Free IELTS speaking practice with a real partner

How the IELTS speaking test works

The speaking test takes 11 to 14 minutes and has three parts. Each one asks for a different kind of speaking:

• Part 1 · 4–5 minutesIntroduction and questions about familiar topics: your home, work or studies, hobbies, daily life.
• Part 2 · 3–4 minutesThe long turn. You get a task card, one minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes.
• Part 3 · 4–5 minutesA discussion linked to the Part 2 topic, with more abstract questions and opinions.
• How you’re assessedFluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.

How to practice each part on SevenTalk

Part 1: everyday questions

Every SevenTalk call starts with a minute of “Say hello”: who you are, where you’re from, how your day is going. Topics like your hometown, your daily routine, music or food are classic Part 1 themes, so you get used to answering them naturally, not from memory.

Part 2: the long turn

Use your topic like a task card. While you wait for a partner, you already see the topic: that’s your minute of preparation. In the call, pick one question and speak about it for two minutes without stopping, then let your partner do the same.

Part 3: discussion and opinions

Intermediate and advanced topics ask bigger questions, such as whether university is still worth it or what makes a city great to live in. “This or that” topics make you choose a side and explain why, exactly the skill Part 3 tests.

Practice questions you can use today

Part 1 style

• Where do you live, and what do you like about it?
• Are you a morning person or an evening person? Why?
• How much time do you spend on your phone every day?
• What kind of music do you listen to?

Part 2 style task card

Part 3 style

• Why do people like to go back to the same places again and again?
• How has tourism changed towns and cities in your country?
• Should popular places limit the number of visitors?

Five tips to sound more fluent

1. Extend every answer. Answer, give a reason, add an example. Three sentences instead of one.
2. Use linking words. “The main reason is…”, “On the other hand…”, “For example…” make you sound organized.
3. Don’t memorize answers. Examiners notice. Practice talking about many topics instead.
4. Paraphrase when you’re stuck. Forgot a word? Describe it: “It’s a kind of…”, “You use it to…”.
5. Practice under time pressure. Short, timed conversations train you to think in English, quickly.