IELTS Speaking practice with an AI examiner

Emma runs full mock tests calibrated against official IELTS rubrics. You'll know your fluency, lexical, grammar, and pronunciation scores after every session.

Start free Most learners gain 0.5–1.0 band in 4 weeks.

Not affiliated with IELTS, British Council, IDP or Cambridge.

This IELTS speaking practice follows the real test from Part 1 to Part 3. Take a full IELTS speaking mock test with exam timing, or drill one part at a time, and see feedback on all four criteria after every session.

IELTS Speaking guide

Key facts

  • Duration

    The Speaking test lasts 11–14 minutes.

  • Parts

    It has three parts: an interview, a long turn with a cue card, and a discussion.

  • Criteria

    Four criteria are scored: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.

  • Score

    Results are reported on the IELTS 0–9 band scale.

  • Delivery

    The test is a face-to-face conversation with a certified examiner.

How long is the IELTS Speaking test?

The IELTS Speaking test takes 11 to 14 minutes. It is the same for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

What happens in each part of IELTS Speaking?

Part 1 is a short interview about familiar topics, Part 2 is a one- to two-minute talk based on a cue card, and Part 3 is a deeper discussion linked to the Part 2 topic. You get one minute to prepare notes before the Part 2 talk.

How can I practice IELTS Speaking with Learnes?

Emma, your AI examiner, runs all three parts with exam timing, including the one-minute cue card preparation. After each session you get feedback on all four criteria and a practice band estimate.

Speaking section format

Part / taskTimeWhat is assessed
Part 1 — Introduction and interview4–5 minutesAnswering everyday questions clearly and naturally
Part 2 — Long turn (cue card)3–4 minutes, including 1 minute to prepareSpeaking at length on a topic and organizing ideas
Part 3 — Discussion4–5 minutesDiscussing abstract ideas, giving and justifying opinions

Last updated:

What does a Part 2 cue card look like?

A Part 2 cue card gives you one topic and three or four prompts to cover. You have one minute to make notes, then speak for up to two minutes.

Describe a skill you learned outside school.

You should say:

  • what the skill is
  • how you learned it
  • how long it took you
  • and explain why this skill is useful to you.

Band 6 style answer

I want to talk about cooking. I learned cooking from my mother when I was maybe fifteen. She showed me many dishes and I practiced at home. It took a long time, maybe two years, because at first I made many mistakes. Now I can cook many things. This skill is useful because I live alone now and I don't want to eat fast food every day. Also it is good for my health and I can cook for my friends.

Band 7 style answer

I'd like to talk about cooking, which I picked up from my mother in my mid-teens. She never used recipes, so I learned by watching her and then trying the same dishes on weekends. Honestly, it took me a couple of years before anything tasted right, mainly because I kept rushing the basics. These days it's genuinely useful: since I moved out, I rarely rely on takeaway, which saves money and keeps me healthier. On top of that, cooking has become my way of bringing friends together.

These are illustrative examples written to show the difference between bands, not answers scored by an official examiner.

What makes the second answer stronger

Fluency and coherence
Linking phrases such as "these days" and "on top of that" connect ideas smoothly.
Lexical resource
Less common expressions like "picked up", "rely on takeaway" and "mid-teens" replace simple words.
Grammatical range and accuracy
Relative clauses and "since I moved out" show a wider range of structures used accurately.
Pronunciation
Longer, well-grouped sentences give room for natural stress and intonation; this is judged when you speak.

What topics come up in IELTS Speaking?

Part 1 usually covers familiar, everyday topic areas, while Part 2 and Part 3 move to broader themes. The lists below are common topic areas for practice, not a prediction of the current exam.

12 common Part 1 topic areas

  • Home and accommodation
  • Work or studies
  • Hometown
  • Family
  • Friends
  • Food and cooking
  • Free time and hobbies
  • Sport and exercise
  • Weather and seasons
  • Technology and phones
  • Travel and transport
  • Music and films

6 Part 2 themes

  • A person you admire
  • A place you have visited
  • An object that is important to you
  • An event or celebration
  • A skill or achievement
  • A time you changed your mind

How is a full IELTS Speaking mock test run here?

A full mock test takes about 11 to 14 minutes and follows the same three-part order as the real exam. Emma keeps the timing, then gives you a practice band estimate on each criterion.

  1. Part 1 (4–5 minutes): Emma asks short questions on two or three familiar topics.
  2. Part 2 (3–4 minutes): You get a cue card, one minute to prepare notes, and up to two minutes to speak.
  3. Part 3 (4–5 minutes): Emma asks deeper questions linked to your Part 2 topic.
  4. Report: You see an estimate for each of the four criteria, with corrections and a model sentence.

What you see after a session

Illustrative example of Learnes feedback. Your own report depends on what you say.

Scores by criterion

  • Fluency and coherence6.5Ideas are in a clear order; a few long pauses in Part 3.
  • Lexical resource6.0Topic words are accurate but often repeated ("good" ×6).
  • Grammatical range and accuracy6.0Mostly simple sentences; some article errors.
  • Pronunciation7.0Easy to follow; work on word stress in longer words.

Corrections

  • You said: In my country people are very interesting in football.

    Better: In my country people are very interested in football.

  • You said: I have visited Istanbul two years ago.

    Better: I visited Istanbul two years ago.

  • You said: It depends of the situation.

    Better: It depends on the situation.

Try saying it this way

Technology is good because it is good for communication.

→ Technology has transformed communication, making it easy to stay in touch with family abroad.

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How it works

Choose a goal, speak naturally and turn every session into clear next steps.

01

Part 1 questions

Warm up with short questions about familiar topics.

02

Part 2 cue card

Use one minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes.

03

Part 3 discussion

Explore broader ideas with examiner-style follow-up questions.

04

Review criteria scores

See practice estimates for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

Real practice. Real progress.

See how learners use short, focused speaking sessions to prepare for moments that matter.

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Questions, answered

Learnes reviews your response against the four IELTS Speaking criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. The result is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS band score.

Yes. You can run a full mock test or drill Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 on its own. Focusing on your weakest part first is a good way to use short sessions.

The score is intended to show patterns and guide your practice. AI estimates can differ from an official examiner's result, so use them as learning feedback rather than a guaranteed prediction.

No. Learnes is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge, and it does not issue official test results.

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