How this test is marked
IELTS Speaking is marked by an examiner on four equally weighted criteria. This practice test has no automatic score, so record yourself, then compare your answer with the notes below.
- Fluency and coherence. Speak at a natural pace with few long pauses, and link your ideas so the listener can follow.
- Lexical resource. Use a range of vocabulary and natural phrases, and paraphrase when you do not know a word.
- Grammatical range and accuracy. Mix simple and complex sentences and keep errors from getting in the way of meaning.
- Pronunciation. Be easy to understand: clear sounds, word and sentence stress, and varied intonation.
Notes for each question
Question 1: Describe a time when you received money as a gift. You should say: who gave you the money, when this happened,…
Model answer approach: pick one specific, real-sounding occasion rather than generalising. A strong answer names the giver, gives a concrete time/context (e.g. a birthday, a festival, passing an exam), explains the actual decision made with the money in some detail, and finishes on the feeling — surprise, gratitude, or even the more interesting angle of feeling conflicted about what to do with it. Example shape: 'One gift I still remember clearly is the money my grandmother gave me when I finished school. It wasn't a huge amount, but coming from her it felt significant, because she doesn't have much herself. She gave it to me at a small family dinner and just said to spend it on something I'd remember. I ended up splitting it — half went toward a secondhand camera I'd wanted for a while, and I saved the rest. What stayed with me wasn't really the money itself, but that she'd thought about it in advance and wanted the moment to mean something, so I felt genuinely touched rather than just happy to have extra cash.'
Question 2: Do you think parents should give their children money, or gifts they choose themselves?
Good answers weigh both sides: cash gives freedom and teaches budgeting, while a chosen gift shows thought but risks being unwanted. Aim for a clear personal opinion, not just a list.
Question 3: How do attitudes toward money as a gift differ between older and younger generations?
Strong answers give a concrete generational contrast (e.g. older generations may see cash gifts as impersonal, younger generations may prefer the flexibility) with a brief reason, not just an assertion.
Question 4: Is it more important to save money or to spend it on experiences? Why?
A well-developed answer takes a position and supports it with reasoning or a brief example, rather than simply saying 'both are important.'
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