How IELTS Speaking is scored

The four criteria

The examiner listens to the whole test and gives a band for each criterion. The four count equally, and together they make your Speaking band, from 0 to 9 in whole and half bands. The official descriptors are published by IELTS; below is what they mean in practice, in our own words.

1. Fluency and coherence

Can you keep speaking without long pauses, and do your ideas follow in a clear order? Linking words help ("because", "so", "on the other hand"), but only when they fit. Pausing to think is fine. Pausing to search for basic words is what lowers this band.

2. Lexical resource (vocabulary)

Do you have enough words to talk about many topics, and do you use them correctly? Higher bands use less common words and natural word partners ("heavy traffic", not "big traffic") and can explain a word you do not know in another way.

3. Grammatical range and accuracy

Do you use a mix of simple and complex sentences, and how many mistakes do you make? A band 7 speaker uses complex sentences often, and most of their sentences have no errors.

4. Pronunciation

How easy are you to understand? This is about clear sounds, word stress, and rhythm and intonation across a sentence. A Bangladeshi accent is fine. What matters is whether the listener has to work to understand you.

What separates band 6, 7 and 8

A rough picture, not the official wording:

• Band 6: speaks at length but sometimes loses the thread, repeats or self-corrects a lot. Vocabulary is enough for most topics. A mix of sentence types, with frequent errors in the complex ones. Generally clear, with some mispronounced words.
• Band 7: speaks at length without much effort, with clear links between ideas. Uses some less common words and natural expressions. Complex sentences are frequent and many are error-free. Easy to understand throughout.
• Band 8: fluent, with only occasional hesitation for ideas rather than words. Wide, precise vocabulary. Most sentences error-free. Easy to understand, with natural stress and intonation.

If you want a 7, read how to move from band 6 to 7.

How your Speaking band fits your overall band

Speaking is one of four skills. Your overall IELTS band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band. Universities and visa offices often ask for a minimum in each skill as well as overall, so check what yours asks for Speaking.

Getting a practice band

BandGuru gives you a practice band on all four criteria after every answer, with the corrections that would lift it. Practice bands are AI estimates, not official IELTS scores, but they show which criterion is holding you back. Book a demo.