Rachel Roberts

The IELTS oral test is often the part of the exam that candidates worry about most. It’s important to have your nerves under control, and the best way of doing that is by getting lots of practice before the exam.
Even if you don’t know any English speakers to practise with, you can always practise by yourself. Record yourself speaking in English about possible topics, film yourself speaking, or simply talk to yourself in the mirror. It sounds crazy but it’s all practice!

Do not take your mobile phone into the room under any circumstances. If the examiner discovers that you have a phone in the room, he or she is obliged to disqualify you immediately. The exam is recorded, so the examiner has to obey the rules. You must, however, take the same identification you used to enrol for the exam, and the examiner will ask to see this at the beginning of the test. This procedure and the recording are part of the strict security measures.

The test will then start with some simple questions about yourself and your interests. The topics are all very general and designed to be appropriate to all cultures. You might be asked about your school, the type of food you like or your thoughts about the Internet. You won’t be asked what you think about divorce or the death penalty. A quick search on the Internet for part 1 type questions should give you an idea of the typical subjects.
Listen very carefully to the questions. If the examiner asks you where you went on holiday last year, you should reply using the past tense. If he or she asks you whether you’ll perform an activity more frequently in the future, then you need to respond with some future tenses.

Don’t be afraid to take a few seconds to think about your answer; you would probably do that naturally in your own language, and if you speak too quickly you risk getting into difficulty with pronunciation. Nerves can make you speed up, so keep breathing and remember to slow down!

The British Council deals with everything concerning IELTS in Italy. If you want to have an idea of your current level of English, try the online level test www.britishcouncil.org/it/italy-exams-test-livello-inglese-esame-cambridge-ielts-online.htm
You can take the IELTS exam throughout the year and you can enrol just two weeks before the actual test date. The results will be ready 13 days later.