How IELTS Speaking Score is Calculated: IELTS
Speaking Score
Updated on 01 February, 2023
Mrinal Mandal
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How IELTS Speaking Score Is Calculated: IELTS Speaking Score
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IELTS Exam
IELTS Preparation
IELTS Syllabus
IELTS E-Books
IELTS Registration
IELTS Eligibility
IELTS Exam Fee
IELTS Exam Dates
Documents Required
IELTS Test Centers
Test Format
Band Descriptors
IELTS Speaking Test
General Reading Test
General Writing Task
Online Coaching
Types of Essays
IELTS for Australia
IELTS Results
IELTS Cue Card
Generation Gap Essay
The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS speaking test
evaluates the ability of applicants to communicate in English. IELTS is very
important for students planning to study abroad. The IELTS speaking
scores are awarded based on the English speaking skills of a candidate. During
the test, a face-to-face formal discussion or interaction is held between the
candidate and the IELTS examiner. The speaking band score ranges from zero
to nine and a good band score is important to fulfill the eligibility cr iteria set by
organizations, countries, and education institutions. Applicants need to
understand the format of the IELTS speaking section and the marking system to
perform better. The band score depends on various factors, and to get a good
score, it is important to understand them appropriately.
Table of Contents
How is the IELTS Speaking Band Score
Calculated
The IELTS speaking band score ranges from a scale of zero to nine. Scoring a
band 8 means that an aspirant has an excellent command of English. The
performance in the speaking section is awarded a score based on four criteria fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical range and accuracy, and
pronunciation. The speaking band score is awarded based on these four criteria
and each of the criteria is weighted equally.
The attained band score is awarded after considering the performance in all four
criteria. If a candidate receives a band score of 6.1, it is rounded off to 6 bands.
There is no negative marking for the speaking section of IELT S. The IELTS
speaking examiners are trained and certified, so they carefully evaluate the
candidates on the four eligibility criteria and award the right band. Listed below
are the IELTS speaking scoring criteria on the basis of which aspirants are
marked:
Fluency and Coherence (FC)
1. The ability to speak very fluently, without repeating, taking pauses, and having
the know-how to self-correct
2. Know the usage of the right words, vocabulary, and grammar
3. Speak coherently with appropriate, strong, cohesive features
4. Have a clear knowledge of the topic that is being asked to speak on
Lexical Resource (LR)
1. Make correct use of collocation
2. Use a varied range of words
3. Avoid making mistakes
4. Know how to paraphrase words
5. Use less common vocabulary
Grammar Range and Accuracy (GR)
1. Sentences should be well structured
2. Word flow and sentence construction should be accurate
3. Tenses should be used in the right manner
4. Answers should be grammatically correct
Pronunciation (P)
1. Use annotation
2. Correct pronunciation of a word
3. Ability to be understood throughout the test
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How to Improve IELTS Score from 6.5 to 7
IELTS Speaking Tips
IELTS Speaking Band Score Chart
The IELTS Speaking band is calculated based on four different levels - Fluency
and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Pronunciation, and Grammatical range and
accuracy. The arithmetic mean of all these four criteria makes the band score for
the speaking section of IELTS. For instance, if an aspirant score 6,7,7, and 8 in
each of the sections, 6+7+7+8 = 28, when divided by 4 is 7. Listed below is an
IELTS speaking band score chart that will help students to understand the band
scores.
Fluency and Coherence
6
Pronunciation
7
Lexical Resource
7
Grammatical range and accuracy
8
Total IELTS Speaking Score
7
More Resources to Read for IELTS:
IELTS Speaking Topics
IELTS Writing Task 2
Opinion Essay IELTS
Important Vocabulary for IELTS
IELTS Band Score
Validity of IELTS Score
IELTS Reading Section
IELTS Essay Writing Samples
Essay on Historical Places
IELTS Test Report form
Benefits of IELTS Coaching
How to Cancel IELTS Exam
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IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors
The IELTS Speaking band score assesses a candidate’s ability to communicate
effectively in a face-to-face conversation and their ability to understand a variety
of accents. The table below presents an IELTS Speaking band descriptors:
Band
9
Fluency and
Coherence



8


Lexical resource
Speaks fluently
and rarely selfcorrects
Can speak
coherently
appropriately
Face only
content-related
hesitation than
to find the
correct word or
grammar

Occasionally
self-corrects
while speaking
Hesitation to
search the


Grammatical range and
accuracy
Full flexible and precise
use of topics
Can place idioms
naturally

Has a wide vocabulary
resource to convey a
meaning flexibly

Pronunc
Can produce a
full range of
sentence
structure
appropriately
with an exception
of ‘slip’
characteristic of a
native speaker

Has the ability to
produce a
majority of errorfree sentences


Is ef
unde
Can
a ful
pron
featu
Can
a wid
pron
featu
occa

7



6


5



correct
language is
mostly contentrelated
Can develop
topics
coherently

Can speak at a
go without loss
of coherence
Flexibly uses a
range of
connectives and
discourse
markers
Demonstrates
rare languagerelated
hesitation

Speaks at any
length willingly
but might lose
coherence at
times
Uses a range of
connectives and
discourse
markers but
makes
occasional
mistakes

Usually
maintains flow
of speech but
uses slow
speech or
repeats words
to keep going
May over-use
certain
connectives and
discourse
markers
Can produce
simple speech
fluently, but
causes fluency
problems in







Can use phrases
effectively as per
requirements
Can skillfully use
idiomatic and less
common vocabulary

Might make
some occasional
inappropriacies
or basic/nonsystematic errors

Easy
unde
throu
mini
intel
Can discuss a variety of
topics with the use of
vocabulary resource
Paraphrase effectively
Has an awareness of
style and collocation,
with some inappropriate
choices

Can use a range
of complex
structures
Produce errorfree sentences
frequently with
rare grammatical
mistakes

Poss
posit
of B
all p
featu
Generally paraphrases
successfully
Can discuss topics at
length with a wide
enough range of
vocabulary
despite inappropriacies

Has limited
flexibility in the
use of a mix of
simple and
complex
structures
Makes frequent
mistakes with
complex
structures

Has
over
pron
featu
Is ge
unde
throu
thou
misp
of in
word
Manages to talk about
familiar and unfamiliar
topics
Has limited flexibility
in the use of vocabulary
Can attempt to use
paraphrase but with
mixed success

Has reasonable
accuracy in the
formation of
basic sentence
forms
Uses a limited
range of more
complex
structures
Sentences
usually contain
errors and may
cause some
comprehension
problems






Show
posit
of B
all th
featu
6
case of more
complex
communication
4



3



2


Faces problems
in responding
and takes
noticeable
pauses
Speaks slowly,
with frequent
repetition and
self-correction
Links basic
sentences with
repetitive
simple
connectives and
some
breakdowns in
coherence

Takes long
pauses while
speaking
Hardly able to
link simple
sentences
Frequently
gives only
simple
responses and
is frequently
unable to
convey basic
message

Pauses
lengthily before
most words
Little
communication
possible




Can only convey basic
meaning while talking
about unfamiliar topics
Makes frequent errors
in word choice
Rarely attempts
paraphrase

Use of simple
vocabulary to convey
personal information
Insufficient vocabulary
for less familiar topics




Only produces isolated
or memorized words

Has the ability to
come up with
basic sentence
forms and some
correct simple
sentences
Frequent errors
lead to
misunderstanding

Relies on
memorized
utterances
Attempts
numerous errors
but attains
limited success
Demonstrates
numerous errors
except in
memorized
expressions

Has
of B
all th
featu
4
Fails to produce
basic sentence
forms

Spee
unin

Uses
rang
pron
featu
are f
Misp
are f
often
diffi
listen
Speaking Score Calculation
A test taker receives a score from zero to nine points based on the above mentioned four criteria. Following it, an arithmetic mean is calculated to
determine the section’s total score.
For example, if a candidate’s marks are:
Fluency and Coherence: 7.5,
Pronunciation: 7.0,
Lexical Resource: 7.0,
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – 7.5.
Then the total score for IELTS Speaking is 7.5+7.0+7.0+7.5= 29/4 =7.25, which
will be rounded to 7.5. Thus, the IELTS speaking score will be 7.5.
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Tips, Test procedure, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important
Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS
Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.
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Band
9
Fluency and
Coherence



8



7


Lexical resource
Speaks
fluently and
rarely selfcorrects
Can speak
coherently
appropriatel
y
Face only
contentrelated
hesitation
than to find
the correct
word or
grammar

Occasionall
y selfcorrects
while
speaking
Hesitation
to search
the correct
language is
mostly
contentrelated
Can
develop
topics
coherently

Can speak
at a go
without loss
of
coherence
Flexibly
uses a
range of




Grammatical range
and accuracy
Full
flexible
and
precise
use of
topics
Can place
idioms
naturally

Has a
wide
vocabular
y
resource
to convey
a
meaning
flexibly
Can use
phrases
effectively
as per
requireme
nts
Can
skillfully
use
idiomatic
and less
common
vocabular
y

Can
discuss a
variety of
topics
with the
use of
vocabular



Pronunciation
Can produce
a full range of
sentence
structure
appropriately
with an
exception of
‘slip’
characteristic
of a native
speaker

Has the ability
to produce a
majority of
error-free
sentences
Might make
some
occasional
inappropriacie
s or
basic/nonsystematic
errors

Can use a
range of
complex
structures
Produce errorfree
sentences
frequently



Is
effortless
to
understa
nd
Can
precisely
use a full
range of
pronunci
ation
features
Can
precisely
use a
wide
range of
pronunci
ation
features,
with only
occasion
al lapses
Easy to
understa
nd
througho
ut with
minimal
effect on
intelligibil
ity
Possesse
s all the
positive
features
of Band 6
but not
all
positive

6


5


connectives
and
discourse
markers
Demonstrat
es rare
languagerelated
hesitation


Speaks at
any length
willingly but
might lose
coherence
at times
Uses a
range of
connectives
and
discourse
markers but
makes
occasional
mistakes

Usually
maintains
flow of
speech but
uses slow
speech or
repeats
words to
keep going
May overuse certain
connectives
and



y
resource
Paraphras
e
effectively
Has an
awarenes
s of style
and
collocatio
n, with
some
inappropri
ate
choices
with rare
grammatical
mistakes
Generally
paraphras
es
successfu
lly
Can
discuss
topics at
length
with a
wide
enough
range of
vocabular
y
despite in
appropria
cies

Manages
to talk
about
familiar
and
unfamiliar
topics
Has
limited
flexibility
in the use
of




features
of Band 8
Has limited
flexibility in
the use of a
mix of simple
and complex
structures
Makes
frequent
mistakes with
complex
structures

Has
reasonable
accuracy in
the formation
of basic
sentence
forms
Uses a limited
range of more
complex
structures
Sentences
usually


Has
mixed
control
over a
range of
pronunci
ation
features
Is
generally
understo
od
througho
ut,
though
there is a
mispronu
nication
of
individual
words or
sounds
Shows all
the
positive
features
of Band 4
but not
all the
positive
features
of Band
6

4



3



discourse
markers
Can
produce
simple
speech
fluently, but
causes
fluency
problems in
case of
more
complex
communicat
ion

Faces
problems in
responding
and takes
noticeable
pauses
Speaks
slowly, with
frequent
repetition
and selfcorrection
Links basic
sentences
with
repetitive
simple
connectives
and some
breakdowns
in
coherence

Takes long
pauses
while
speaking
Hardly able
to link
simple
sentences
Frequently
gives only
simple
responses
and is




vocabular
y
Can
attempt to
use
paraphras
e but with
mixed
success
contain errors
and may
cause some
comprehensio
n problems
Can only
convey
basic
meaning
while
talking
about
unfamiliar
topics
Makes
frequent
errors in
word
choice
Rarely
attempts
paraphras
e

Use
of simple
vocabular
y to
convey
personal
informatio
n
Insufficien
t
vocabular
y for less




Has the ability
to come up
with basic
sentence
forms and
some correct
simple
sentences
Frequent
errors lead to
misunderstan
ding

Relies on
memorized
utterances
Attempts
numerous
errors but
attains limited
success
Demonstrates
numerous
errors except
in memorized
expressions


Uses a
limited
range of
pronunci
ation
features
but
lapses
are
frequent
Mispronu
nciations
are
frequent
and often
cause
some
difficulty
for the
listener
Has
some
features
of Band
2, but not
all the
positive
features
of Band
4
frequently
unable to
convey
basic
message
2


Pauses
lengthily
before most
words
Little
communicat
ion possible
familiar
topics

Only
produces
isolated
or
memorize
d words

Fails to
produce basic
sentence
forms

Speech
is often
unintelligi