5 Misunderstandings That Cause You to Lose Points in the IELTS Speaking Test

During the speaking practice, we have certainly heard public "rumors" about how to achieve a high score on the IELTS Speaking test. However, not all of those rumors are true. The things we "assume" about IELTS Speaking will lead us to make it difficult for ourselves in the exam room. In this article, PREP will go through 5 misunderstandings that most IELTS-speaking candidates encounter that may cause them to Lose Points in the IELTS Speaking Test. Refer to the article right away to avoid the most basic mistakes!

1. Mistake 1 in the IELTS Speaking Test: Trying to Have a "Western" Accent to Get a High Score

An accent can be a plus but is not an evaluation criterion. Your pronunciation ability will be scored, but it doesn't mean that the examiner expects you to speak exactly like a native speaker. When assessing pronunciation ability, the examiner pays attention to the pronunciation of individual sounds, word stress, and intonation of the candidate in the IELTS Speaking test. Ensure your pronunciation is good by understanding the correct pronunciation of every word you know. You can use online dictionaries like Cambridge Dictionary or Oxford Learner's Dictionary to look up phonetics and practice pronunciation with audio for each word. Trying to have a "Western" accent to get a high score on the IELTS Speaking test is a misconception.

2. Mistake 2 in the IELTS Speaking Test: Not Using Complex Grammar Structures if You're Not Fluent

Instead of using only very simple sentences, you should try more complex grammar structures (even if you may make some minor errors) in the IELTS Speaking test. A candidate who only uses short and simple sentence structures will be evaluated lower than a candidate who is attempting to use complex clauses such as conditional sentences, relative clauses, etc. 

However, make sure that those complex grammar structures accurately reflect what you want to say, and avoid "stuffing" them into your speech as it will make your speech lose its naturalness. Here are some examples of complex grammar structures that you can use in the IELTS Speaking test:

• Conditional sentence: If I had the chance to study a new subject, it would probably be astronomy.
• Time clause: As soon as I take my IELTS exam, I'll move to Australia.
• Indirect speech: My friend said she would help me study for this exam.
• Modal verbs: She might have arrived by now.

To be able to use complex structures proficiently in the speaking test, don't hesitate to try and use them when practicing speaking at home. Practice with friends or record yourself and listen back carefully. You can write down any grammar mistakes you hear yourself making to improve your use of grammar in speaking.

3. Mistake 3 in the IELTS Speaking Test: Thinking That Not Knowing the Answer to a Question Will Prevent You from Getting a High Score

In the IELTS Speaking test, the examiner does not assess the correctness or incorrectness of your knowledge on specific topics. Instead, they focus on how you speak rather than what you say. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. For example, if you are asked, "How do teenagers have fun in your country?" and you don't know what to say, you can explain why you don't know. You can respond like this: "I'm not sure I can answer the question accurately, as I'm not a teenager anymore, but I could tell you about how I used to have fun when I was a teenager. I expect this has changed a lot because..." This demonstrates to the examiner that you can speak and develop your answers, even if you're not knowledgeable about the specific topic.

4. Mistake 4 in the IELTS Speaking Test: Believing that Speaking Continuously Without Pausing Will Create a Good Impression

Fluency is important, but coherence also receives the same priority in the IELTS Speaking test. Coherence refers to the logical flow of your speech and the meaningfulness of what you say. While you should try to minimize pauses, if you keep speaking without much coherence, you may be fluent but lack coherence. The overall impression will not be a good one and may cause you to lose points in the IELTS Speaking Test. The most important thing is to keep your answers reasonable and well-organized.

Remember that hesitation is normal. You can use the following phrases to make your hesitation sound more natural:

• To put it differently…
• What do you call it…wait a second…I have it right there.
• Well…
• You see…

5. Mistake 5 in the IELTS Speaking Test: Thinking You Should Answer Questions Even If You Don't Understand Them

If you don't understand a question, you can ask the examiner to repeat it or ask for clarification. You can use the following phrases to ask for repetition in the IELTS Speaking test:

• I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean. Can you repeat the question, please?
• I don’t think I know what you mean. Do you mind repeating the question, please?

Firstly, you should clarify the question before answering. You won't lose points if you ask the examiner to repeat the question a few times. However, if you repeatedly ask the examiner to repeat individual questions, they may think you have difficulty understanding spoken English, which can result in a lower score on the IELTS Speaking test.

Here are the 5 most common misunderstandings that can cause you to lose points in the IELTS Speaking test. Hopefully, these insights from PREP will help you achieve a high band score. Good luck with your effective exam preparation!