What should I do if I get nervous when speaking?

If you are nervous about the speaking test, it is because you care about getting a good score - this not a bad thing! 

You are the same as everyone who has taken the IELTS test; even high-level students get butterflies in their stomach before a test!

You are given a score for Fluency & Coherence, and this will be reduced by too much hesitation, repetition and self-correction. Fluency & Coherence is 25% of your Speaking score, so don't panic about this too much!

The solution is practice. The more practice you do, the more your confidence will grow, and this will reduce your nervousness. Practice includes speaking with someone else who speaks English or, as many of our students work alone, even just recording your answers by yourself is a good activity. You can actually do this on the site if you do Speaking Practice  / Mock Tests. Go to the Practice area to access these resources.

Finally, remember that the examiner is not judging your confidence, just your English. IELTS examiners have seen many nervous students before - you won't be the first!