Many people searching for an IELTS Speaking tutor in Ireland are not applying to a university. They are nurses, doctors, pharmacists, dentists or health and social care professionals whose registration body publishes a score for each part of the test. Below is what those bodies say, read on their own pages, followed by how the Speaking test runs and how lessons with Mike work.
What Irish bodies publish for Speaking
The figures below were read on each body's page. Rules change and each page has more conditions than a table can hold, so open the linked page before you plan your preparation. This is general information, not personal advice.
| Body | What the page says about Speaking |
|---|---|
| Dental Council | Academic IELTS, minimum 7.0 in Speaking and in each other module. |
| PSI (pharmacists) | Academic IELTS, Speaking 7. A super-scoring allowance across two sittings of the same format, taken within six months, uses a base of 6.5 per component. |
| NMBI (nurses and midwives) | Overall 7.0 with 7.0 in any three components and 6.5 in any one. The page's table lists Speaking at 7.0 and Writing at 6.5. |
| Medical Council | Academic IELTS, overall 7.0 and at least 6.5 in each module in a single sitting within the last two years. |
| CORU boards | Most boards: overall 7.0, no element below 6.5. Radiographers: no element below 7.0. Speech and language therapists: overall 8.0, no element below 7.5. |
Read the NMBI rule as the page states it. It does not ask for 7.0 in Speaking alone; it asks for 7.0 in any three components and 6.5 in any one, and its table lists Speaking at 7.0 and Writing at 6.5.
Other conditions on the same pages
- The Dental Council wants the certificate no more than two years old at application, and accepts paper-based and computer-based tests but not IELTS Online.
- The Medical Council also does not accept IELTS Online or the IELTS Indicator.
- CORU says results must come from a physical test.
- NMBI accepts one result only and says combined results are not accepted; PSI allows super-scoring only under its stated conditions.
Each body, not Band Booster, decides what it accepts. For a fuller comparison, see IELTS scores for Irish registration bodies, compared.
How the Speaking test runs
Speaking is a conversation with an examiner, even when the other three parts are taken on computer. IDP Ireland calls it a face-to-face interview and says that in some test centres it is held on the same day as the rest, or up to 7 days before or after your test date. A test-day page for a Dublin venue adds that Speaking comes after the written sections, may be at a different venue from the written test, takes 11-14 minutes, and asks you to arrive no later than 20 minutes before your Speaking slot.
Arrangements can differ between centres, so look at your own booking confirmation for the day, time and place. The test has three parts, and these pages on this site help you practise them:
- Part 1: see Part 1 and Part 3 topics.
- Part 2: practise timing with the Speaking Part 2 timer and browse Part 2 cue cards.
- Part 3: the same Part 1 and Part 3 topics page covers it.
For test centres, dates and fees, check the provider's page. See IELTS on computer in Ireland for venues and format.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA (July 2017), has 12+ years of experience teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran, and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS. He teaches every session himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English.
- You practise Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real format, with feedback in the moment rather than days later.
- You can bring your regulator's Speaking figure and the date you need a result by, so lesson time goes where you need it.
- After each session, written progress notes appear in your account.
Hanoi is 7 hours ahead of Ireland in winter and 6 hours ahead in summer, and the booking calendar shows each slot in your own time. There is no subscription or package: you book sessions as you need them. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking. Rescheduling is at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot. No band score is promised, because results depend on your starting point and the work you do between lessons. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian first agrees to a short consent letter before the booking is made.
The booking page shows the exact price before you pay, and PayPal charges the US-dollar equivalent. See open times or read more about Mike.
