How IELTS Speaking Is Scored
IELTS Speaking is assessed on four criteria, each scored on a band scale from 0 to 9 in half-band increments. Your overall Speaking band is the simple average of the four criteria, rounded to the nearest 0.5. Most immigration, university, and professional pathways require Band 6.5 to 7.0 — here is what that actually means.
| Criterion | Band 6 | Band 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | Willing to speak at length but with some hesitation and repetition | Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence |
| Lexical Resource | Adequate vocabulary for familiar and unfamiliar topics | Flexible vocabulary including less common words and collocations |
| Grammar | Mix of simple and complex structures with some errors | Frequent complex structures, mostly error-free |
| Pronunciation | Generally intelligible, some mispronunciation | Wide range of features with only occasional lapses |
What Our Scoring System Analyzes
For each criterion we measure multiple signals in your speech. Expand a criterion below to see every metric we evaluate.
Fluency & Coherence — How smoothly and logically you speak
- Topic Coherence — Do your ideas connect logically?
- Repetition — Are you reusing the same words or phrases?
- Fluency Breaks — Are there false starts or self-corrections?
- Filler Words — How often do you say "um", "uh", "like"?
- Speech Rate — Are you speaking at a natural pace?
- Pause Patterns — Are your pauses short and natural?
- Topic Relevance — Are you answering the actual question?
- Extended Speaking — Can you speak at length without stopping?
Lexical Resource — The range and precision of your vocabulary
- Paraphrasing — Can you express ideas without repeating question words?
- Vocabulary Level — Are you using B2+ level words naturally?
- Word Precision — Are you choosing the right word for the context?
- Vocabulary Variety — Do you avoid repeating the same words?
- Natural Collocations — Do your word combinations sound natural?
- Idiomatic Language — Do you use expressions naturally?
Grammatical Range & Accuracy — Your grammar variety and correctness
- Grammar Accuracy — How many errors per 100 words?
- Sentence Complexity — Do you use subordinate clauses?
- Complex Structures — Conditionals, modals, relative clauses?
- Error-Free Ratio — What percentage of sentences are error-free?
- Tense Variety — Do you use multiple tenses?
- Advanced Structures — "If I had known...", "Not only..."
Pronunciation — How clearly and naturally you speak
- Intelligibility — Can you be understood easily?
- Rhythm & Intonation — Does your speech have natural flow?
- Sound Accuracy — Are individual sounds clear?
- Connected Speech — Do words link naturally?
- Word Stress — Correct syllable stress?
- Sentence Stress — Stress on content words, not function words?
- Pitch Variation — Not monotone?
- Speech Flow — Smooth overall delivery?
What We Can and Can't Assess
We can assess
- Speech fluency and pacing
- Grammar accuracy and variety
- Vocabulary range and precision
- Pronunciation clarity
- Topic coherence and relevance
- Error patterns and timestamps
We cannot assess
- Body language and gestures
- Eye contact with the examiner
- Rapport and social engagement
- Live interviewer interaction
Practice estimates, not predictions. Band scores help you find weaknesses and focus your preparation — they are not meant to predict your exact exam score.
Most accurate in the Band 5.0-7.5 range. Scores at the extreme ends of the scale have less calibration data and may be less reliable.
Calibrated, not perfect. Our scoring is calibrated against expert-scored samples, but no AI perfectly replicates a human examiner.
How We Calibrate
Our scoring is calibrated against expert reference recordings — real IELTS responses scored by experienced speaking specialists. The system is regularly tested against these benchmarks to ensure scoring consistency. When calibration results drift, we update our scoring weights so that your scores stay aligned with expert expectations.
Ready to see where you stand?
Take a 5-minute diagnostic and get detailed feedback across all four IELTS Speaking criteria.