I got 6.5 in my IELTS speaking test. How can I improve to score 7.0?
One of the most frustrating parts of the IELTS test is when we don’t achieve the IELTS score we need by 0.5 band score. It is sad to see so many test takers disappointed by their result, especially when they have studied hard and really need a IELTS band score 7.0 to advance in their career or apply for immigration.
The ‘golden’ score in IELTS is 7.0 is classified as a very good user of the English language. In fact, many candidates who only achieve 6.5 in the IELTS speaking test are more than capable of scoring 7.0 and even higher. So, why don’t they? Let’s look at some common issues that IELTS examiners say prevent allocating candidates higher scores, and some tips to combat these:
1. Nerves: Some people suffer from nerves more than others. When we feel nervous our ‘fight, flight, freeze’ part of our brain, called the amygdala takes over. Our heart rate and breathing increases as if we are getting ready to protect ourselves from a dangerous situation. When we are in this state, our intellectual part of our brain is suppressed, and it becomes difficult to think clearly.
Obviously, for the IELTS speaking test, your intellectual capacity needs to be functioning well. You need to be able to remember your plan for the test, such as what grammatical structures you plan to use, how to pronounce tricky words, and vocabulary that will help you achieve 7.0. A panicked brain cannot remember anything. If this is you, don’t worry. There are things you can do to help you to calm yourself before taking the speaking test:
Practice, Practice, Practice: The IELTS speaking test takes approximately 14 minutes to complete, and in this time your job is to fulfill the IELTS Band Descriptors of 7.0 by talking to a stranger in a small room about unknown topics. How stressful! Although many students of IELTS say they have practiced before the speaking exam, their preparation is not sufficient to reduce nerves. Talking to yourself, or even recording yourself for 1-2 minutes about a subject from Part 2 or Part 3 is not the same as talking to a real person, where you will have real live interactions in a natural way. Therefore, you should try to find a friend who can act as the examiner. This will help you to prepare for the quick succession of questions, and follow up questions, and enable you to respond in a natural and fluent way.
By the time you enter the speaking examination room, you will be familiar with this format of conversation, and therefore your confidence will increase. No one to practice with? Try our online Mock Test with an IELTS examiner for $49.
2. Ignoring Speaking Test Band Descriptors: Knowing the criteria that the examiner uses for scoring your IELTS speaking performance is crucial. The examiner uses this document to allocate your score.
The Band Descriptors are divided into four parts:
Fluency and coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammar Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
Each section describes what the candidate should demonstrate to achieve a certain score. Let’s look at the description of Lexical Resource for IELTS band score 7.0 :
Band Descriptor for 7.0 Lexical Resource (vocabulary):
- Uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics
- Uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style and collocation with some inappropriate choices
- Uses paraphrase effectively
Understanding this Band Descriptors is your first task. If you don’t understand what it means, how can you work towards 7.0? It is like trying to shoot a target with your eyes closed.
In our classes we dive deep into the meaning of the criteria while at the same time help you to develop the knowledge and skills that will support you to perform at a level that guarantees that the examiner will acknowledge that you are in the band 7.0 realm.
Want to know more? Check out our online group and private classes
3 Not being ready (yet!): It doesn’t matter how hardworking you are, or how much you have prepared and studied for the IELTS speaking test, if you are not yet at the level of 7.0, you are wasting your time and money taking the test. Taking the test multiple times, when you have not yet reached the level, will not give you the result you desire. It will simply deplete your energy, motivation and bank account!
But, how do you know you are ready for the test? The best way is to get some feedback from a friend (who has already achieved 7.0) or a teacher. Can you satisfy all the band descriptors of 7.0 in their view? If not, which areas need more work?
Not sure if you are ready for the IELTS speaking test? Take our IELTS Mock Speaking Test at $49 to find out.
In a nutshell, achieving band score 7.0 in the IELTS speaking exam is a prestigious and highly sought after qualification, and is not achieved easily. However, by approaching the preparation phase in a methodical and logical way, you will have a better chance in achieving your desired score sooner, rather than later.
