What if the examiner asks me to talk about something I’m not familiar with?
This won’t happen because the examiner is not trying to test your knowledge. He/she will make sure that the topic and the questions are related to your life experience.

If I make a grammar mistake or a mistake in vocabulary usage, will it affect my IELTS score?
The examiner is evaluating your ability to communicate. He/she is most interested in your fluency and ability to get your idea across. If your grammar or vocabulary mistakes make it difficult for him/her to understand you, you will lose marks in the test. Remember though that fluency is more important than accuracy.

Am I allowed to look at my card during the presentation?
Yes. You are.

How long will I have to wait for my IELTS results?
You will probably get your results in about two weeks. However, if there are a lot of candidates taking the IELTS test , you may have to wait a little longer.

Will poor pronunciation affect my IELTS score?
If your pronunciation affects your ability to communicate, it will reduce your IELTS score. If your accent doesn’t cause difficulties in communication, it won’t affect your score.

Where will the examiner be from?
All IELTS examiners use English as their first language. They are from English speaking countries – Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Britain, America, or South Africa.

If I don’t understand my examiner when he speaks, will this affect my IELTS score?
If you don’t understand your examiner’s question, ask him to repeat the question. However, if you still can’t understand him, it will probably affect your score. However, the examiner is not testing your listening comprehension (there is another test for that) and it will only affect your score, if you ask the examiner to repeat questions a lot.

If, for example, the interviewer says, “Do you like travelling on the Tube?”
You can say that you don’t understand: “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” You can ask for a question to be repeated: “I didn’t hear that clearly. Would you mind repeating it?” “Could you repeat that please?”
You can clarify the meaning of specific words or phrases you don’t understand: “Sorry. I don’t know what you mean by ‘Tube’”. “Would you mind explaining ‘Tube’?” You can check your understanding of a question: “Do you mean the underground trains in London?” “You’re asking me about the underground trains in London, are you?”

If I memorize answers to common questions, will I get a lower band score?
Yes! The examiner wants to assess your ability to communicate in English. Reciting standard phrases and using scripted answers is not real communication and the examiner will only evaluate original speech.
Examiners are trained and experienced teachers. They are trained to look for such scripted answers and will mark you down if you use them.

Will the examiner have a strong accent?
No. The examiner is a professional teacher with years of experience teaching communication skills. For sure he/she will be able to communicate well.

Will the information I give during the IELTS interview affect my overseas study application?
The IELTS interview has no relationship with your overseas study or immigration procedures. You don’t have to be concerned that anything you say in the IELTS interview will be used in your overseas study/immigration applications.