The format in one paragraph
The IELTS Speaking test is an 11 to 14 minute interview with one certificated IELTS examiner, in three parts, and it is recorded (all three facts are on the ielts.org Speaking format page, read 20 October 2026). Part 1 is 4 to 5 minutes of short questions about you. Part 2 gives you a card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to talk. Part 3 is 4 to 5 minutes of discussion that grows out of the Part 2 topic. The same test, with the same descriptors, is used for Academic and General Training, and the examiner marks you on four equally weighted criteria across all three parts. In 2026 two things about delivery matter for Indian candidates: per IDP India, the paper test has been discontinued and almost every sitting is now IELTS on computer, and IDP India's own page says the Speaking test for that format is a video-call interview with a certified examiner in a quiet room at the centre. Everything below is the detail: how the minutes break down, what the examiner actually does, how your slot is set, what the video call changes, and the ID and recording rules. If you want the broad overview first, our IELTS Speaking test guide covers the whole test; this page is the 2026, format-only version.
- Total time 11 to 14 minutes; three parts; one examiner; recorded.
- Part 1: 4 to 5 minutes. Part 2: 3 to 4 minutes including one minute of preparation and a talk of up to two minutes. Part 3: 4 to 5 minutes.
- Identical format and wording for Academic and General Training.
- India: IELTS on computer is available up to 7 days a week, 3 times a day; Speaking is a video-call interview with a certified examiner in a quiet room (IDP India).
- Bring the same ID you booked with; belongings stay outside the room; phones off (ielts.org test-day page).
Timing of the three parts
The table below uses only the timings printed on the ielts.org format page. The right-hand column is TalkDrill's note on how that time usually feels in the room; it is a teaching note, not an official statement.
| Part | Official timing (ielts.org) | What happens | What it feels like (TalkDrill) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction and ID check | Inside the 11 to 14 minutes | The examiner states the date, their name and the centre for the recording, asks your full name, what to call you, and checks your ID. | Thirty seconds. Not assessed as content, but your first "Good afternoon" sets your voice. Say it at normal volume. |
| Part 1 | 4 to 5 minutes | Short questions on two or three familiar topics: where you live, work or study, then everyday topics such as apps, weather or mornings. | Around ten to twelve questions. Two to four sentences each. The examiner moves on when the frame says so, not when you finish a story. |
| Part 2 | 3 to 4 minutes, including the preparation time | A task card with a topic and prompts, paper and a pencil, one minute to prepare, then "keep talking for 2 minutes". The examiner may ask one or two short rounding-off questions. | The minute is short; the two minutes feel long at Band 6 and short at Band 7. Use the prompts as a route, not a checklist. |
| Part 3 | 4 to 5 minutes | A two-way discussion of more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic. | Four to seven questions. This is where the examiner probes for Band 7 and above: can you compare, speculate and justify, not just describe? |
| Total | 11 to 14 minutes | Examiner-controlled. | A 12-minute test and a 14-minute test can carry the same band. Length tells you nothing. |
Two timing facts save candidates from avoidable losses. First, the one minute in Part 2 is not optional preparation; it is the only time in the test when you are allowed to write, so use it (we show a note method on the 2026 cue cards page). Second, the examiner will stop you at two minutes in Part 2 and will interrupt in Part 1 and Part 3 to keep to the frame. Being stopped mid-sentence is normal and is not a penalty. Candidates who treat it as rudeness lose rhythm for the next question.
What the examiner does, minute by minute
The ielts.org page says certificated IELTS examiners assess your performance "throughout the test". In practice the examiner is doing two jobs at once: running a scripted frame that keeps every candidate's test comparable, and listening for evidence against the four public criteria (explained line by line on our band descriptors page). What follows is TalkDrill's description of the published format, drawn from the official sample material and the descriptors, so that nothing in the room surprises you.
The opening
The examiner reads a short script for the recording, then asks: "Can you tell me your full name, please?", "What shall I call you?" and "Can I see your identification, please?" Answer with your name, not a speech. "You can call me Simran" is complete. Some candidates launch into a prepared introduction here; the examiner will cut it off because the frame does not allow it, and you have spent your first impression on something nobody asked for.
Part 1
The examiner asks questions from a fixed frame and may repeat a question if you ask, but will not explain a word or rephrase it. The questions come in topic sets; when the examiner says "Let's talk about ...", that is a topic change and a chance to reset your energy. The examiner's face may be neutral throughout. That is training, not disapproval. Our Part 1 questions 2026 page has the recurring topic families and the two-to-four-sentence answer shape.
Part 2
The examiner hands you the card, paper and a pencil, says you have one minute to prepare and that you may make notes, and times the minute. Then: "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?" The examiner does not react while you talk. At two minutes they stop you and may ask one short follow-up such as "Do you still do this?" Answer it in one sentence; it is a rounding-off question, not a new topic.
Part 3
Here the examiner has more freedom. They may rephrase a question you did not follow, ask "Why do you think that?" or "Can you give an example?", and push back gently with "Some people would say the opposite" to see whether you can hold a position. This is deliberate: the Band 7 and 8 descriptors for Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range need "a variety of topics" and "a range of structures flexibly used", and the examiner has to give you the chance to show them. Our Part 3 frameworks page gives a four-move answer shape for each question type.
What you may and may not do (TalkDrill summary of the published format)
- You may ask the examiner to repeat a Part 1 question, and to rephrase a Part 3 question.
- You may make notes in Part 2 and look at them while you talk; you may not take the card or notes out.
- You may not ask how you did, which band you got or what the "correct" answer was; the examiner is not allowed to say.
- You may stop and correct yourself; the Band 7 descriptor allows self-correction as long as coherence survives.
- You may not bring a phone, notes or a watch with a screen into the room (ielts.org test-day page: belongings stay outside; devices off).
Same day or a different day?
The honest answer is: it depends on your centre and your format, and the only authority is your booking confirmation. Here is what the official pages say and do not say, read on 20 October 2026.
| Question | What the official page says | What we could not confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Can Speaking be on a different day from Listening, Reading and Writing? | Yes in practice; centres schedule Speaking in a window around the written test, and the slot is shown when you book or in your confirmation. | The ielts.org booking FAQ that states the exact window did not load for us this week; we therefore do not print a number of days. |
| Can I choose my own Speaking slot in India? | IDP India's speaking-slot page: "Log on 15 days before your test to choose your slot. If you haven't chosen a slot 10 days before your test, you will have one automatically allocated." | That page says the option is for candidates who "opt for the IELTS on Paper", a format IDP's other pages now call discontinued. The page may predate the change; check the slot screen in your own booking. |
| Is Speaking on the same day for IELTS on computer in India? | IDP India's "IELTS on Computer" page: tests "up to 7 days a week, 3 times a day", Speaking "through Video Call interview with a certified IELTS examiner in a quiet room". | The page does not say whether the video call is on the same day as your computer test; many centres run it the same day, but confirm on your booking. |
Which is better, if you get a choice? In our judgement, a different-day slot suits candidates who tire quickly: you arrive fresh and the Speaking test is the only thing on the calendar. A same-day slot suits candidates whose nerves build over days; you finish everything in one visit. Neither affects the mark. What does affect the mark is arriving with a cold voice. Speak English aloud for ten minutes before you enter the building, whichever day it is, and run a short warm-up on TalkDrill IELTS Speaking practice the evening before.
Video-call Speaking: what changes and what does not
IELTS offers Speaking by video call at some centres, and in India IDP's "IELTS on Computer" page says this is how the Speaking test for that format is conducted: a video-call interview with a certified IELTS examiner, in a quiet room at the centre. You do not take it from home. The ielts.org page describing the video-call option did not load for us this week, so the equipment details below are drawn from IDP India's description plus TalkDrill's understanding of how centres run the call, and are marked as such; your centre's own instructions override them.
| Element | Face to face | Video call (as described by IDP India; equipment details are TalkDrill's understanding) |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sit | A room at the test centre, across a table from the examiner. | A quiet room at the test centre, in front of a screen with a camera and a headset; an invigilator sets you up and leaves. |
| The examiner | A certificated IELTS examiner in the room. | A certificated IELTS examiner on screen, in another location. |
| The test | Three parts, 11 to 14 minutes, recorded. | Identical: three parts, 11 to 14 minutes, recorded, same descriptors. |
| Part 2 card and notes | Handed to you on paper. | Shown on screen, with paper and a pencil provided for notes (TalkDrill's understanding; confirm with your centre). |
| What is harder | Eye contact can be a distraction for some candidates. | A half-second delay. If you both start at once, stop, smile, and let the examiner go first. |
| What is easier | Gestures and nods are visible. | For some people a camera is less intimidating than a face across a table (TalkDrill's judgement, not a measured effect). |
Three habits make the video call work for you. Look at the camera lens, not at your own picture, when you give an answer; glance at the examiner's picture when they are speaking. Keep your volume steady; headsets flatten a voice that drops at the end of sentences, and falling volume at sentence ends is already the habit that costs Indian candidates in the Pronunciation descriptor ("rhythm may be affected by a lack of stress-timing"). And pause a full second after each question before you begin, so the delay never makes you talk over the examiner. The TalkDrill full Speaking test runs over a headset with an AI examiner, which is as close to the video-call room as you can get at home.
India in 2026: computer-delivered, per IDP
This is the change most Indian candidates have heard about and few have read at source. Per IDP India's "IELTS on Computer" page and its fee page, both read on 20 October 2026: "IELTS on Paper has been discontinued. Now experience the new IELTS format: IELTS Writing on Paper." In other words, the only test in which anything is on paper is a hybrid where Listening and Reading are on computer and Writing is on paper; the traditional all-paper test is gone. News reports put the last paper sittings in late August 2026, but the official pages do not print a date, so we do not either. What the official pages do say:
- Availability: IELTS on computer "up to 7 days a week, 3 times a day" (IDP India).
- Speaking: "conducted through Video Call interview with a certified IELTS examiner in a quiet room" (IDP India).
- Results: "most IELTS on Computer results within 2 days" (IDP India).
- Fee: INR 19,000 for IELTS on Computer and for IELTS Writing on Paper, Academic or General Training; INR 19,250 for UKVI; INR 18,000 for Life Skills; INR 12,650 for a One Skill Retake (IDP India fee page).
- Retake one skill: the One Skill Retake is for candidates whose full test was IELTS on computer, must be sat within 60 days of the full test and can be taken once per original test (ielts.org One Skill Retake page). Because India is now computer-delivered, almost every Indian candidate is eligible.
For the Speaking test itself the change means three practical things. Your Speaking is a video call, so rehearse with a headset. Your slot is tied to a computer-delivery schedule that runs most days, so if you are not ready you can usually move your date rather than lose a month (IDP India's fee page lists a transfer fee of INR 4,750 for IELTS on Computer; the rules are on our fees, dates and booking page). And a weak Speaking band no longer means a full retake: the One Skill Retake page explains the 60-day clock and what the new Test Report Form shows.
ID, recording and room rules
The rules are short and they are official. From the ielts.org test-day page (read 20 October 2026):
- "Bring the same identification document that you used when you booked your test." In India that is almost always your passport. A different document, an expired passport or a photocopy can mean you are not tested.
- "You will be asked to leave all of your personal belongings in a safe place outside the test room." Keep your ID with you; everything else goes in the locker.
- "Make sure you switch off your mobile phone and any other electronic devices."
From the ielts.org Speaking format page: "The Speaking test is recorded." The recording has two uses that matter to you. It is what a senior examiner re-marks if you request an Enquiry on Results (IDP India lists that fee at INR 14,250 for IELTS on Computer), so a clear recording protects you. And it is why the examiner begins by reading the date, centre and candidate details aloud; that is for the file, not a test of your listening. Speak at a normal volume towards the examiner or the headset microphone. Whispering while you read your Part 2 notes, or trailing off at the end of sentences, costs you twice: once in the room and again if anyone ever listens back.
One more room rule that is not on any page but that every examiner applies: the test starts when you walk in. The small talk while you sit down is not scored, but your voice is already being heard. Candidates who answer the ID questions in a mumble and then "switch on" for Part 1 have given the examiner a reason to listen for a Band 6.
Academic vs General Training: the same Speaking test
Candidates sometimes ask for "General Training speaking topics" as if they were different. They are not. The ielts.org General Training Speaking format page carries the same wording as the Academic page: 11 to 14 minutes, three parts, "a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner", "The Speaking test is recorded", "Certificated IELTS examiners assess your speaking performance throughout the test." The descriptors PDF is titled "Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests". The question frames are drawn from the same pool, so a nurse taking Academic for the NMC and a chef taking General Training for Australia can be asked the same Part 2 card on the same afternoon.
| Element | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking duration and parts | 11 to 14 minutes, three parts | Identical |
| Examiner and recording | Certificated examiner; recorded | Identical |
| Descriptors | Public Speaking band descriptors | Identical (the PDF covers both) |
| Fee in India (IDP India fee page) | INR 19,000 | INR 19,000 |
| What differs | Only Reading and Writing differ between the two tests. Nothing in the Speaking room does. | |
The practical consequence: every resource on this hub applies to both, including the 2026 topics list and the cue card bank. Do not pay for "GT-specific speaking" material.
Rehearse the format, not just the questions
Most candidates practise answers. Fewer practise the format, and the format is what produces the surprises: being stopped at two minutes, a neutral face, a half-second delay on the call, an ID check that feels like an interrogation. A route that fixes that:
- Run one full mock under the real clock. The TalkDrill full Speaking test runs all three parts with an AI examiner, times the Part 2 minute and the two-minute talk, and stops you exactly as the examiner will. Or use the printable script on our free practice test page with a partner.
- Practise with a headset. If your test is in India, your Speaking is a video call. Hearing your own voice through a headset for a week removes the strangeness.
- Rehearse the opening thirty seconds. Name, what to be called, ID, "Let's talk about where you live." Ten times, out loud, until it is boring. Boring is the goal.
- Learn the question families, not the questions. The frames change, the families do not. The Part 1 page, the cue cards page and the Part 3 frameworks are organised that way.
- Read the official page once yourself. It is short. The ielts.org Speaking format page and the official sample questions are free, and they are the only source the examiner's frame is built from.
The rest of this module, from the IELTS Speaking hub, covers the fees and dates, the One Skill Retake, vocabulary that does not sound memorised, and the mistakes page for your first language.