How to run this mock (partner or AI)
This is a complete IELTS Speaking practice test: a Part 1 script with the ID check and three topic sets, a Part 2 cue card with the one-minute preparation and the two-minute talk, a Part 3 discussion script, and a marking sheet built from the four public criteria. It runs in 11 to 14 minutes, the timing printed on the ielts.org Speaking format page. You can run it three ways: with a partner reading the examiner lines, alone with your phone's voice recorder, or with the TalkDrill full Speaking test, where an AI examiner asks the questions, keeps the clock and scores each criterion. Whichever you choose, record it. Marking a mock you cannot replay is guessing. Everything on this page is written by TalkDrill in the current test format; the questions are of the kind the test asks, organised by the topic families that recur every cycle, and they are not leaked or "actual" cards.
- Timer ready for each part: 4 to 5 minutes, then 1 minute plus 2 minutes, then 4 to 5 minutes.
- A pencil and a small piece of paper for Part 2 notes, as in the real test.
- Recorder on. If you are testing in India, use a headset; per IDP India your Speaking test is a video-call interview, so get used to your voice through one (see the format page).
- The examiner (partner or you) reads the lines exactly as written, keeps a neutral face, repeats a Part 1 question if asked but never explains it, and stops the candidate at two minutes in Part 2.
- Candidate: answer in two to four sentences in Part 1, keep talking for the full two minutes in Part 2, and give a position with a reason and an example in Part 3.
Part 1 script: ID check and three topic sets
Examiner lines are in quotation marks. Read them at a normal pace. Do not add encouragement; the real examiner will not. Time limit: 4 to 5 minutes, including the ID check.
Opening and ID check
"Good afternoon. My name is [name]. Can you tell me your full name, please?" ... "Thank you. And what shall I call you?" ... "Can I see your identification, please?" ... "Thank you, that's fine. Now, in this first part I'd like to ask you some questions about yourself."
Topic set 1: where you live
- "Let's talk about where you live. Do you live in a house or a flat?"
- "What do you like most about the place you live in?"
- "Is there anything you would change about it?"
- "Do you think you will live there for a long time?"
Topic set 2: work or study
- "Let's move on to what you do. Do you work or are you a student?"
- (If working) "What do you enjoy about your job?" (If studying) "Why did you choose that subject?"
- "What was the most difficult part of the first few months?"
- "Would you like to do something different in the future?"
Topic set 3: apps on your phone
- "Now let's talk about apps. Which app do you use most often?"
- "When did you start using it?"
- "Is there an app you have stopped using? Why?"
- "Do you think people your age use too many apps?"
Examiner note (TalkDrill): if the candidate gives a one-word answer, the real examiner may say "Why?" or "Why not?" once and then move on. Do the same. If the candidate talks past thirty seconds, interrupt politely with the next question; being stopped is part of the test. For more sets in the same shape, use the Part 1 questions 2026 page.
Part 2: the cue card and the two-minute talk
Examiner: "Now I'm going to give you a topic, and I'd like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you talk, you'll have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?" ... "Here's some paper and a pencil for making notes, and here's your topic. I'd like you to describe a skill you learnt outside school or college."
Cue card (TalkDrill-written, current format)
Describe a skill you learnt outside school or college.
You should say:
what the skill is
when and where you learnt it
who or what helped you learn it
and explain how you feel about having this skill.
Start the one-minute timer. At the end: "All right? Remember, you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?" Start the two-minute timer. At two minutes, even mid-sentence: "Thank you." Then one rounding-off question: "Do you still use this skill now?" Take a one-sentence answer and move to Part 3.
Note method for the minute (TalkDrill): write four words, one per prompt, not sentences. For this card: "cooking / lockdown, hostel / YouTube + flatmate / independent, proud". Then add one detail word that will make the story yours: "burnt dal". That is the whole plan. Candidates who write sentences read them, and reading is audible. If you want to rehearse this exact card with an AI examiner first, it is in the practice library: describe a skill you learnt outside school or college.
Part 3 script: the discussion
Examiner: "We've been talking about a skill you learnt outside school or college, and I'd like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this." Time limit: 4 to 5 minutes. Ask in order; use the follow-ups when an answer is short or one-sided.
Learning skills
- "What kinds of skills do people in your country usually learn outside formal education?" Follow-up: "Has that changed compared with your parents' generation?"
- "Is it better to learn a practical skill from a person or from videos online?" Follow-up: "Some people say you cannot learn properly without a teacher. What would you say to them?"
Skills and work
- "Which skills do you think employers value most today?" Follow-up: "Will those be the same skills in twenty years?"
- "Should schools teach more practical skills, such as cooking or managing money, instead of some academic subjects?" Follow-up: "Who should decide which subjects are dropped?"
Skills and society
- "Do you think traditional skills, such as crafts, are disappearing? Does it matter?"
- "Why do some people enjoy learning new things as adults while others avoid it?"
Examiner: "Thank you very much. That is the end of the Speaking test." Stop the recorder. Examiner note (TalkDrill): the real examiner may rephrase a Part 3 question if you do not follow it, and may push back ("Some people would disagree") to see whether you can hold a position. Partners should do this at least once. The four-move answer shape for each question type is on the Part 3 frameworks page.
The self-marking sheet on the four criteria
Listen to the recording once per row, a day after the mock if you can. The criteria and the quoted phrases are from the public IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors PDF; the questions in each cell are TalkDrill's way of testing them. Give yourself a column only if the evidence fully fits it, which is the rule the examiner follows (note (i) of the PDF). Per the ielts.org "Understanding your score" page, the four criteria carry equal weighting and the average gives the Speaking band, reported in whole and half bands.
| Criterion | Band 6 if ... | Band 7 if ... | Band 8 if ... | Your band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence PDF Band 7: "able to keep going and readily produce long turns without noticeable effort"; hesitation "will not affect coherence" | You kept going in Part 2 but lost the thread once or twice; some answers restarted; "actually", "basically" or "like" appeared more than three times. | No stall over the two minutes; pauses were for ideas, not words; you used at least four different linking phrases; Part 3 answers had a position, a reason and an example. | Hesitation was almost all content-related; the Part 2 talk had a shape a listener could summarise in one sentence; Part 3 answers were extended without prompting. | |
| Lexical Resource PDF Band 7: "resource flexibly used to discuss a variety of topics"; "some ability to use less common and idiomatic items"; "effective use of paraphrase" | You were understood but leant on "good", "very", "nice", "a lot"; one or two words were the wrong register; you stopped to search for a word at least once. | Topic words appeared in all three parts (home, work, apps, skills); at least one idiom or phrasal verb fitted naturally; when a word escaped you, you paraphrased without stopping. | Several precise, idiomatic choices in register across all three parts; only an occasional collocation slip; no visible gaps. | |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy PDF Band 7: "a range of structures flexibly used"; "error-free sentences are frequent"; "both simple and complex sentences are used effectively" | You attempted complex sentences but many carried an error (tense, article, "since five years", "I am having"); errors rarely blocked meaning. | Error-free sentences were frequent; you used at least one conditional, one relative clause and one past narrative without strain; basic errors did not cluster. | The majority of sentences were error free across a wide range of structures; the few errors were non-systematic. | |
| Pronunciation PDF Band 6: "rhythm may be affected by a lack of stress-timing and/or a rapid speech rate"; Band 8: "can sustain appropriate rhythm" | Understood without much effort, but every syllable had the same weight, or you sped up under pressure; intonation flattened after the first sentence of each answer. | Everything in the Band 6 column secured, plus stress-timed rhythm or expressive intonation sustained for stretches, not only in the opening line. | Rhythm, stress and intonation held across the whole two minutes and through Part 3, with only occasional lapses; nothing had to be repeated. |
Average the four. 6, 7, 7, 6 is 6.5. 7, 7, 7, 6 is 6.75; ielts.org publishes the .25 and .75 rounding rule only for the overall band across the four skills, not for the Speaking average, so treat 6.75 as "not yet 7" and lift the weakest criterion rather than hope. For the full wording of every band and why each line matters, use the band descriptors page; it has the same answer rewritten at Band 5, 6, 7 and 8 so you can hear the difference.
- Count the fillers on the recording before you score Fluency. If "actually" or "basically" appear five or more times, you are not at 7 in that criterion, however it felt.
- Play thirty seconds of Part 2 to someone who does not speak your first language. If they ask you to repeat anything, Pronunciation is 6, not 7.
- Write down three complex sentences you said in Part 3. If you cannot find three, Grammatical Range is 6.
Calibration: what a Band 7 answer to this mock sounds like
Self-marking only works if you know what the target column sounds like. Below are TalkDrill-written answers to three questions from this mock at roughly Band 7, with the features the sheet is looking for named. They are teaching examples, not real candidates' answers, and not scripts to memorise; a memorised version of these would score lower than your own honest Band 6.5.
Part 1: "Is there an app you have stopped using? Why?"
"Yes, a food delivery app, about six months ago. I noticed I was ordering out three or four times a week, mainly out of laziness, and it was getting expensive, so I deleted it rather than trying to be disciplined. I do miss it on Friday nights, to be honest, but my cooking has improved a lot."
Why this is a 7: three sentences, a direct answer first, a reason with a precise collocation ("out of laziness", "getting expensive"), a contrast ("rather than"), an error-free complex sentence, and a human detail at the end. No idiom was forced in.
Part 2: the opening forty seconds
"The skill I'd like to talk about is cooking, which I picked up during the lockdown in 2020 when I was stuck in a hostel in Pune with two flatmates and no canteen. None of us could cook, so we split it: one of us watched YouTube videos, one called his mother every evening, and I was the one who actually stood at the stove. The first week was a disaster. I burnt dal, which I didn't know was possible, and we ate a lot of toast. But after a month or so I could make maybe eight or nine dishes without a recipe ..."
Why this is a 7: a long turn with no stall, phrasal verbs in register ("picked up", "stuck in", "split it"), a past narrative with correct sequencing, a relative clause and a cleft ("I was the one who"), self-deprecating detail that keeps the talk coherent, and rhythm that a listener can follow. The 8 would have fewer short sentences and a couple more precise choices ("edible" for "could make"), but the content is the same.
Part 3: "Is it better to learn a practical skill from a person or from videos online?"
"I'd say it depends on the skill. For something like cooking, videos are fine, because you can pause and repeat and the cost of a mistake is one bad meal. For something like driving, or anything where a mistake is dangerous, you need a person next to you who can stop you before it goes wrong. Having said that, even for cooking I learnt faster when my flatmate's mother corrected me over the phone, because a video can't tell you that your pan is too hot."
Why this is a 7: a position with a condition ("it depends"), two contrasting examples, a concession with a spoken marker ("having said that"), a reason that is specific rather than general, and a complex final sentence that is error free. This is the four-move shape from the Part 3 page, delivered without sounding like a template.
A second mock for next week
Do not repeat the same mock; you will improve at the questions, not at the test. Here is a second set in the same format. Run it a week after the first and compare the two marking sheets. TalkDrill-written, current format.
Part 1 (after the same ID check)
- Hometown: "Let's talk about your hometown. Where is it?" / "What is it known for?" / "Has it changed much since you were a child?" / "Would you recommend it to a visitor?"
- Free time: "What do you usually do at the weekend?" / "Do you prefer spending free time alone or with others?" / "Is there a hobby you would like to take up?" / "Did you have more free time when you were younger?"
- Weather: "What kind of weather do you like?" / "Does the weather affect your mood?" / "Has the weather in your area changed in recent years?" / "Do people in your country talk about the weather a lot?"
Part 2
Cue card (TalkDrill-written)
Describe a place in your city where you like to spend time.
You should say:
where it is
how often you go there
what you do there
and explain why you like spending time there.
Rounding-off question: "When did you last go there?"
The AI-examiner version of this card is in the library: describe a place in your city where you like to spend time.
Part 3
- "What kinds of public places do people in your country use most?" Follow-up: "Are they used by all age groups?"
- "Do cities need more parks, or more shopping and entertainment spaces?" Follow-up: "Who should pay for public spaces?"
- "Why do some people prefer to spend time at home rather than go out?"
- "How has technology changed the way people use public places?"
- "Will people spend more or less time in shared spaces in the future?"
For a third and fourth week, build your own from the cue cards 2026 page (pick a card from a different family each week) and the Part 3 question types. A partner can also use the IELTS Speaking questions and answers book as the examiner's frame.
What to do with your score
A mock is only useful if it changes what you do tomorrow. Read your sheet and pick one path:
| Your sheet shows | Do this for the next seven days | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency lowest (fillers, restarts, stalls in Part 2) | One Part 2 card a day, recorded, filler count on playback; retire one filler a week. | IELTS Speaking practice and the filler audit on the vocabulary page |
| Pronunciation lowest (flat rhythm, rushed, repeated words) | Five minutes of read-aloud a day, rhythm passages first, then the sound drills for your first language. | Read-aloud practice and your first-language mistakes page |
| Lexical Resource lowest ("very good", word searches) | One topic family a day: say the example line, then two of your own; one new idiom a week, not more. | The vocabulary and idioms page |
| Grammar lowest (articles, "since five years", "I am having") | Rewrite three of your recorded Part 3 answers correctly, then say them without reading; one structure a day (conditional, relative clause, past perfect). | The 30-day plan, week 2 |
| All four at 7 or above | Move to the Band 8 habits: precision, fewer short sentences, content-related pauses only; mock once a week to hold it. | How to score 8 in IELTS Speaking |
Two practical notes. If you have already taken the test and only Speaking fell short, the One Skill Retake lets you retake Speaking alone: per the ielts.org One Skill Retake page your full test must have been IELTS on computer, you must sit the retake within 60 days of that full test, and you can do it once per original test; IDP India lists the fee at INR 12,650. Weekly mocks in that window are the best use of the 60 days; see the results and One Skill Retake page. And if you have a test date and want the mock built into a plan, the Band 7 in 30 days page schedules one every seventh day. The whole module, including fees, format and the question families for this cycle, is on the IELTS Speaking hub.