Everyone dreams of achieving a high band score on the IELTS, for a better future. It is true that getting a ‘high band score’ like 7 or more is extremely difficult and it will not be an exaggeration to say that it is no one’s job. It takes a lot of sincere and dedicated effort and proper guidance, a sharp memory, and “Something Extra” for this to happen. Around the world 9 thousand institutions / organizations, also the governments of some of the main English-speaking countries accept the ‘Band Score of the IELTS’. According to records, approximately 2.5 million candidates from 135 countries around the world show up for the test each year. Unfortunately, a large number of candidates fail to achieve a ‘high band score’ of 7 or higher. So we have to talk about “Something extra”, that is, strategies.

When it comes to the ‘Speaking Test’, it is a bit difficult for candidates to sit for the test from a ‘Non-English speaking country’ with no background of high school education in English. If you are one of the group members and you do not have a good command of English, you first study English with an experienced and fluent English teacher for a few months to improve.

The IELTS English ‘Speaking Test’ is the definitive test of fluency in spoken English. What you need is not only great fluency in spoken English with perfect pronunciation, but also a high level of vocabulary and precision in grammatical application. Assuming you are well prepared for the test, let’s discuss the ‘Extra’ or strategy you should take to maximize your score. But remember: if you are not properly prepared, there are no strategies that will get you a high score. Preparation is the key, the right strategies could make the difference towards improvement. Now we are shifting our focus to strategies: –

• Dress well to look elegant and refined. The first impression matters in real life. An examiner or anyone meeting an unfamiliar person for the first time quickly becomes aware of an impression on the person.
• No panic, stay comfortable. A nervous candidate is prone to making silly mistakes. If you are a nervous person, work well before your exam date on “How to Avoid Being Nervous During an Interview.” If you study in a coaching center or with a teacher, open up, discuss your problem, surely you will get help to solve it, do not just live with the problem.
• Don’t try to keep your mouth shut, talk to the examiner, wish them saying: Good morning Sir / Madam or Good afternoon Sir / Madam, as appropriate and smile a little when they wish, the examiner would feel fine.
• The examiner will ask you some introductory questions such as: What is your name? Where you come from? Don’t give a one-word answer. Rather, follow the examples given below: –

Examine: What is your name.
Answer: I am Ritu Kaur, I come from Punjab in India.

Examine: How many brothers and sisters do you have? Don’t just say one or two. (As appropriate)

Answer: We are two. Me and my younger brother Jaspreet, he is 9 years old. (Stop here, don’t keep talking). Don’t just say “Two”. Be careful: if you are not asked to respond with a word, never respond with a word or shake your head without responding with words. You may think why you should answer like this. Well … Your answer will make the examiner think that you are a sociable person and not a nervous and scared candidate, right?

• The examiner may ask you: Examine: Do you know how long this test lasts and how many sections it has? You must answer in full with a brief detail. (As you prepare for the test, gather all the information about each test, including the grading procedures.)
• When they ask you a question. The answers must be precise and concrete. (With brief details if necessary). It should be like- Examine: How is communication in your locality? And you reply, good (or bad), not wise, please give brief details like- Answer: You are very poor lady, the roads are full of potholes and the number of buses is very small, there are no other vehicles available as well.
• Don’t talk unnecessarily, wait for them to ask you a question.
• If asked, Examine: Which season do you like more?

Suppose that what you like the most is the winter season, do not answer in a word, and also do not start an essay. Just give a reason or two.

Answer: I like winter better, ma’am. Actually, I feel very comfortable in winter, no sweating like in summer, no waterlogged streets during monsoon, it’s fine from all angles. {A good answer, you have justified your choice. You must have created an impression on the examiner’s mind, like: This boy / girl is smart enough and can speak English fluently.

In section 2, the examiner wants it to be a little more descriptive.

Examine: Which ‘Sports’ or ‘Games’ do you like the most and why?

Answer: I like cricket better, especially One Day Cricket. I like it mainly because it is full of emotion and it is very unpredictable, nobody knows what is going to happen in the next ball, it is really a pleasure to watch. (Complete answer)

• One misconception is that your answer should cover everything on the card. Is not correct. If you come across a totally unfamiliar topic, skip it, don’t waste time trying to answer whatever comes to your mind, and lose points.
• If you just follow the suggested sentences on the card and respond accordingly, that’s fine.
• If you come across an unfamiliar subject in the test, don’t panic. Discuss other topics that you know.
• When you get the cue card, use the 1 minute time given to write down some ideas.
• Don’t try to be a perfectionist, to be a perfectionist you may lose marks. Note that even native speakers make mistakes. A candidate who gets Band 9 also makes some, quite a few mistakes here and there, so don’t count the mistakes during the test, do your best to show your best performance.
• If you have the options of ‘What to talk about’, talk about the topic that you feel comfortable talking about.
• Do not avoid eye contact with the examiner, this would annoy the examiner and create a bad impression on you.
• Candidates are often seen to memorize many topics waiting for a familiar topic to come up on the test. Just don’t do this. If a candidate waits for a familiar topic to come into the test and it doesn’t happen, they would feel broken, shattered. It is one of the strategies, that ‘Hope for the best, but expect the worst’. So be prepared to face unfamiliar topics.
• Speak fluently with perfect pronunciation, don’t talk too much first.
• You will not have to speak loudly, but make yourself audible, do not speak at a volume too low to irritate the examiner.
• If they ask you an unfamiliar question, don’t be silent. Say to the examiner: Sorry ma’am, I can’t answer this.
• When candidates are asked to give an opinion, they are often found to answer in favor of the issue, hoping that the examiner will be pleased. Do not do this. Answer honestly and justify your answer if asked.
• Give your opinion clearly, but don’t argue with the examiner (even he / she is wrong).
• The best and most applicable strategy for any candidate is: Concentrate and listen to what the examiner asks you, if you do not understand, politely ask him to repeat the question. Don’t start answering without properly understanding the question. Don’t start answering, assuming you know the question, because there could be a twist to the question. If you don’t listen properly and completely to what the examiner is asking and begin to respond quickly, you could run into trouble.

You can cite dozens of these “do’s and don’ts” strategies, but ultimately you have to perform on the test and that’s what matters most. So read up on the strategies, you may like some strategies and dislike others. Keep in mind that your preparation and performance are the keys to success. Don’t memorize or stack anything in hopes of getting it on the test. Don’t follow everyone’s advice. Never let your focus drift to strategizing, stay focused with full concentration on your test to perform at your best, without losing focus even for a while.