Tips for IELTS Exam Part 1: Speaking Test On the day of the exam try to practice speaking English in the hour leading up to the exam. If you have no one to speak to just speak to yourself silently about anything! • Take 3 deep breaths before you go into the exam room – this will help to calm you. • As you greet the examiner, smile. It’s another calming technique, and most of us return a smile when we see one, (which means hopefully the examiner will smile at you!) • Try not to let the stress hide your character. Happy, friendly people are far more interesting to examine. Remember, the examiner has probably been examining for a few hours and they feel cheerful when their candidate is cheerful. • If you didn’t hear the question then ask the examiner to repeat it – don’t ever answer without knowing what you should talk about because you will lose points. • If you don’t understand the question, try to focus on the words you do understand. You can check to see if you understand enough by asking the examiner ‘Do you want me to talk about…?’ • If you don’t understand a word, and it’s crucial to the whole question, you could try to check the meaning of this word. For example, if you’re not sure what the word censored means you could say to the examiner ‘By censored do you mean films that are controlled in some way?’ • In part 2, if you’re worried about timing you can always look at your watch to check how much time you have left. • In part 3, try to use connecting phrases (e.g. In addition, On the other hand, some people believe, I think). These phrases make your answer much easier to follow, especially if you are having problems with explaining yourself. • When you do practice tests at home, try to notice your body language. You feel more relaxed when you practice, so it’s a good idea to copy this body movement in the exam – it might help you relax sub-consciously.