Are you marked down in IELTS Speaking part 2 for speaking less than 2 minutes? In speaking part 2, you will be given a topic, 1 min to prepare and then you will need to speak for between 1-2 mins. The examiner will not move on to part 3 until 1 minute has passed of your talk and the examiner will stop you at exactly 2 minutes to prevent you speaking further. So, this means you have between 1 and 2 minutes available to you for your talk.

Do you need to speak for 2 mins in IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Speaking part 2 is the only part of the test where you can show the examiner that you can speak at length. Speaking at length is important for people aiming for band score 7 and above. So, part 2 is a great chance to show this skill and impress the examiner with fluency. Speaking at length is actually part of the Fluency marking criterion. Aiming for 2 minutes should be your aim.

However, your talk should also avoid hesitations and pauses. Both of these things can impact your score.

Length of Talk for IELTS Speaking Part 2: Useful Tips

Here are some more points to consider:

1. It is better to give a strong, fluent talk for 1.5 minutes than a weak, hesitant talk for 2 mins.
   • If you can speak for 1.5 mins without hesitations and pauses, this will be better than speaking for 2 mins with lots of hesitations and pauses.
2. You can still get a high score if you only speak for 1.5 minutes but only if the quality of your talk is very good. This means natural, fluent speaking with great use of language.
3. The marking criterion of Fluency accounts for 25% of your marks and is taken from your overall performance in all parts not only in part 2.
   • This means if your talk doesn’t go well, you can still showcase your fluency in part 3.
4. If you wish to lengthen your talk,  then add more information. The prompts (the points on the topic card) are only guidelines – you can and should expand on each one.
5. Aiming for 2 minutes is ideal.
6. You must practice before your test what 2 minutes feels like so that you know how much to add. But don’t worry the examiner will stop you at 2 mins.
   • The examiner controls the time in the speaking test. Don’t worry about timing. The examiner will interrupt you when it’s time for the next part or the next question.
7. Speaking for 1 minute is not ideal because it doesn’t show the examiner your fluency skills.
8. Don’t expect the examiner to be smiling and positive. Sometimes the examiners are tired so be ready for different body language and don’t let it affect your performance in your test.

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Below are a few topics which many students find difficult. Plan your ideas and answer so that you are ready for a difficult topics in your test. Remember that whatever you choose to talk about, you must be able to talk for up to 2 minutes on that topic. So, be wise and choose something you can talk about easily.

IELTS Speaking Difficult Cue Card with Coping Techniques

Click “Tips” to reveal tips for the topic.

A Good Law

Describe a law which you think is good.

You should say:

• what kind of law it is
• when you first heard of the law
• how the law is upheld
• and explain why you think it is a good law

A Wrong Decision

Describe a decision which you have made that you feel was wrong.

You should say:

• what the decision was
• why you made that decision
• why you think it was the wrong decision to make
• and explain how you would alter that decision if you could

A Journey that Didn’t Go As Planned

Describe a journey you have taken that didn’t go as you had planned.

You should say:

• where you were going
• who you were traveling with
• how you were travelling
• what went wrong
• and explain what you would have done differently.

A Museum You Like

Describe a museum you like.

You should say:

• what kind of museum it is
• what kind of people go there
• when you first went
• and example why you like it.

A Family Business

Describe a family business you know.

You should say:

• what kind of business it is
• how you first heard of this business
• how often you go there
• and why you think it is a good business

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What do you do if you get a difficult IELTS Cue Card

You should speak as closely as you can to the main topic. IELTS Speaking is not about testing your knowledge or ideas. In fact, ideas are NOT marked. So your knowledge of law or museums is not being assessed. Topics are just a chance to talk. So, stick closely to the main topic and then branch into your own feelings, thoughts, experiences, future hopes, other people’s views etc. Expand your talk beyond the bullet points.

Make sure you prepare ideas for as many topics for speaking part 2. This is not an academic talk or a formal talk so if you make your talk personal and friendly, you will do better. The more topics you prepare for, the better you will do.

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