Many candidates want to know if it is easier to get a high band in the speaking test with some particular examiners than with others. Well, the answer is "No, it shouldn't be." The IELTS scoring criteria is standardized and examiners are trained to be reliable and fair in their assessment of candidates.

Not everybody knows that there are quite a few differences between British and American English in terms of vocabulary, spelling and even grammar. If you have learnt English from a British, American or Australian English speaker, you probably want to know if your type of English is acceptable. In this post, I will answer this question.

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.

It helps to find out what will happen at the beginning and end of the IELTS Speaking test. This will help you to relax on the day of the test and it will make you feel a little more confident when you go into the examination room.

Here are some tips on how to begin and end the test the right way.