Why the IELTS Speaking Examiner Stops your Answer

Learn why the IELTS speaking examiner might interrupt your answer in the IELTS Speaking Test. A lot of IELTS candidates are shocked that the examiner stops them in the middle of their answer to ask a new question. They are not prepared for interruptions and when it happens, they lose focus, get stressed and their performance suffers. Don’t let this happen to you. Be prepared and understand why the examiner is interrupting your answer.

Why the IELTS speaking examiner interrupts your answer

There are three main reasons why the IELTS speaking examiner might interrupt you and not let you finish your answer.

  1. The main reason is that time is limited. If your answer is slow, lengthy or not giving enough good English, the examiner might choose to stop you and start with a fresh question. It’s one way that the examiner can help guide you and keep you on track.
  2. Another reason is that you already gave the examiner the aspect of language they wanted to hear. When this happens, the examiner doesn’t need to hear the rest of your answer and can interrupt you to move on. Let me give you an example:
    1. Question: What changes would you make to your home if you could?
    2. Answer: If I could, I’d expand the living room so that we have more space and maybe build a patio. But I’d also like to ….
      1. Comments: Why would the examiner stop the answer after only one sentence? Well, this question was testing if the candidate could speak in the hypothetical tense (second conditional). The candidate already showed that this tense was easy for them, so the examiner can stop them and move on to a new question. Remember, some questions are testing specific language functions and once you’ve shown that ability in your answer, the examiner could stop you so that they can test other aspects of your language.
  3. The examiner will also interrupt you if time is up in any part of the test. This is actually obligatory.

It is important that you understand this fully:

  • The IELTS speaking examiner is not being rude or lacking concentration by interrupting you. In fact, when they change questions, they usually have a valid reason for doing so, which is neither bad or good as far as you are concerned.
  • The examiner is not trying to undermine your confidence. You actually should be prepared for interruptions to your answers if you have prepared fully for the test. This aspect of the IELTS speaking test should not be a surprise to you.
  • Being off topic does not affect your score in IELTS speaking. So, when the examiner interrupts you to redirect the question, it won’t affect your score. It is the examiner helping you.
  • The examiner isn’t interrupting you because you gave the wrong answer. There are no right or wrong answers – only opportunities to showcase your English. Interrupting your answer gives you a chance to tackle a new question.
  • The examiner does not rapidly ask questions to test your ability to handle stress – this is not how the IELTS speaking test works. The examiner only has a certain amount of time to test your English thoroughly so that they can give you a fair and valid score. Often you might show a wider range of English when you are given more different questions and topics.
  • Each examiner is different. Some examiners do tend to interrupt more than others so always be prepared. Whether they interrupt a lot or not at all doesn’t mean one examiner is better than another.

Always remember that the examiner is only testing 4 things: fluency, vocab, grammar and pronunciation. Nothing else is marked. 

Will interruption to your answer lower your score?

No. 100% not. This is a choice made by the examiner to cover all language functions and direct the test in the way the examiner wants.

How Can you Prepare and Cope for Interruptions

  1. You should know that the IELTS speaking examiner might interrupt you before you enter the test room. This is knowledge about the test that you ought to learn during your exam preparation.
  2. When it happens, don’t be upset or confused. 
  3. Being interrupted isn’t bad or good. It’s just part of the testing system and will help the examiner assess many parts of your language.
  4. Don’t think you made a mistake. The examiner might be moving on because your answer was actually excellent already. For whatever reason, it is simply a way for the examiner to manage the test and you don’t need to be concerned about it.
  5. Keep talking until you are interrupted. Let the examiner manage the test their way.
  6. As soon as you are interrupted, focus on the new question.
  7. Regardless of interruptions, be confident and try to enjoy the test. It is an informal speaking test.
  8. Remember, interruptions are normal.

Free IELTS Speaking Tips & Model Answers

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Comments

  1. Abhisek Banerjee says

    Hi Ma’aam , Apologies i posted the question again as the reply somehow got trunacted
    My part 2 speaking question was like: tell about a place you visited where air qaulity was very bad
    point 1 where was it
    point 2 when you visited
    point 3 why was air quality bad
    and how you felt about it
    i was interrupted by the examiner before i could answer how i felt about it , how will this affect the scoring

    • There are no questions in part 2 speaking. None at all. There is a main topic and suggestions about what to include in the talk. That’s all there is. Your task is to showcase your English, not to complete a list of suggestions. Task Response and task completion are not part of the IELTS speaking marking. So, it’s all fine. The only issue with missing the final prompt is that it usually is the prompt which produces the best English. The first few prompts are very basic and often produce basic English. So, your score will really depend on the variety, depth and accuracy of the English you actually produced. Good luck with your results!

  2. Abhisek Banerjee says

    Hi Ma’am ,
    I had my speaking test today, i over spoke on the bullet points and the examiner interrupted me before the last question , after the bullet points,on part 2 card ( which i believe is the main question?) , how much will this affect the scores, if you can kindly advise?

    • I’m not completely sure what you mean. What do you mean that the examiner interrupted you before the last question. There are no questions during your talk. Certainly, after the 2 mins is finished, you’ll get a couple of rounding off questions before part 3, but that doesn’t happen during the 2 mins talk.

  3. Abhay. says

    Hey liz,
    First of all Thank you for the wonderful information.
    But I’ve question I’ve taken ielts test today and during answering I called examiner ‘mam’ 2-3 times will it affect my scores? Although the exam was smooth and I was fluent throughout.

    • If your examiner was a man, it would only show one tiny vocabulary mistake. If your examiner was a woman, it won’t affect your score. However, it is not usual to call an examiner “Mam” as we don’t use that in UK English unless we were talking to the Queen (who recently died).

      • Preethi says

        hello mam,
        I dint know where to post my query
        Actually i did my ielts speaking today,and my cue card topic was about the daily routine i do that i enjoy.
        I started speaking about my past routine and then about my present daily routine.but i dint mention about any special thing i enjoy.but i was fluent when speaking and dint pause anywhere.
        And examiner stopped me before concluding and he asked me additional question.
        Will that affect my score mam,??

        • It won’t affect your score at all because task achievement and task response are not marked in IELTS speaking. Only the language you used will be marked.

  4. I had speaking session today. Examiner stopped me in th cue card(I almost concluded my response and I was trying to extend the response), however asked question for part 2. Then we moved on to third part, follow up questions. What does this really mean?

  5. Aman gill says

    Hii mam today was my speaking in cue card part stopped before time limit so will affect my scores?

    • It has no impact at all. You are only marked on the language you speak.

      • Hi Liz,
        Just want to ask if it is right for the examiner to stop me while I was still speaking in one of my part 3 questions? I know they stop you for part 2 but they did it in part 3. I was not speaking that long yet that is why I am confused. Will that affect my score?

        • I think you’ve got confused. In part 2, they can’t interrupt your talk or stop you until your 2 mins is up which is because you are only allowed 2 mins and not more. But in part 1 and part 3, they can stop you in the middle of an answer at any time to ask another question. This is explained on the page above – please read it carefully and you’ll understand.

  6. Jaswinder Singh says

    Hii mam ,i have cue card topic on lakes and river but i speak on dam is there any issue? In my band scores

    • No problem with your choice of topic. It is close enough to the main topic for it to be fine.

  7. Hi maam.
    I had a speaker test yesterday and I was too nervous I dumbfounded at the beginning. In part 1 I had some grammar errors that I noticed and corrected myself. But from par 2 I got less stressed and the rest went better.
    I would like to know does 3,4 cases of self correction affect my score considerably?
    The examiner asked me dozens of questions, I ended up getting exhausted.

    • Self-correction is usually something to avoid because it does affect your fluency. However, it sounds like you only did this at the start of the test because you were nervous. The IELTS test isn’t marked in sections, it is marked overall. This is so your actual level can be assessed without any particular question bringing your score down. So, nerves are normal and won’t affect your score. Always be prepared for lots of questions in the test.

  8. Pratham Sachdeva says

    Hey Liz
    I have my speaking test tomorrow, and I’m really frightened that I won’t be able to complete the given time for cue card. Can you give some last moment tips on preparing and reciting out the cue card and especially stretching it if I’ve not completed the required time.
    Please answer it soon as I have my exam tomorrow.
    Thank you

    • Your task isn’t to complete it. There is no task completion or task response in the speaking test. Your aim is to chat in a friendly open manner. The cue card does not contain questions, it contains prompts which are guidelines. Use them to structure your talk. But always add more: descriptions of people, places, emotions etc / comparisons / your past memories / your future hopes / recommendations for others / your opinions, other people’s opinions. You can add anything and everything. Each time you add one of these examples I’ve given, it helps to showcase your language skills in terms of vocabulary, grammar or fluency. Good luck!

  9. Pratham Sachdeva says

    Hey Liz,
    I want to ask that in part 2, if the examiner has stopped me and I’m on the verge to complete my sentence, should I complete it or leave it in the midst ?
    Please reply soon, as I have my test tomorrow morning.
    Thank you

    • The speaking test is marked on the language you speak – your level of English. Finishing an answer or completing a task has no connection to the IELTS speaking test. Task achievement or task completion or task response is only related to the writing test. Furthermore, it is the examiner who controls the speaking test, not you. The examiner controls the time in every part of the test. The examiner decides when to move to the next question. In part 1 and 3, this might mean the examiner could interrupt you. However, in part 2, you have 2 mins to talk. If you are talking, the examiner cannot stop you until 2 mins is up. At that point, you stop. You cannot choose to have a few seconds more than other candidates. Allow the examiner to guide you through the test. Always speak as much as you can – show willingness to chat and explain your answers but don’t be concerned about being interrupted. Good luck tomorrow!

  10. Sam Riz says

    I was in the middle of telling a story related to Part-2, though the story was funny, examiner laughed out loud and cut-off in the middle and switched to next section, i.e. Section-3.
    What does it implicate? Since I believe I was fluent enough but might have committed grammar mistakes.

    • The examiner can only interrupt you in part 2 if you have reached 2 mins. This is a fixed rule. Sounds like you had reached that point. The speaking test is informal, if you are being funny, the examiner will laugh – it’s only natural. It certainly isn’t something to worry about at all. Good luck with your results.

  11. Simran lamichhane says

    Hey mam … thank you for your advise . My speaking test on 5 august and i m wonder i will not able to achieve the task or answer all clue questions that is mention on clue card. What happens if we are able the whole thing that have asked to talk about within 2 minutes . For example: to describe a difficult decision that i have taken in my life.
    The questions like what it was , when you had to make it , how if affected your life and explain why this was a difficult choice to make .
    And within 2 minutes i only answer two or three questions
    So will it affect band score?

    • It sounds like you are not completely sure about the marking criteria for the speaking test. There is no such thing as task achievement in the speaking test. That is for the writing test only. For the speaking test, you are marked on fluency, grammar, vocab and pronunciation only. Nothing else affects your score. Also there are NO questions on the cue card at all. There are prompts which you can use or not use as you wish. I suggest you learn more about the speaking test. Go to this page and click on every single link: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking-free-lessons-essential-tips/. And review this page as well: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/. Please use my website for learning on your own. Nearly all questions relating to the test have already been answered by me on one of the 300 website pages.

  12. Harish D Gounder says

    I had given my speaking exam today
    But in part 3 examiner was totally trying to ask stop and ask me sub question again again and i question she asked was what kind of remberence do people keep with them of someone i just gave answer the peoples who are wealthier they would keep house or properties and people who are not wealthier they would keep a product like gold or small dollar or chain in remembrance of someone but she stopped me and ask do you think people often keep handwritten letter and photographs with them !!

    Is this totally fine ?? Or It would affect my score

    • It doesn’t affect your score at all. Each examiner is slightly different with how often they interrupt answers, particularly in part 3.

  13. Hi Liz. Just finished my speaking exam a while ago. I’m so concerned about why the examiner keeps on cutting my answers and asking me for more specific answers in part 3. She also mentioned about that I should be talking in general rather than specific experiences in part 3, but I think I did mention some personal experiences instead, will this affect my score?

    • Part 3 is about the world in general, not you personally. This is because part 1 and part 2 focuses on you and your personal life. Part 3 is a chance to show the examiner you can speak about abstract concepts and about the world at large, and to do this requires a higher level of English. In essence, part 3 gives you the chance to showcase a higher level of English which is needed for a higher score. If you fail to take that chance, it is a shame. It is basically a missed opportunity and the examiner was trying to help you. Your score will depend on the level of English you demonstrated throughout the test. Hopefully you showcases enough higher level English, particularly in part 3, to get a great score. Good luck with your results!

      • Chishimba mwamba says

        Hello liz, I did my speaking test today and the examiner asked me in part 3 “if I feel people will still want more more money in future?” And I answered yes….then I started giving an example from my personal experience bt he stopped me and asked me not to refer to myself and I quickly changed, can that affect my score?

        • It doesn’t affect your score that the examiner corrected you. It is normal for the examiner to guide you like that in part 3. But it would affect your score is you are not able to speak about people in general and can only refer to yourself or your friends and family. Part 1 and 2 are about yourself, friends and family. But part 3 is your chance to showcase that you are speak in the third person plural “people”.

  14. Hello Liz,

    Thanks for sharing. I appreciate this.

    I just sat for my IELTS today and this exact situation happened to me! I’ve done IELTS before prior to the pandemic (3 years ago) and this didn’t happen.

    So, it baffled me and left me completely upset with the examiner, simply because at that time I didn’t know what exactly happened and why and that it differed from my experience before.

    The examiner would just cut me off from completing my sentences and said “Thanks…next question…”

    As if that wasn’t worst, I was also bombarded with questions-one after another which somehow affected me. I just felt like I wasn’t given ample time to explain. Though, now that you mentioned it, I concur with the time restriction.

    Anyway, the topics kept changing too in rapid succession. I was feeling helpless and overwhelmed. This also made me assumed that maybe I wasn’t good enough to the examiner.

    However, I’m so glad that you clarified this. I’m feeling a little better now knowing maybe it wasn’t what I assumed. Hence, hoping for a good result next week! (I did computer-delivered test)

    Stay safe, Liz!

    • This definitely wasn’t due to your level of English or your predicted score. If anything, the examiner was probably pushing you because he or she thought you could handle it. Examiners are allowed to interrupt your answer and move to the next question. However, some examiners due this skillfully so that the candidate feels a continuity and smoothness to the test which helps them feel comfortable and at ease, while other examiners are more heavy-handed and unfortunately make the candidate feel slightly unsettled. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your results !! 🙂

  15. Nick Mehta says

    Hi Liz ,
    My name is Nick. I guess I made a big mistake in part 2. The cue card topic was rules in your college and school you dislike and want to change.

    I was anxious and said that my college has a rule that a person has to present presentation on stage and many people are not comfortable. I followed the cue card and changes I said there should be minimum student who will listen to it and gave my conclusion as well.

    Just wanted to ask did I went off topic ??

    She asked with whom this incident happened- I said it happened with my friend he was victimised on it.

    Need your help on it.

    • As I’m sure you know from my website, there is no “off topic” in IELTS Speaking. This doesn’t mean you can change the cue card completely. If the topic is “a school/college rule”, you can’t choose to talk about your favourite season. You didn’t do this. You stuck to the topic of rules and it relates to your college. This means your choice was 100% fine. And well done using the word “victimised” – great word, but a shame your friend experienced it. Good luck with your results!

      • Hey Liz ,

        After my part 2 in my part 3 I have messed a little bit since the examiner asked me about rules which childrens have to follow at home I said they have to sleep early , wake up early under certain time they have to play all these rules are applied on childrens.

        And for school which rules then I said have to be in discipline and always arrived at time I guess my answers weren’t so big . Can it be a reason where I will lose bands ?

        • Each question in IELTS Speaking is a chance to showcase your English in a natural way. Part 3 are big questions which offer you a great chance to expand and illustrate how good you are in English with longer answers, well explained answers. This is not about losing marks. This is about optimising your score. If your answers were short in Part 3, you missed a good chance to optimise your score. The examiner is not interested in the ideas in your answer – they want to hear your English. Short answers produce only a little English and that could impact your score. Again, wait for your results to see what your overall score is based on all parts. If you end up taking the test again, please don’t book it until you are 100% sure of your aims in each part of the Speaking test and with all types of questions. Good luck with your results!

  16. hello liz, thank you so much for your useful tips.

    I wanna ask you, how not answering a question in part 3 will affect my band?

    • It’s a strange question to ask. IELTS is not about “knowing an answer”, it is about speaking English. If someone asked you in your own language “What benefits come from space exploration” and you don’t know the answer, would you actually say nothing? Would you look at the person and not say a single word? Or would you say “Space exploration isn’t really something I know about. I know a lot of money is spent on it and some people think it’s really important. But I don’t really know what benefits come from it. If you were asking me whether to spend money on it or not, I’d say, spend it elsewhere, such as …..“. As you can see, you might not know the benefits, but there’s lots you can say in English. The IELTS Speaking test is about showing your English – not about providing information or knowledge. I hope this helps 🙂

  17. Lakshmi Lohith says

    Hi Liz. Ive been following your pages for my Ielts training. My ielts Speaking test got over today. All through the exam the examiner was nodding as if she she approved what I had said and marked my scores. In one of the part 3 questions she interrrupted me saying *please dont use personal experiences but speak generally* This made me to reframe my answer. She did nod while I was answering them and took notes. Im worried whether this correction from her part will lower scores?

    • No, it won’t lower your score. It is the examiner’s job to guide you through the test and to help elicit the right language from you in that way. As long as you continued to speak about the world in general rather than personal experiences in part 3, you’ll be fine.

  18. Hi Liz,

    I’ve been following your page and learnt so much from you. Your materials, tips and strategies for IELTS are so much helpful. Thank you.

    My concern is that I got my score in speaking test and I only got 6.5 though. The bandscore I needed is 7 in speaking. I’m bothered if remarking change anything. The last question in part 3, I only started one sentence and the examiner cut me off and told me that’s the end of the test. Would it be a good idea to do remarking?

    • The remark must be your choice. It is 100% normal for the examiner to cut short your answer if time has run out. It is a normal part of the testing system and doesn’t affect your score. What does affect your score is the range of grammar and vocabulary that you used in various topics as well as your accuracy. Your pronunciation as well as fluency are equally as important. If you feeling, after studying the band score descriptors that you can find online, that you deserve a band 7, then you should consider remarking.

  19. Hi mam,today was my exam in the morning,my cue card was about change in opinion,,,,but I speak on the change in decision . How it will effect my vands

    • It won’t affect your score. It’s fine. It is a slight deviation from the main topic, but not a problem. Good luck with your results!

      • Ma’am my cousin gave the speaking yesterday he told me that examiner wrote something on the paper like 5 so was that his band score?? Please reply ma’am he is very much nervous and needs help

        • The score is not decided until after you leave the room. The notes the examiner makes relate to timing.

  20. Mam today was my speaking and i saw examiner wrote 13 after exam what is this??in once time she also wrote 3.5.
    ?

    • This is not connected to your score. It is probably relating to timing. Don’t think about it.

  21. Kennedy Uzochukwu says

    Hello Liz,

    My name is Kennedy. Just finished my speaking test. I was asked a question and I gave an answer which at that moment I thought was right. Coming out of the room I realized I gave the wrong answer.

    Will I be marked for answering wrong?

    • There’s no wrong answer. You are only marked on Vocab, Grammar, Fluency and Pronunciation. Nothing else affects your score. And the test is marked on your overall performance, not individual mistakes. Don’t worry. Good luck with your results 🙂

  22. I wanted to know how much marks are deducted if you pronounced one word wrong while speaking ? Will it lower my overall speaking bands

    • The Speaking test is not marked that way. The examiner does not count each individual error. It is the overall impression of errors and range that counts.

  23. Chong says

    Dear Liz,
    Thank you so much for your informative IELTS revision materials here on your website, they benefited me tremendously in the weeks leading up to the test.
    I just finished my IELTS test a day ago and I would to ask whether an abrupt ending from the examiner in part 3 of the Speaking test to conclude it while I was still talking is one to concern about?
    Also she prompted me a few times to talk more by asking questions related to the main questions in part 3 of the Speaking test, does it mean I have a poor response to those main questions and I’ll suffer a poor band score?
    Many thanks for your kind response.
    Have a good day!

    • If the time is up, the time is up. The examiner can’t continue – not another word. This is just part of the test and something you should be prepared for. Good luck with your results 🙂

  24. Pimngern Pairojpanich says

    Hello, Liz. I’ve taken the IELTS test today. The examiner stopped me too many times before I have my sentence finished. Also, the last question in Part 3, I just started the sentence with ‘As far as I’m concerned’, and then he stopped me again. I want to know whether this will affect my score or not.

    • The reason I wrote this page is to explain to people why the examiner might interrupt your answers. I also explain on the page above that it doesn’t affect your score. I know you are worried, but please use the pages of this site to learn and understand. Good luck with your results.

  25. RANA AZEEM SARWAR says

    In Speaking Part 2, I finish my speech about describing that clue card, the examiner gave me signal to speak more so i started my speaking again but with in one or two second, examiner stopped me.
    At the end of part 2, she asked a short question.

    She also asked a question that the end of part 3 but right after asking the question she said test is over thank you.

    is this normal ?

    • IT is all 100% normal.

      • Dolly says

        Hello Liz,
        I just had my speaking test today. Because I was nervous, At the ID check and greeting phase, I made a very stupid grammatical error by using an incorrect nonexistent word to describe where I was from. I corrected myself tho. After that, the examiner handed me my passport and said ‘now we shall begin part 1’ – the rest was fluent after that and I made sure to relax and be natural. I’m worried however, if the error at the beginning is going to be marked and how it will affect my total score?

        • You need to know about the ID check and greeting in order to be prepared fully for everything that happens in the test room. But the actual test doesn’t start until the recording device is switched on. So, don’t worry about it.

  26. Suraj Boyane says

    Hello mam I did my academic speaking test today part 1 was fabulous I guess . I use different variety of vocabulary but the major mistake was in part 2 and with starting questions of part 3. The mistake was that I misinterpreted topic as it was to describe public place in your country and I spoke about historical building tajmahal although my speed an pronunciation was good because I was clear with topic i realize I was off topic when she asked 2nd part 3 questions and she was pushing public place only but still I wasn’t able to understand and in last question when I start talking she stopped and finished speaking test what can I aspect now mam😟😖😖

    • There are no marks for task response or task achievement in IELTS Speaking. This means, going off topic isn’t marked. If you do it intentionally because you want to change the topic, your answer won’t be counted. But if you misinterpreted the topic, it’s fine. The examiner will realise this and your answer will still count for fluency, grammar, vocab and pronunciation. Good luck with your results 🙂

  27. Hi Liz
    I followed your tutorials and tips for IELTS
    I have given my speaking section today. My LRW is yet to happen. In the speaking part 2, I could not cover one sub questions. In addition, I think I made two-three mistakes in grammar only. Will it affect my band score ?
    Please answer this Liz. I m really worried alot.

    • You do not need to cover all points on the cue card. You are only marked on fluency, grammar, vocab and pron – task achievement is not marked in IELTS speaking. Grammar is worth 25% of your marks, but it is based on more than just how many errors you made. The marking is more complicated than that. So, it’s not possible to predict a score. I wish you luck with your results 🙂

  28. EkrimaAbdallah says

    Thank’s liz
    I hope you agood life
    You are doing avery good helpping to us
    With my best wishes
    Yours sencerlly

  29. SUMESH NAIR says

    Thank you mam.I am going to appear for the test on 2nd Dec.I have a doubt regarding WT 2.How many ideas I can write in a main body paragraph?Is it a good idea to use personal pronouns in the task 2 essay?

  30. Thanks Liz 👍☺

  31. Thank you Teacher Liz for giving us inputs on how to pass Iets Exam.. Godbless you

  32. Frank Reuben says

    Waoo! 😀That’s great to hear.
    I thought the examiner will judge us based on eye contact, but I’m suprised to hear they don’t.
    But I think it’s important to keep an eye contact with the examiner.
    What about gestures, do they judge us based on that too?

    Hope to hear from you Liz.
    Also thanks for the selfless work you have been doing.

    • The speaking examiners only mark what comes out of your mouth 🙂 Nothing else affects your score. Eye contact is not required but as you know it is recommended. Body language will not affect your score. You should behave naturally at all times in the speaking test. The speaking test is informal, so you must be natural, chatty, using body language (if you usually do) and just keep talking until the examiner stops you 🙂 I hope this will help you feel more comfortable in the test to know that you can and should relax. Also don’t worry if the examiner is grumpy – it happens sometimes.

  33. Laureano says

    Thanks Liz,
    Quite useful tips.
    Will asking for question repetition impact the speaking score??

  34. Gurdeep says

    Thank u again liz for such important things
    But i’m suprised that being off topic doesn’t affect on speaking scores.i had no idea about this.Thank u
    GURDEEP

    • Really? You didn’t know?
      Your speaking score is based on: fluency, grammar, vocab and pronunciation (ideas and content play no part)
      Your writing score is: Task Response (ideas, content, development of ideas), CC (paragraphs, linking), grammar and vocab.
      You can see writing and speaking are not marked in the same way at all. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-band-scores/

  35. hi liz,
    I highly appreciate the inputs provided by you on ielts and the fabulous youtube videos with great tips and tricks for all the sections of IELTS.
    I have lot of confusion while attempting the True/False/Not given question type.(esp. between false and not given )
    In last test there was a passage on flat earth and there was a reference given of some historical book from Netherlands and in the question they asked “Dutch “says so in the historical book……
    so weather this a false or not given since as per the passage Dutch is not mentioned (it said Netherland) or given but one may conclude the same. So do we have to infer and interpret it as one and the same ?

    • Try to avoid matching words or spotting opposite words. The entire meaning of the statement and the entire meaning of the passage must be considered. So, it is not possible to comment based on only two words you have provided.

  36. Thank you so much mam.. for giving clarification on this point. My exam is on 30th nov, hoping to do well and score higher band.

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