Ans. In order to address the given topic, you should first explain the skill you have learnt and the importance of the skill in your life. For example: ‘In my childhood, I was fascinated about learning to ride a bicycle. It gave the immense pleasure while riding in the city park.’ After this, you should explain the process of learning, talk about the challenges, and then end it with the benefits which the skill has brought to your life.

Ans. While the structure is not strictly defined, you should always structure a proper sequence while responding to the given topic. Begin the topic by providing an overview in the introduction, then explain the skill you learnt and how itr has changed you, and a conclusion. Ensure that there is a proper flow of your speaking and consistent use of grammar and vocabulary.

Ans. In the IELTS Speaking test, the cue card topics can talk about your precious memories, skills you learnt, your choices, the places you have visited, your memories, or some turning points of your life. They may also give you topics based on your childhood experiences, your future goals, your career, and inspiration.

Ans. It is not possible to change the topic mentioned in the cue card. So practising is the only best way to perform better in this area. You should start practising on different topics to understand how to tackle these questions. If you find the topics challenging, try to approach the topic based on the related experience of your life. This will help you to speak smoothly and accurately.

Ans. Of course, yes. Sharing your opinions will make your answer more natural, and also explain how expressive you are in speaking. To perform better in this, you can also support your opinion with relevant examples or instances from my life. It will add more weight to your answer and also will impress the examiner.

Ans. It is quite usual to find the topics challenging at the first go. But there is no need to be worried about it. Just take a deep breath and read the questions in mind. Try to understand the question, and interpret it based on your observations. Relate it with some of the instances from your life, and start speaking confidently on that part. But make sure to follow a logical sequence (as shown in this practice test) while speaking on the topic.

Ans. The examiner rewards a band score ranging from 0 to 9 depending on the performance of the candidate. They focus on the 4 key areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource (Vocabulary), Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. All these areas contain a certain weightage and the total marks given will be an average of your score in all these three areas.

Ans. The best way to prepare for the IELTS Speaking test is by practising. Search on the internet regarding the IELTS speaking topics and start practicing as much as you can. Try to be familiar with the common topics related to life, your experiences, skills, hobbies, etc. Also, start recording yourself to self-analyze your speaking skills and correct yourself. You can also seek help from your friends and relatives and seek their feedback too.

Ans. Yes, it is essential to maintain eye contact with the examiner. This will make you look confident and also better interact with the examiner. But speaking without maintaining eye contact will not leave a good impression. Also, avoid making excessive eye contact because that will create a bad impression too. Try to balance between both to create a good presentation. 

Ans. Every exam is formal in nature. Hence, it is highly recommended that you try to maintain formal language while discussing your cue card topic. But if you want to sound a bit natural, then you can use limited use of informal words but only while speaking on your topic. Also, make sure you are respectful to the examiner, and avoid talking in an informal tone with them. 

Ans. The most common mistakes which happen in the IELTS Speaking test are due to the lack of consistency while discussing the cue card topic. Many of the candidates are hesitant and due to this, they often end up making incorrect use of grammar. To avoid these situations, you can regularly practice the topics and work on the loopholes in your speaking skills.