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5 Typical Vocabulary Mistakes to Avoid in the IELTS Speaking Test

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Many IELTS candidates repeat the same simple vocabulary mistakes without realising it. Every nationality has its own particular common mistakes in English, but there are some errors that are frequent among learners of different backgrounds. Although it is not a good idea to become too obsessed with avoiding mistakes (because you will hesitate too much), there are a few simple mistakes that are very easy to correct. You can start now!

Should I ask for a re-mark?

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As you probably know, if you are disappointed with your IELTS speaking score, you have the option to go back to the IELTS test centre and request a re-mark by a different examiner. There is of course a fee (around 50% of the normal IELTS test fee), which is refunded if your result is changed to a higher score. People often want to know if this is a good idea, so I'm going to give some tips to help you decide.

Talking about your childhood

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In the IELTS speaking test, you might need to talk about your childhood, for example what games you played, what it was like growing up in your hometown, where you spent your holidays, etc. In English, we often use the structures used to + infinitive and would + infinitive to talk about things that we did regularly in the past, but not now. Let's look at how to use these structures.

What you don’t need to worry about

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Most IELTS candidates worry about the speaking test. For example, they ask: What if I get a difficult question? What if I can't understand the examiner? What if I am nervous? What if I am late? I answer most of these questions in this blog and in my Essential IELTS Speaking Tips eBook. However, in this post I'm going to tell you a few things you don't need to worry about.