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You’ve just sat down with your interviewer for the speaking portion of the IELTS test, and your hands are already clammy. A bead of cold sweat threatens to roll down your face.

We meet many IELTS test-takers who dread the speaking portion. They wonder, “What if I forget a word or say something grammatically incorrect?” or “What if I get stuck and have nothing else to say?”

Here’s what to do if you find yourself in a corner:

You’ve just sat down with your interviewer for the speaking portion of the IELTS test, and your hands are already clammy. A bead of cold sweat threatens to roll down your face.

We meet many IELTS test-takers who dread the speaking portion. They wonder, “What if I forget a word or say something grammatically incorrect?” or “What if I get stuck and have nothing else to say?”

Here’s what to do if you find yourself in a corner:

1. If you don’t understand the question or do not understand a word in the question, ASK! This section tests you on your speaking ability and not your listening ability. It will be difficult for you to develop a good answer if you do not understand the question.

2. If you need some time to think before you answer a question, stall by saying something like “Hmm… That’s a good question” or “Let me think about that.” You could also repeat the question in another form. For example, if the interviewer asked, “What are some of your favorite family traditions?” then you could say, “You want me to speak on my favorite family traditions.”

3. If you forget a vocabulary word, you may want to describe what you mean rather than getting stuck and searching desperately for the word. For example, if you forget the word “carcinogen”, you could say “something that increases your chances of suffering from cancer”.

4. Relax and speak naturally. The best way to show that you can communicate effectively in English is to pretend that you are having a conversation (which you are having).

5. Do not give one word answers such as “Yes” or “No”. Try to expand on the answer so the conversation flows smoothly. For example, if you were asked, “Do you enjoy being a student?” you could respond, “Yes, I like being a student because…”