidate number is 0003400. The
examiner is Carol Kennedy, and the examiner number is 433816.
Good afternoon. What is your full name, please?
Candidate: Um, my full name is Sabreen Vellencherry
Examiner: And what should I call you?
Candidate: You can call me Saba.
Examiner: May I see your identification please, Saba.
Candidate: Yes. Here it is.
Examiner: OK.
Candidate: Thank you.

Part 1 (01:12 to 06:14)

Examiner: Now, in this first part I’d like to ask you some questions about
yourself. Let’s talk about where you live. Where do you live in your
country?
Candidate: Ah, I live in Hyderabad, which is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in the
south-east of India. It is a very big city, about 7 million people live
there.
Examiner: And is it an interesting place to live?
Candidate: Oh yes, very interesting place to live. Hyderabad has a very long
history, um, so there are lots of ancient forts, mosques and other
monuments. There is a very beautiful lake and there are also lots of
wonderful markets.
Examiner: And will you live in Hyderabad in the future?
Candidate: Ah, yes, I think once I finish my studies here, I’ll go back to Hyderabad.
My husband is from Hyderabad too, so I think we’ll stay there.
Examiner: Now let’s talk about hobbies and interests. What hobbies and
interests are popular in your country?
Candidate: People have many different pastimes in my country. I think the most
popular these days are things like gardening and do-it-yourself, which
is when people, well, usually men, make things for their home. I
think women tend not to have too many hobbies – you can’t really
call shopping a hobby. I think in the past, women used to fill up the
leisure time that they had with craft activities, but sewing and knitting
aren’t so common these days. I think reading is still very popular,
especially now these days with the new e-readers.
Examiner: Which hobbies and interests do you enjoy?
Candidate: Um, well, like a lot of people, my work takes up a lot of my time and
at the weekend I like to meet up with my friends, or go out with my
husband, so I don’t really have much time for hobbies. But I do read
a lot, especially history and biography. Also, I love collecting art, so I
go to a lot of art fairs. I really like colourful abstract art, which really
brighten up our homes.
Examiner: What hobbies and interests did you have as a child?
Candidate: Gosh, er, that was a long time ago! Let me think. I used to collect
key rings. I think I had about 20 or 25. They were silly things really,
but fun for a small child. Er, I used to like painting and drawing. My
parents were very supportive and they bought me a lot of oil paints,
but I’m not really very talented. I also played the clarinet – I was in a
junior orchestra. I remember once we, er, played a concert and my
reed broke during the first piece, and so I couldn’t make any sound.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Video script 1
Examiner: And do you think parents should encourage their children to have a
hobby or interest?
Candidate: Oh yes, very much so. I think it is very important for children to have
something other than school, television and computers. Sometimes a
hobby can turn into a very successful career, but even if it doesn’t, it
can help the child develop as a person as they learn about new things
and, er, meet new people who share the same hobby.
Examiner: Now let’s move on to talk about the weather. Do you prefer hot
weather or cold?
Candidate: Er, I think I prefer cold weather, I know most people prefer hot
weather, but it is always so hot in my country that it is such a nice
change to feel the cold. Of course in the cold it’s very easy to put on a
hat and gloves to keep ourselves warm.
Examiner: Tell me about the weather in your country at different times of year.
Candidate: India is so big that there are many different climates, so I’ll just talk
about the weather in Hyderabad. Generally, we have a tropical wet
and dry climate. That means the summers – March to June – are hot,
over 30 degrees and very humid. Sometimes it can reach over 40,
which is just unbearable. At the end of the summer, the monsoon
comes and it rains for about three months. After the rainy season, it’s
winter, which is quite short, just a couple of months.
Examiner: Which time of year did you enjoy most as a child?
Candidate: Er, well … I think like most children I would say the summer, when
we had the long school holiday, but I always preferred spring. There
is something so lovely about when everything starts to grow again
after the winter. You can almost smell it in the air.
Examiner: And has the weather changed much in your country in recent years?
Candidate: Um, I don’t think so really. I know that in some countries the climate
has been changing because of global warming, but where I live it
seems to be the same, just heat and rain. I have noticed something:
in recent summers, when it’s very hot, there have been many water
shortages. I don’t remember that happening when I was younger.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE  IELTS Speaking Test Video script 2
Part 2 (06:15 to 10:26)
Examiner: Now I’m going to give you a topic, and I’d like you to talk about it for
one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you
are going to say and you can make some notes if you wish. Do you
understand?
Candidate: Yes.
Examiner: There’s your paper and pencil … and … here’s your topic. I’d like you
to describe a gift or present that somebody gave you recently.
OK, now you have one to two minutes for this, so don’t worry if I stop
you, I’ll let you know when the time is up. Could you start speaking …
now, please?
Candidate: I’m going to talk about a present my husband gave me last year for
my birthday. We had gone to Istanbul for a few days. My husband
had always wanted to go there. Anyway, we had a few days’ holiday
from work and, we decided to fulfil my husband’s dream.
As I said earlier, I’m really interested in art and so even though I
had no real desire to go to Istanbul, I was totally captivated by all
the beautiful buildings and the wonderful arts and crafts that were
available there. The Blue Mosque was my favourite building. From
the outside it looks just like a typical Ottoman mosque, but inside it
is quite startling. The large windows with the light reflecting on the
exquisite blue tiles made it just breathtaking.
I asked one of the guides about the tiles and she told me that they
were from Iznik, and that they are still made today.
When we left the Blue Mosque, we walked down a pedestrian lane
full of shops, including some tile shops.
In one of the shops, the owner told us that the tiles were made
in Iznik. Anyway, one of the tiles really caught my eye. Actually it
sang to me! It was of fish, four big fish and lots of little ones, all in
different shades of green.
I really, really wanted it, but when we asked the price it was very
high, something like 300 American dollars. Obviously, I knew we
could negotiate, but it seemed such a high price that we just left.
The next night, we went out for my birthday meal. Just as we were
finishing the dessert, the waiter came over and handed me the most
beautifully wrapped gift. I knew at once, because it was very heavy,
that it was the fish tile! That’s why I …
Examiner: Thank you. And does this person often buy you presents?
Candidate: Well, he’s good at remembering my birthday and our anniversary, so
he does usually buy me something nice then. But, he doesn’t just buy
a present out of the blue.
Examiner: Thank you. Could I have the booklet, the pencil and the paper back,
please? Thank you.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Video script 3
Part 3 (10:27 to 15:41)
Examiner: Now, you’ve been telling me about a present you received and I’d like
to ask you some more general questions related to this.
So let’s talk about ‘attitudes to gifts’. Can you tell me something
about how people feel when they receive a homemade gift, and when
they receive a shop bought gift?
Candidate: Well, I think, as with everything, it depends on the person and the
gift. When a grandchild makes something for their grandparents,
like a book mark or a clay pot that they’ve made at school, then
obviously their grandparents will treasure it. For adults I think it’s a
bit different … if people are going to give homemade gifts then they
need to be of really good quality.
Examiner: Why do you say that?
Candidate: Well, when children make things, it’s the thought that counts, but
when it’s adults making things, it has to look like the present is a
‘proper’ present, rather than something they’ve made just because
it’s cheaper. Of course the thought still counts and in many ways
our time now is more important, or precious, than money, so if
somebody has spent a lot of time making a gift, it will mean a lot. But
if someone has made some chutneys or pickles or some other type of
food, then it has to be edible – and taste nice as well.
Examiner: So what about shop bought gifts?
Candidate: Most gifts these days are shop bought, and there isn’t really anything
wrong with that. What is important, I think, with a shop bought gift
is that the person buying the gift should spend some time thinking
about what the other person would really appreciate. It’s no good a
husband going into a perfume shop and buying the first perfume he
likes. He needs to see what perfume his wife is wearing. That shows
his wife that he is paying her attention.
Examiner: And do you think that children get more pleasure receiving gifts than
adults do?
Candidate: Yes and no. Obviously, children love receiving gifts. But children do
generally get a lot of gifts. Children these days are spoilt and they get
too many gifts, so the more gifts they get, the less they value them.
Adults on the other hand generally have the resources to buy things
for themselves, so if they really want something, they can buy it. Of
course this then makes present buying for adults much more difficult.
But of course there are things that we’d like that we can’t really
afford, or we can afford them, but can’t justify their expense.
Examiner: What sort of things are you thinking of?
Candidate: For women it might be something like perfume, or a day at the Spa,
or a new pair of party shoes. For men, usually something to do with
their hobbies, or books or CDs
Examiner: Do you think that more people get more pleasure giving or receiving
gifts?
Candidate: Oh, um, this is a tricky one.
Examiner: Why?
Candidate: Well, I think most people get pleasure out of both. Of course, it
depends. We may not get a lot of pleasure out of giving gifts to
children who we know may not appreciate them, but if we have
found the perfect gift for someone we love and we know it’s going
to make them happy, well then this will really fill our hearts with
joy. Similarly, if someone receives a gift of something that they
don’t really want, or they can sense that it has been bought out of
haste, then this isn’t really going to make them feel that good. But,
if it’s something wonderful, then, well of course they’re going to feel
fantastic about it.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE  IELTS Speaking Test Video script 4
Examiner: Let’s move on to talk about the commercial aspects of giving. How
much do advertisements influence people when they buy gifts?
Candidate: In my opinion, probably not too much. I mean, most adverts are for
things like cars and household products, which aren’t really gifts.
Although, a lot of young people like to be given new phones and
other gadgets, so if a parent isn’t sure which model to get, then they
could be influenced by advertising.
Examiner: And do you think that some festivals have become commercialised as
a result of the emphasis on buying gifts?
Candidate: Oh yes, definitely, yes. In fact, I think it’s much worse than that. It’s
not just the old festivals becoming commercialised but so-called new
ones being created just for the sake of present giving.
Examiner: Can you tell me more about that?
Candidate: Yes, er, things like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. These aren’t
Indian traditions, but suddenly, we find we have to buy a present
for our spouse on Valentine’s Day and, while it is nice to recognise
how important our mothers are, surely it should be something we do
every day, not just once a year when we buy her some chocolates.
Examiner: Thank you very much, Saba. That is the end of the speaking test.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Video script 5
SPEAKING TEST Tips VIDEO SCRIPT Exam Essentials
Hello, my name is Carol and I was the examiner in this speaking test. Candidates very
often feel nervous before this part of the exam, so I’m going to give you some tips to
help you do well. I will give you some general advice about the test and then some tips
for each section.
Firstly, remember that you are marked on your ability to use English to answer the
questions the examiner asks. You are not marked on your ideas or opinions.
It’s OK to change your mind halfway through the answer to a question. Just say, ‘Sorry,
what I mean is …’ and carry on.
Fluency doesn’t mean speaking quickly, it means being able to continue talking at a
comfortable speed, using appropriate linking words, such as ‘because’ and ‘although’.
If you don’t know a particular word you want to say in English, showing you can
paraphrase – use other words to say what you mean – will help you get a good mark.
Give yourself time to think by lengthening grammar words like ‘the’ and ‘a’ and by
using phrases such as ‘You know …’ and ‘I mean …’.
Try and use as wide a range of words as possible, in order to increase your band score.
For example, don’t just say that the movie was ‘good’, say that it had ‘fascinating
characters’ or was ‘well-directed’.
Make sure you understand how to use cohesive devices correctly so that your English
hangs together effectively. Synonyms are also useful cohesive devices, for example,
‘My favourite city is London. Life in the capital is always interesting.’
Now let’s talk about Part 1. This part is the introduction in the form of a short interview
about yourself. This is about four or five minutes long, and to get a good mark in this
part you need to expand all your answers to about three sentences.
In Task 1, you will be asked some short questions about everyday topics. It’s important
to give full answers, but try not to spend too long on each answer as this is only
preparing you for the questions in Task 2.
In Task 2, you will be asked questions about a variety of everyday topics, such as,
‘What is your favourite food and why?’, usually followed by two more questions on
the same topic. Try and expand your answers, giving a reason or an example such
as: ‘My favourite food is chicken soup, especially in the winter when it’s cold outside.’
Make sure you don’t spend too long answering one question as it’s important that the
examiner has a chance to ask you a range of questions to assess your language.
Avoid just giving a list in your answers. In order to get a good mark, you need to use
a range of different grammatical constructions and vocabulary that is precise and
appropriate for the situation.
Remember that in Part 1, the examiner can only say what is written in their booklet. If
you don’t understand a word, the examiner is not allowed to explain it to you. But don’t
panic. Tell the examiner that you don’t really understand the question and then try and
answer it as best you can.
Moving on to Part 2, this is the long individual turn and where you can show the
examiner how good your English is.
Remember you have one minute to think about what you are going to say. Even if you
don’t think you need this time, it’s a good idea to use it to write some notes which will
help you speak for two minutes.
One way to make it easy to talk for two minutes is to tell a story about the subject.
This will use lots of past tense verbs and good linking words, which will improve your
score.
In Part 2, if you don’t understand a word, it’s OK to ask the examiner to help you. In this
part of the test, the examiner can explain the meaning of the word, but they won’t be
able to rephrase the whole question.
Now to the final part, Part 3. This is a discussion where you can interact with the
examiner and they can ask you more questions on the theme.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE  IELTS Speaking Test Tips Video script 6
The aim in this part is to encourage you to discuss a topic, give your opinions and
make suggestions. The most important thing about Part 3 is that these are general
questions, either about people in your country, or the world in general.
To get a good score in this part of the test try not to focus on your own personal
experiences. For example, in a question like: ‘What jobs are most respected in your
country?’, you need to discuss jobs in your country, not talk about your own work.
The questions that follow will encourage you to put forward an argument to support
your view.
And finally, remember the examiner will not be looking out for your mistakes, but for
the good English that you use so that they can give you a good mark.
We wish you good luck and hope you are successful in the IELTS Speaking Test.
Goodbye for now.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Tips Video script 7
SPEAKING TEST ANSWER KEY Exam Essentials
Part 1 10
(in any order)
1
three a A hobby can turn into a successful career.
b The child can develop as a person as they learn about
2 new things.
a Hyderabad or where the candidate lives c They can meet new people (who share the same
hobby).
b hobbies and interests
c the weather
11
Students’ own answers.
3
b
12
a It is a nice change to feel the cold and it’s easy to keep
4 warm.
b
b Because India is so big, there are many different climates
and there isn’t the time to talk about all of them.
5
c Because of the long school holiday.
a Hyderabad, India
d There have been many water shortages.
b four
c It’s the capital of Andhra Pradesh, it’s in the south-east 13
of India, it’s a big city, 7 million people live there.
a I know most people prefer hot weather, but it is always
d yes so hot in my country …
e four b I think like most children I would say the summer, when
we had the long school holiday, but I always preferred
f It has a long history, lots of ancient buildings, a
spring.
beautiful lake, lots of wonderful markets.
14
g yes
a Tell me about the weather in your country at different
h Her husband is from Hyderabad. times of year.
b Well, India is so big that there are many different
6 climates, so I’ll just talk about the weather in
Students’ own answers. Hyderabad.

7 15
1b 2c 3a a no
b global warming
8 c heat, rain
Students’ own answers.
d There have been many water shortages in recent
summers.
9
16
a colourful abstract art/paintings; Because they brighten
up her flat. Students’ own answers.

b the key rings she collected when she was a child

c They bought her oil paints. Part 2
d No, she wasn’t really very talented. 1
a a ceramic tile with a fish decoration
e The reed broke on her clarinet. or The clarinet made no
sound. b her husband
c her birthday
d in Istanbul (in a restaurant)
e the Blue Mosque

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Answer key 1
2 3
a startling a no
b exquisite b That you have spent time thinking about what gift
to buy.
c breathtaking
c Going into a shop and buying the first perfume you like.
d captivate

4
3 aC bA cC dA eA fA gC
a dream
b desire 5
a They may not appreciate the gift.
c captivated
b If we know it will make them really happy, if we’ve
d price
found the perfect gift
e wrapped
c If it is something that isn’t really wanted, if it’s clear that
it was something bought in a hurry
4
c, f, h, d, b, e, g, a

Interaction with the examiner

5
1
b, c, e, f
a yes
b no (The examiner is not allowed to make social
6 conversation.)
a Just as we were finishing the dessert, the waiter came c yes
over and handed me the most beautifully wrapped gift.
d no (You can do that in the exam; the examiner is not
b past continuous, past simple allowed to make social conversation.)
c past continuous e no (The examiner is not allowed to discuss the exam
d past simple with candidates.)

•  e use the past simple to describe a completed action

W f yes
in the past.
2
•  e use the past continuous to talk about something
W
that was happening in the past. So that the interview can be identified should it need to be
listened to again.

7 Students’ own answers.

3
He/She reads from the folder.

4
Part 3
No, the examiner is not allowed to make up any questions.
1 They can only use the exact words in the folder.
a T
b F When children make things, it’s the thought that 5
counts. They will either just repeat the question again, or if it is just
one word they may give a very brief definition.
c F Most advertising is for cars and household products.
d T
6
If you do not understand the question, the examiner is not
2 allowed to explain the whole question to you. So you must
c, e, a, b, d say that you do not understand and then try to answer
what you think the question may mean.

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7
In Part 2, examiners are allowed to explain words from the
task.

8
The examiner is not allowed to change the task once it has
been given. So they will tell you to continue as best you
can.

9
a no
b yes
c yes, occasionally
d yes, occasionally: do not let this put you off, it is just
so the examiner can fully concentrate on what you are
saying
e yes, occasionally: do not let this put you off, it is just
so the examiner can fully concentrate on what you are
saying
f no
g no, examiners do not write notes about your
performance; the only thing they write are your band
scores which they do after you have left the room

10
1 Why do you say that?
2 So what about shop bought gifts?
3 What sort of things are you thinking of?
4 Why?
5 Can you tell me more about that?

11
They will rephrase the question in simpler language.

© National Geographic Learning 2015 PHOTOCOPIABLE IELTS Speaking Test Answer key 3