IELTS Speaking marking criteria and how scoring works
The Speaking test is a recorded, face-to-face interview of 11–14 minutes. Part 1 is 4–5 minutes of questions on familiar topics. Part 2 is the long turn: a minute to prepare from a task card, then about two minutes of talking before the examiner stops you, and a question or two after, 3–4 minutes in all. Part 3, 4–5 minutes, takes the Part 2 topic into more general, abstract discussion. Academic and General Training candidates take the same test.
The examiner rates Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. They carry equal weight, and the Speaking band averages them. “FC” and “P” are teachers’ shorthand; IELTS writes the names out in full.
Two notes printed on the descriptors shape the marking. A candidate gets a band only by showing every positive feature listed for it. And the rating reflects average performance across all three parts, so a confident Part 1 doesn’t outweigh a Part 3 where the vocabulary runs out. Unlike Writing, the Speaking scale has no bold limiting features.
The four criteria, band by band
FC Fluency and Coherence
Can the candidate keep talking at a natural pace without strain, and do the ideas connect and stay relevant?
Check first
- Why pauses happen: to plan ideas, or to find words and grammar
- Whether long turns come readily in Parts 2 and 3
- Discourse markers that are varied and fit, not repeated
| Band | What the marker sees |
|---|---|
| 9 | Repetition and self-correction are very rare, and any hesitation is for planning content, never for finding language. Topics are developed fully and coherently, at a length that suits the question. |
| 8 | Repetition and self-correction are very rare, and most hesitation is about content, though it is occasionally used to find a word. Topics are developed coherently and relevantly. |
| 7 | Long turns come readily and without visible effort. Some mid-sentence hesitation, repetition or self-correction shows a search for language but doesn’t damage coherence, and discourse markers are used flexibly. |
| 6 | Willing to speak at length and keeps going, but hesitation, repetition or self-correction sometimes breaks coherence. A range of discourse markers appears, not always appropriately. |
| 5 | Usually keeps going, but leans on repetition, self-correction or slow speech, and pauses mid-sentence for fairly basic words or grammar. Simple language may flow while more complex speech breaks down. |
| 4 | Noticeable pauses interrupt the flow, and speech may be slow, repetitive and often self-corrected. Simple sentences are joined with the same few connectives, and coherence breaks down at times. |
| 3 and below | At 3 frequent, sometimes long pauses break up answers that rarely go beyond simple responses. Band 2 pauses before nearly every word; band 1 is essentially no speech that can be followed. |
What moves FC up a band
- 5 → 6
- The candidate becomes willing to attempt long turns, hesitation is no longer mostly about basic words, and a range of markers replaces a few overused ones.
- 6 → 7
- Long turns come readily, without visible effort, and hesitation no longer costs coherence. Markers become flexible and appropriate.
- 7 → 8
- Repetition and self-correction drop to very occasional, and most hesitation is for content rather than language.
- 8 → 9
- Hesitation is only for planning content, and topics are developed fully at an appropriate length, with speech that suits the situation.
LR Lexical Resource
Does the candidate have the words to talk precisely about any topic, and can they talk around a gap?
Check first
- Range on unfamiliar or abstract Part 3 topics, not just personal ones
- Less common and idiomatic items that sound natural
- Paraphrase when a word is missing
| Band | What the marker sees |
|---|---|
| 9 | Total flexibility and precision in every context, with accurate idiomatic language sustained throughout. |
| 8 | A wide resource used readily and flexibly on all topics with precise meaning, including skilful less common and idiomatic items with the odd slip. Paraphrase works whenever it is needed. |
| 7 | Vocabulary is used flexibly across a variety of topics, with some less common or idiomatic items and awareness of style and collocation, though some choices are off. Paraphrase works when needed. |
| 6 | Enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length; some words are inappropriate but the meaning stays clear. Paraphrase generally succeeds. |
| 5 | Can talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but with limited flexibility, and paraphrase is attempted with mixed success. |
| 4 | Copes with familiar topics, but on unfamiliar ones only the basic meaning comes across; word-choice errors are frequent and paraphrase is rare. |
| 3 and below | At 3 vocabulary is simple, mostly for personal information, and fails on unfamiliar topics. Band 2 is isolated words or memorised utterances; band 1 has nothing beyond a few isolated words. |
What moves LR up a band
- 5 → 6
- The resource stretches to discussing topics at length, paraphrase generally works, and wrong word choices stop obscuring meaning.
- 6 → 7
- Flexibility across topics arrives, with some less common or idiomatic items, awareness of collocation and style, and effective paraphrase.
- 7 → 8
- The resource becomes wide and precise on all topics, and less common or idiomatic items are used with skill rather than now and then.
- 8 → 9
- Precision and flexibility become total, with idiomatic language sustained and accurate.
GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy
What range of spoken structures does the candidate control, and how often do errors appear or get in the way?
Check first
- Length of spoken sentences and use of subordinate clauses
- Verb forms: tenses, modals, passives and conditionals
- How dense the errors are and whether they cause misunderstanding
| Band | What the marker sees |
|---|---|
| 9 | Grammar is precise and accurate throughout, apart from the kind of slips native speakers also make. |
| 8 | A wide range of structures used flexibly, with most sentences error-free and only occasional, non-systematic errors. A few basic slips may remain. |
| 7 | A range of structures used flexibly, with frequent error-free sentences. Simple and complex sentences both work despite some errors, and some basic mistakes remain. |
| 6 | Short and complex sentences both appear, with some variety but limited flexibility. Complex structures often contain errors, though these rarely cause misunderstanding. |
| 5 | Basic sentences are fairly well controlled. Complex structures are attempted but limited in range, almost always go wrong somewhere and sometimes have to be restarted. |
| 4 | Basic sentence forms with some error-free short utterances, but subordinate clauses are rare, turns are short, structures repeat and errors are frequent. |
| 3 and below | At 3 basic forms are attempted with numerous errors, except in phrases that sound memorised. Band 2 shows no basic sentence forms; band 1 has no rateable language beyond memorised items. |
What moves GRA up a band
- 5 → 6
- Complex structures stop being attempts and appear in some variety, and their errors rarely block understanding.
- 6 → 7
- Structures become flexible, error-free sentences become frequent, and both simple and complex sentences work.
- 7 → 8
- Most sentences are error-free and the remaining errors are occasional and not systematic.
- 8 → 9
- Accuracy holds at all times, apart from native-speaker-type slips.
P Pronunciation
How easy is the candidate to understand, and how well do stress, rhythm, intonation and connected speech carry the meaning?
Check first
- Listener effort: do you have to work to understand?
- Chunking, stress and intonation that support meaning
- Individual sounds or word stress that make words unclear
| Band | What the marker sees |
|---|---|
| 9 | A full range of pronunciation features conveys precise or subtle meaning, with flexible connected speech throughout. Effortless to understand, with an accent that makes no difference to how well the candidate is understood. |
| 8 | A wide range of features used for precise meaning, sustained appropriate rhythm, and flexible stress and intonation over long utterances with occasional lapses. Easy to understand throughout; accent has minimal effect. |
| 7 | There is no separate band 7 description. A 7 needs everything listed at band 6, plus part, though not all, of what band 8 adds. |
| 6 | A range of features with variable control: chunking mostly works, but rhythm can suffer from weak stress-timing or a fast rate, and good stress and intonation aren’t sustained. Occasional mispronunciation blurs a word, but the candidate is generally understood without much effort. |
| 5 | Like 7, band 5 has no description of its own. It means everything at band 4 plus part, though not all, of what band 6 adds. |
| 4 | Some acceptable features but a limited range: some chunking works but rhythm often lapses, stress and intonation are poorly controlled, and frequent mispronunciation makes the listener work, with patches that can’t be understood. |
| 3 and below | Band 3 is also in-between: some band 2 features plus part of what band 4 offers. Band 2 is often unintelligible with most words mispronounced; band 1 conveys no overall meaning. |
What moves P up a band
- 5 → 6
- Band 6 needs all of its features at once, including generally appropriate chunking and being understood without much effort; band 5 has only some.
- 6 → 7
- Band 7 keeps everything at 6 and adds some band 8 features, such as sustained rhythm or flexible intonation over long answers, but not all of them.
- 7 → 8
- Band 8 needs all of its features together, from sustained rhythm to being easy to understand throughout.
- 8 → 9
- A full range of features used for subtle meaning, connected speech flexible throughout, effortless to understand and no accent effect.
Pronunciation bands 7, 5 and 3: the in-between rule
The Pronunciation scale describes bands 9, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 in full. Bands 7, 5 and 3 are defined by their neighbours:
- Band 7: everything at band 6, plus part, though not all, of what band 8 adds.
- Band 5: everything at band 4, plus part, though not all, of what band 6 adds.
- Band 3: some band 2 features together with part of what band 4 offers.
So to give a 7, first confirm the candidate fully fits 6: generally appropriate chunking, some effective stress and intonation, mispronunciation that only occasionally blurs a word, and being understood without much effort. Then look for band 8 features: sustained rhythm, flexible stress and intonation over long answers, being easy to understand throughout, an accent with minimal effect. Some but not all means 7; none means 6; all of them means 8.
IELTS doesn’t say how many band 8 features make up some. Our suggestion: count only features that hold across the test, not one good sentence.
How to mark an IELTS Speaking test, step by step
- Hear the whole test before scoring. Take notes by part, but hold the bands until the end, because the rating is on average performance across all three parts.
- Log why pauses happen. A pause to plan an idea is fine even at band 9. Repeated mid-sentence pauses for basic words point to 5. Note how readily the long turn and the Part 3 answers extend.
- Write vocabulary down as you hear it. Two columns: less common or idiomatic items that worked, and words that were wrong or vague. Part 3’s unfamiliar, abstract topics are where the descriptors separate familiar-topic vocabulary from flexible vocabulary.
- Sample grammar from two long answers. Replay or transcribe one Part 2 stretch and one Part 3 answer. Count the spoken sentences and the error-free ones, and list the complex structures attempted. Band 8 needs most sentences error-free.
- Judge pronunciation by listener effort first. Easily understood throughout points to 8; generally understood without much effort points to 6; patches you couldn’t follow point to 4. Then apply the in-between rule.
- Place each criterion with the fully-fit rule. Start from the band your notes suggest, check every positive feature, and drop a band if one is missing.
- Average, and give one next step per criterion. Keep the unrounded figure, since IELTS doesn’t publish how the Speaking average is rounded, and use the move rows to say what the next band needs.
Common Speaking marking mistakes, and how to avoid them
- Marking the accent. The current descriptors judge accent only by its effect on being understood: none at band 9, minimal at band 8. A strong accent that doesn’t get in the way costs nothing.
- Treating speed as fluency. Fluency is about keeping going without effort and staying coherent. The band 6 Pronunciation description notes that a rapid speech rate can upset rhythm.
- Penalising every pause. Ask what the pause is for. Hesitation to plan content is allowed at the top bands; hesitation to find basic words is not.
- Counting fillers as errors. IELTS’s Speaking key assessment criteria treat pausing, discourse markers and fillers as ways to mark the stages of an answer. They matter only when they replace content or break coherence.
- Letting Part 1 set the band. Part 1 sticks to familiar topics; Part 3 moves to general, abstract ones. Mark the average of all three parts.
- Rewarding pasted-in idioms. Idioms that don’t fit are inappropriate word choices. IELTS delivers the tasks so set answers can’t be rehearsed, so judge the spontaneous language.
- Giving Pronunciation 7 without band 8 features. A candidate who fully fits 6 and shows nothing from 8 is a 6.
- Marking fluency or pronunciation from a transcript. A transcript hides pauses, stress and intonation. Use it for LR and GRA, and the audio for FC and P.
MARK IT YOURSELF
Mark a Speaking answer, then compare
The samples here are transcripts of original Part 3 answers: mark Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, then compare with our marks and reasons. A transcript can’t show Pronunciation, so that criterion is left open, with a note on what to listen for. Our marks are PrepEx reference marks for practice, not official IELTS scores.
The question
Part 3 discussion topic: Borrowing and lending
1. Do you think people borrow things from friends and neighbours less than they used to? Why?
2. Some towns now have a "library of things", where people can borrow tools or equipment instead of buying them. How well do you think this would work in your country?
Speaking Part 3 (two-way discussion). Two linked examiner questions; each candidate's spoken answers are shown as a transcript.
Candidate A
Transcript · about 178 wordsExaminer: Do you think people borrow things from friends and neighbours less than they used to? Why?
Candidate: Yes, I think people borrow less things now. Less than before. Because, um, now everything is cheap and you can buy online very fast, so people don't need to borrow. And in the past my grandmother, she always borrow from the neighbour, like sugar or eggs, and the neighbour also borrow from her, so it was normal. But now in my building I don't know the people who is living — who are living next to me. So it is strange to (pause) to knock the door and ask something. And also some people are shy, so they prefer buy.
Examiner: Some towns now have a "library of things", where people can borrow tools or equipment instead of buying them. How well do you think this would work in your country?
Candidate: Mm, maybe it can work, but not for everything. For example the, uh (pause) the machine for make a hole in the wall — drill, yes, drill. You use it one time, two time, so it is good to borrow it, and it save money. But the problem is if somebody break it, who will pay, and (pause) and so the library maybe lose money. So I think in big city maybe yes, but in small town no, because people already have tools.
| Criterion | You | PrepEx | Gap |
|---|
PrepEx reference marks
| Criterion | Band | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | 5 | A keeps talking through both answers, but leans on repeats and restarts ("Less than before", "to (pause) to knock", "and (pause) and so") and stops mid-sentence to find an everyday word like "drill". Nearly every idea is joined with "and", "so" or "because", so the linking is narrow and repetitive. The turns never break down and the message stays clear, which puts A above 4; band 6 would need hesitation to be about ideas rather than basic words, and a wider set of linkers. |
| Lexical Resource | 5 | There is enough vocabulary to give reasons on an unfamiliar topic ("everything is cheap", "some people are shy"), but it is mostly basic and "borrow", "people" and "maybe" keep coming back. A tries to paraphrase a missing word ("the machine for make a hole in the wall") and only gets there after a pause, a typical band 5 mix of success and failure. Slips such as "less things", "knock the door" and "one time, two time" show limited flexibility; band 6 needs enough range to discuss the topic at length with meaning always clear. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5 | Short, simple sentences are mostly accurate ("I don't know the people", "people already have tools"). Verb endings and tense slip again and again ("she always borrow", "it save money", "somebody break it"), and the few complex attempts either need reformulating ("who is living — who are living") or fall apart ("if somebody break it, who will pay, and (pause) and so the library maybe lose money"). Controlled basics with nearly every complex attempt faulty is a band 5 pattern; band 6 needs a real mix of complex forms whose errors rarely get in the way. |
| Pronunciation | — | Pronunciation can't be marked from a transcript, so we leave it blank. On the recording, a marker would listen for whether the frequent pauses chop the speech into short chunks, whether forms like "she always borrow" are grammar slips or dropped final sounds, and how much effort words such as "neighbour" and "drill" take to understand. |
What would raise it: Fixing basic verb forms (she borrowed, it saves, somebody breaks) would help most: those slips appear in almost every answer and cause several of the restarts that also pull fluency down.
You give real reasons and you keep going, so now work on verb endings and on linking ideas with more than "and" and "so".
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Candidate B
Transcript · about 213 wordsExaminer: Do you think people borrow things from friends and neighbours less than they used to? Why?
Candidate: Hmm, I'd say it depends who we are talking about. With neighbours, yes, much less, because people move house so often now that nobody really get to — get to know the person next door. But between family and close friends it's still quite common — me and my cousin, we share a tent, a sewing machine, um, things like that. Actually the main reason, I think, is that asking someone creates a kind of — how to say — a feeling that you owe them, and people don't like this, so they'd rather to buy a cheap version which they use it once and then it just gathers dust in a cupboard.
Examiner: Some towns now have a "library of things", where people can borrow tools or equipment instead of buying them. How well do you think this would work in your country?
Candidate: I think it could, but mainly for bigger items. Something like a carpet cleaner or a, a pressure washer — they're expensive and you need them once a year for a one-off job, so it make sense not to own one. The — what worries me is the condition. If the last person broke something and didn't tell anyone, then you are the one who has the problem. So the library would need, um (pause) someone checking everything, which cost money. Moreover, most people in my city live in flats, so having a place nearby to borrow, instead to store everything at home, that is quite attractive.
| Criterion | You | PrepEx | Gap |
|---|
PrepEx reference marks
| Criterion | Band | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | 6 | B is happy to talk at length, and both answers are extended. Coherence slips in places: after saying family members still share, B jumps to "Actually the main reason, I think, is..." without making clear what it is the reason for, and the second answer restarts ("The — what worries me is") and then uses "Moreover" to bring in a point that actually contrasts with the worry. That is band 6 rather than 7, where long turns come without visible effort and linkers fit; it is above 5 because B hesitates over ideas and phrasing, not over basic words. |
| Lexical Resource | 7 | This is B's strongest area. Less usual words and idioms appear naturally ("gathers dust", "a one-off job", "move house", "pressure washer"), and when a word is missing B paraphrases it successfully ("a feeling that you owe them"). The style suits a spoken discussion across both questions. It stays at 7 rather than 8 because of the visible searching ("how to say") and some vague wording ("the condition", "things like that"), so the resource isn't yet precise on every point. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6 | B uses a real variety of complex structures: "so often now that...", the would rather pattern, relative clauses, a gerund subject and one fully correct conditional ("If the last person broke something and didn't tell anyone, then you are the one who has the problem"). Errors in these structures are frequent, though ("nobody really get", "they'd rather to buy", "which they use it once", "it make sense", "instead to store"), even if meaning always comes through. Band 7 needs error-free sentences to be frequent; here most of the longer sentences carry a slip, which places B at 6. |
| Pronunciation | — | A transcript can't show pronunciation, so no mark is given. A marker would listen for whether rhythm and word stress hold up over B's long turns, how audible the restarts are, and whether intonation lets the listener hear where one point ends and the next begins. |
What would raise it: Signposting would help most: say which point each reason supports, and choose linkers that match the logic ("On the other hand" rather than "Moreover" before a contrasting point). That would bring fluency and coherence up towards the vocabulary.
Your vocabulary is a real strength; now make each reason clearly connect to the point it supports.
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Candidate C
Transcript · about 204 wordsExaminer: Do you think people borrow things from friends and neighbours less than they used to? Why?
Candidate: I'm not sure it's less, actually — I think it's changed its shape. When my parents were young, you'd borrow from whoever lived next door, because there simply wasn't an alternative. These days a lot of borrowing happen through neighbourhood groups online. Someone posts "Does anyone have a ladder for Saturday?" and a person three streets away, who they've never met, just drop it off. So in a way people borrow from strangers more than from friends. What's probably declined is the, hmm, the social side of it — the chat over the fence, owing each other a favour. It's become more of a transaction.
Examiner: Some towns now have a "library of things", where people can borrow tools or equipment instead of buying them. How well do you think this would work in your country?
Candidate: I'd like to think so, but I suspect it would struggle at first. Where I'm from, owning your own stuff is a bit of a status thing, so if you have to borrow a lawnmower, it can look like you can't afford one. I'd expect the idea to catch on with students and young people renting flat before anyone else. Then there's the practical side. If it's run properly, with online booking and a small deposit, people would take a responsibility for bringing things back in decent condition. Without that, I can imagine half the equipment going missing within a year.
| Criterion | You | PrepEx | Gap |
|---|
PrepEx reference marks
| Criterion | Band | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | 8 | C speaks fluently and develops both answers along a clear line: a position, a then-and-now contrast, a concrete example ("Does anyone have a ladder for Saturday?") and a short conclusion ("It's become more of a transaction"). Hesitation is mostly about what to say ("I'd like to think so, but I suspect..."), and markers such as "So in a way", "Then there's" and "Without that" are used flexibly. One pause looks like a search for wording ("the, hmm, the social side of it"), and the status point in the second answer is asserted rather than explored, which keeps this below band 9. |
| Lexical Resource | 7 | C uses idiomatic, natural items ("the chat over the fence", "a bit of a status thing", "catch on", "going missing") and pitches the register well for a discussion. There are a couple of unnatural collocations, though: "changed its shape", where changed form would sound natural, and "take a responsibility". Some wording is also general ("stuff", "things", "the practical side") where a band 8 speaker would be more exact, so the range is clearly 7 but not yet used with band 8 skill and precision. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7 | C moves between structures with ease: a cleft sentence ("What's probably declined is..."), conditionals, a relative clause and "I'd expect the idea to catch on". Plenty of sentences have no errors at all, but the same basic errors recur: agreement ("a lot of borrowing happen", "just drop it off") and articles ("renting flat", "take a responsibility"). Band 8 needs the large majority of sentences to be error-free with only one-off slips; these repeated patterns keep C at 7. |
| Pronunciation | — | Pronunciation can't be marked from a transcript. With the audio, a marker would check whether stress carries C's contrasts ("I'm not sure it's less"), whether rhythm and linking stay natural over long turns, and whether the voice sets off the quoted post; a fluent transcript doesn't guarantee a high Pronunciation band. |
What would raise it: Cleaning up the recurring small errors (verb agreement and articles) would help most, because they are now the most noticeable thing in an otherwise natural performance.
This is a strong, natural discussion; listen out for small slips like "a lot of borrowing happen" and "renting flat", because they're now what stands out.
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Scripts and transcripts are original PrepEx material written for this guide. Reference marks are PrepEx practice estimates against the public descriptors, not official IELTS scores.
How the IELTS Speaking band is worked out
The four criteria carry equal weight and the Speaking band is their average. That is all IELTS publishes. It doesn’t say how an average such as 6.25 or 6.75 becomes a reported band, so calculators that round to the nearest half band are using a plausible rule, not a published one.
| FC | LR | GRA | P | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6.5 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6.25 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6.75 |
The first two need no rounding. The last two do, and IELTS hasn’t published how they are reported. The overall IELTS band across all four skills does have a published rule, covered in our band score calculation guide, but don’t assume it applies inside Speaking.
To check your own speaking, record PrepEx’s free Speaking Part 2 task and compare your marks with our estimate for each of the four criteria. You need a free account, and the result is practice feedback, not an IELTS score.
What changed in the Speaking band descriptors in 2023 and 2025
The Speaking descriptors were reworded throughout in May 2023; the British Council still serves a file created on 4 May 2023 that matches today’s wording except at band 0. We found no IELTS announcement describing the change, and IELTS’s news item of 3 May 2023 covers Writing only. What a marker will notice:
- Band 9 allows hesitation only while the candidate plans what to say next, never to find words or grammar.
- Band 8 allows occasional hesitation to find language, as long as most of it is about content.
- Pronunciation now names chunking, rhythm and stress-timing, a rapid speech rate and individual sounds, and judges accent only by its effect on being understood.
- Two notes are printed: the fully-fit rule, and rating on average performance across all parts.
- In 2025, band 0 was extended. The current ielts.org file, created in September 2025, gives band 0 to a candidate who doesn’t attend or doesn’t complete the test; the May 2023 file covered non-attendance only. We found no announcement of this edit either.
Older summaries, including some on official partner sites, still use the pre-2023 Speaking wording, so check the date of anything you mark with.
Using the Speaking descriptors with a class
- Record, don’t just listen. Students record a Part 2 long turn on their phones, mark FC and P from the audio, then transcribe one minute and mark LR and GRA from the text.
- Play examiner in threes. One candidate, one examiner asking Part 3 questions, one marker with the sheet. Rotate after each round.
- Teach the pause question. For each pause in a recording, ask whether it was for an idea or for a word. Once students can hear the difference in their own speech, they know what to practise.
- Make the Pronunciation rule concrete. List the band 8 features on the board and ask which ones each student already shows. That is the difference between 6 and 7.
With the PrepEx teacher dashboard you can invite students one by one or in batches, assign Speaking Part 1, 2 or 3 or a full Speaking set with a due date, review each saved answer with PrepEx’s criterion feedback, track progress and send parent-facing PDF reports. Full IELTS tests and the diagnostic can’t be assigned, and teachers can’t change PrepEx’s scores. Access is arranged with PrepEx, usually starting with a short complimentary evaluation: IELTS for schools.
FOR TEACHERS
PrepEx gives every student a first mark against these criteria, and you review each saved answer in one place.
Set this task for a classIELTS Speaking marking sheet
One candidate per sheet. Take notes by part, hold the bands until the end, then give each criterion the highest band it fully fits. PrepEx paraphrase; official descriptors are on ielts.org.
FC Fluency and CoherenceBand ____
- Pauses: for ideas or for words?
- Long turns: readily / willingly / with difficulty
- Discourse markers varied and appropriate?
- Answers relevant and developed?
LR Lexical ResourceBand ____
- Less common or idiomatic items that worked:
- Wrong or vague words:
- Coped with unfamiliar Part 3 topics?
- Paraphrase when stuck?
GRA Grammatical Range and AccuracyBand ____
- Error-free spoken sentences: __ of __
- Complex structures: tried / controlled / flexible
- Basic errors that persist:
- Do errors cause misunderstanding?
P PronunciationBand ____
- Listener effort: none / little / some / a lot
- Chunking, stress and intonation help meaning?
- Words or sounds that were unclear:
- For 7 or 5: which higher-band features appear?
Before you settle the bands
- Rated on average performance across Parts 1, 2 and 3
- Every positive feature present for each band given
- Accent judged only by its effect on understanding
- Pauses sorted: planning content or searching for words
- Pronunciation 7 = all of band 6 + some band 8 features
- Pronunciation 5 = all of band 4 + some band 6 features
- Pronunciation left blank if marking from a transcript
Speaking = (FC + LR + GRA + P) ÷ 4. IELTS does not publish how an average such as 6.25 or 6.75 is rounded.
PrepEx marking sheet · prepex.ai/ielts/band-descriptors/speaking · Paraphrased from the public IELTS descriptors; the official PDFs are at ielts.org. Get an answer marked free at prepex.ai/ielts.
Questions about Speaking marking
What are the four criteria for IELTS Speaking?
Fluency and Coherence (keeping going and connecting ideas), Lexical Resource (vocabulary and paraphrase), Grammatical Range and Accuracy (structures and errors) and Pronunciation (how easily you are understood, and your use of stress, rhythm and intonation). They count equally. Teachers often shorten them to FC, LR, GRA and P, but IELTS doesn’t use FC or P.
How is the IELTS Speaking score calculated?
The examiner gives a band for each criterion, based on your average performance across all three parts, and the Speaking band averages the four: 7, 7, 8 and 8 give 7.5. IELTS doesn’t publish how an average such as 6.25 or 6.75 is rounded, so calculators that assume a rule are estimating.
Does accent affect the IELTS Speaking score?
Only through intelligibility. The current descriptors say accent makes no difference to how well a band 9 speaker is understood, and has minimal effect at band 8. Pronunciation measures whether you can be understood without effort and how well you use stress, rhythm, intonation, chunking and individual sounds. A clear speaker with a strong accent isn’t marked down for the accent itself.
Is it necessary to speak for 2 minutes in IELTS?
In Part 2 you are asked to keep talking for two minutes, and the examiner stops you when the time is up. No descriptor counts seconds, but stopping early gives the examiner less evidence. Band 6 Fluency and Coherence describes being willing to speak at length and band 7 describes long turns that come readily, so a talk that dries up after a minute makes those bands harder to award.
How to get 7.5 in Speaking IELTS?
Two criteria at 7 and two at 8 average exactly 7.5, with no rounding involved. So two criteria have to fit band 8 fully. For Fluency and Coherence that means hesitation mostly for content and very little self-correction; for Lexical Resource, precise vocabulary on every topic and less common items used with skill. Part 3’s abstract questions are where both have to show.
Can you use memorised answers in IELTS Speaking?
IELTS delivers the tasks so that candidates can’t rehearse set responses, and the descriptors refer to memorised utterances at the low bands of Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Memorised idioms dropped in where they don’t fit count as inappropriate word choice. What earns marks is flexible, spontaneous language across all three parts.
Is there an examiner version of the IELTS Speaking band descriptors?
IELTS links its published Speaking descriptors as the way examiners assess the section. IELTS says its examiners are trained, standardised and monitored, and that material isn’t published. We found no IELTS statement about a separate, fuller Speaking scale, and documents sold online as an examiner version have no verified source. Mark with the current ielts.org PDF.
What is the difference between band 6 and band 7 in IELTS Speaking?
At 6 the candidate is willing to give long answers but loses coherence at times; at 7 long answers come readily and hesitation doesn’t hurt coherence. Vocabulary at 7 is flexible across topics, with some less common items and effective paraphrase. Grammar at 7 has frequent error-free sentences. Pronunciation 7 is everything at 6 plus some band 8 features, such as sustained rhythm.
Use the criteria on a real answer
PREPARING FOR IELTS
Write or record an answer on PrepEx and see feedback on the same four criteria, with the words from your answer quoted back to you.
Record a Speaking answer and get it marked freeTEACHING IELTS
Assign Writing and Speaking tasks, review every student’s saved answer with its criterion feedback and track progress across a class.
See the IELTS teacher dashboardSources and last check
PrepEx checked these official pages on . The descriptors on this page are PrepEx’s paraphrase; read the official PDFs for the exact wording. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. PrepEx is independent and not affiliated with them.