5 Mistakes to Avoid in an IELTS Speaking Test With Infographics

1. Use of Excessive Fillers

Among non-native speakers, the use of fillers "like", "you know", "I mean", "okay", "so", "actually", "basically", and "right" are among the more prevalent. 

Avoid using these natural fillers as it often comes out from a non- native speaker to maintain the fluency. 

Therefore, be confident in your content and speak at a regular pace.

2. Memorizing the Answers

You need lots of preparation and practice for your speaking test. Your first step is to understand the basic facts about the IELTS Test.

Do you learn by memorizing answers? If yes, you won't be able to recall what you practised and start mumbling. This will not leave a bad impression on you and will lead to losing your point.

3. Unnecessary Pauses and Punctuation

• Every individual speaks in their comfort zone. It is normal to make pauses even for native speakers. First, don't worry too much about this. The more you worry, the more likely you are to hesitate.
• During your IELTS speaking test, each pause is noticed and your examiner will deduct the band score if your pause is more than 3 seconds.
• However, it is advised that you develop an understanding of punctuation usages and where it is used, to avoid unnecessary pauses.
• Do not "overthink" on your answers and grammar. Focus on answering the question with the first idea that comes into your mind. Inappropriate Answers: 

4. Avoid giving inappropriate answers to the questions asked by the examiner

It is a common problem most candidates face. Either they speak less or more.

However, sometimes candidates do not answer the exact thing asked by the examiner.  This will affect the overall band score as the examiner will deduct the points for wrong answers.  

• Excessive use of connectors

The English language use word connectors to link large groups of words, phrases and sentences. You can use them to connect paragraphs to give them coherence. Sentence connectors are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence and can be categorized as:

• "However, Nevertheless, On the other hand, On the contrary, Even so, Notwithstanding, Though, Otherwise, At the same time, Alternatively, Instead, Nonetheless, Conversely, By contrast, In contrast, But, Yet, While, Whereas, Although, Even though, Despite / In spite of. 

Most of the students wrongly use connectors before every new sentence.  You are advised not to overuse them and try to learn the natural way to use it in a sentence. You can use connecting words to make complex sentences. Try not to use them to create an impression on the examiner.

Mistakes to Avoid in an IELTS Speaking Test [Infographic]