IELTS Speaking: 5 things that can annoy your examiner

Hello and welcome to this article on IELTS speaking: 5 things which can annoy your examiner.

It may surprise you to know that your examiner is actually just a (usually) normal person! They are professionals whose main aim is to make your test day as easy as possible and they understand you are nervous.

However, there are some things that you might do by mistake that can really annoy them (although they would never admit it). This can make them seem less patient, which can be really bad for your performance as you will already be nervous.

Read on to find out what these things are, and make sure you don’t do them in your IELTS test!

1. Memorised phrases

Lots of students memorise part of all of their speaking answers in the IELTS test. The examiner knows when you are doing this. The speaker will not make eye contact and their intonation (the way the voice goes up and down as you speak) will be flat. They may even answer a different question on another topic that they were not asked. Don’t do this, because in part 3, the examiner will ask you their own questions, and these could be a bit more difficult if they think you are trying to cheat the test!

2. Strong smells

Examiners spend a long time sitting in their room and in busy test centres can talk to 20 people in a day. This can be tiring for them, and they may not appreciate lots of strong smells. Don’t use too much perfume or aftershave. It also may be a good idea not to eat a delicious bowl of garlic and onion flavoured food on the morning of your speaking test! If you do smoke, don’t walk into the speaking test smelling strongly of cigarettes.

Even with a mask on, all of these smells will eventually reach your examiner, and it can be distracting. As a result they may want to get your test finished a bit more quickly (within their timings – see the next thing on our list) and seem a bit less patient with you.

3. Ruining timings

The speaking test has a set of time limits that the examiner will aim to meet. They don’t like it if you give lots of very short answers, because part 1 ought to be between 4 and 5 minutes long. If they ask if you understand any of their instructions, it’s a good idea to say yes. You can always ask them to explain something you didn’t understand later.

Watch the examiner as you talk. If you are speaking too long, often they will use body language to show you. For example, they may hold up their hand. It isn’t a problem, but if you keep talking, they will interrupt you, and this can make you more nervous than you already are!

4. Not answering the question

If the examiner stops you and asks the same question again, you are doing something wrong. If you don’t fully understand them, you can always ask. In part 1, you will need to be quite specific – what do you mean by (word you didn’t understand)? In part 3, you can ask them to rephrase the question.

Remember, this is a speaking test, not a listening test – you will not lose any marks by asking because there is not a ‘listening’ or ‘understanding’ score in the speaking test. By asking them when you don’t understand, you are showing good communication skills.

5. Not understanding the introduction

When the examiner asks for your identification, give it to them. If they ask you to tell them your name, don’t start giving them your phone number. Remember, if you’re not sure what they want you to do or if they repeat the same questions, you can always ask them. After all, the examiner is a normal human being and most of them will want to help you understand or feel relaxed because they know how important your test is to you.

So, that is the end of our tips about your IELTS speaking and 5 things that can annoy your examiner. It’s important to remember that like all jobs, some people are very good, most people are average, and some are not so good. Most examiners will be patient and try to make you more comfortable in your test.

However, if they decide to make it more difficult for any reason, this is easy for them to do. The content of the test won’t change, but the way they interact with you to help you feel calm can vary.

Help them have a better day, and avoid doing these 5 things that annoy them, because giving you the right score and making sure you can relax and perform well in your test can be tiring work!