Know All About IELTS Speaking Task 2 & Get 8+ Band

The IELTS exam assesses an individual based on 4 sections. These include reading, writing, speaking, and listening. However, in this write-up, IELTS speaking task 2 is the prime focus. Moreover, this article will help students from non-native English countries as they face some issues in cue cards. Besides, you will also read about some tips and tricks to excel in the speaking task. So let us first begin by understanding what the IELTS speaking section is about!

Overview of IELTS Speaking Section

The IELTS speaking section is the fourth section of the IELTS exam. This takes place between the examiner and the candidate. It goes on for about 11 to 14 minutes. It can be either in person or online on a video call. This section consists of three parts these are introduction, cue cards, and follow-up questions. These asses various English-speaking skills of an individual. Let us look at each task in detail:

Part 1: Introduction

This part lasts for 4 to 5 minutes depending on the examiner. This is sort of a warm-up round between the candidate and the interviewer. Moreover, this part revolves around everyday topics and student’s personal life. The conversation may be about home, family, hobbies, travel, academics, and others. Besides, you can also get generic topics around emotions, your personal experiences, and even colors.

Part 2: IELTS Cue Card

This task lasts for 3 to 4 minutes. The examiner will give you a topic on a card on which you will have to speak. This card is called an IELTS speaking cue card. Under this main topic, there will be some pointers to help you prepare your response for the topic. This will also give you an idea of what the examiner expects in your answer. You must aim to speak for about 2 minutes. Furthermore, the examiner will ask you follow-up questions after that.

Part 3: Follow-up Questions

After you are done with the cue card round, the next part of the IELTS speaking section begins. The follow-up question round goes on for 4 to 5 minutes. The difficulty of questions ranges from easy and medium to hard. Moreover, these follow-up questions are related to the cue card topic that you were given. Generally, the examiner asks about 5-7 follow-up questions. This round is used to assess your speaking skills and impacts your score. Thus, you must give a detailed answer with examples and your own experiences. Further, let us understand about cue cards in detail.

Introduction to IELTS Speaking Task 2

The speaking section in IELTS is a face-to-face interview between the examiner and the candidate. The cue card section is the IELTS speaking task 2 and lasts about 1-2 minutes. Moreover, it is the same for the IELTS Academic and IELTS General exams. A specific topic will be provided along with a few pointers around which the candidate must frame their response. Further, you must prepare your thoughts and share your experience about a person, a place, or an object that is meaningful to you. Next, let us see how to answer a cue card.  

How to Answer the Cue Card?

To answer cue cards, it is important to follow a proper structure and strategy. The ideal way to draft an answer is to divide them into parts. These include an introduction, the body wherein you mention the key highlights, and then the conclusion. Moreover, to ace the speaking part 2 the content in the response must be in proper flow. There are a few pointers provided along with the cue cards whose answers you must include in your response.

Besides, your answer will be assessed and evaluated on majorly four criteria. These include fluency and coherence, grammar, and pronunciation. Thus, it is essential to use appropriate vocabulary in your response. Further, in the next section let us look at a few tips and tricks to excel in IELTS cue card.

Tips and Tricks to Excel in IELTS Cue Card

In this section, we have mentioned some of the tips and tricks that will help you excel in IELTS speaking task 2 with an 8+band score. Let us look at the following pointers to remember:

• The focus must be on clarity. Maintaining a steady pace of thinking with a clear mind is important.
• Practice with a timer of 2 minutes and speak about a specific topic without hesitating. This will help you in improving your fluency and confidence.
• Read more to enhance your vocabulary and understand more terms. Newspapers, books, excerpts and more.
• Regularly engage in English conversations with your friends and family. Conversing to express your thoughts is a great way to learn.
• Use stress and intonation to emphasize important points in your cue card speech.

Conclusion

To wrap up, the IELTS speaking task 2 is one of the toughest pasts in the IELTS exam. Thus, it is vital to use proper strategies and practice a lot for this section. Useful tips for you to excel in the IELTS speaking cue card round. Moreover, if you are facing issues or want to explore more about the speaking section then join our offline or online IELTS classes. You may also take the IELTS speaking online test for free. Gradding.com, a study abroad platform offers mocks and coaching. Call them for a free session today, share your requirements, and get yourself registered.