How the Speaking test day can be arranged for candidates in Romania
The Speaking test is the part of IELTS that does not always fall in the same sitting as the other three. Listening, Reading and Writing are done together. Speaking is a short interview, and the day it falls on depends on the provider and the centre you book with. Romania has two providers, so it is worth reading both rules before you choose a date.
The British Council Romania dates, fees and locations page is where that provider sets out when and where the Speaking test can be taken. Read it for the current rule rather than relying on a summary, including whether you can choose your Speaking time.
The IDP Romania page on IELTS on computer says Speaking stays a face-to-face interview with an examiner, completed just before or just after the Reading, Listening and Writing parts. It says that in some test centres you sit Speaking on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date, and that if you take IELTS on computer you should contact your test centre about the Speaking date.
| Question | British Council Romania | IDP Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Same day as the written parts? | Check the dates page | Possibly (IELTS on computer, in some centres) |
| Different day? | Check the dates page | In some centres, up to 7 days before or after (IELTS on computer) |
| Who do you ask about the date? | The provider named on your booking | Your test centre |
The two providers do not word this the same way, so do not assume one provider's rule applies to the other. Read the page of the provider you actually book with, and check your booking confirmation for the exact Speaking time.
Why the gap matters for preparation
If your Speaking slot comes first, you sit it before you have seen the written papers, so your speaking practice has to be ready earlier than your writing practice. If it comes after, you will have just finished a long written session and may be tired. Either way, it helps to know the day before you plan your last practice weeks.
- Find the Speaking date and time in your booking confirmation.
- Count back from it, not from the written test day, when you plan your last speaking practice.
- Do at least one full Part 1 to Part 3 run-through under timed conditions in the final week.
- If the date or time does not suit you, contact the provider named on your booking.
For topic ideas, see the page on Part 2 cue cards, and the page on what changes between Speaking band 6 and band 7. The Part 2 timer lets you practise the preparation time and the long turn alone.
Time zones for lessons from Romania
Romania uses EET (UTC+2) in winter and EEST (UTC+3) in summer. Hanoi is UTC+7 all year with no daylight saving. That makes Hanoi 5 hours ahead of Romania in winter and 4 hours ahead in summer. A lesson at 20:00 in Hanoi is 15:00 in Romania in winter and 16:00 in summer. The booking calendar shows every slot in your own time zone, so you do not need to do this sum yourself.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi, Vietnam, with 12+ years teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran. His own IELTS result is 8.5 in Speaking. He teaches every lesson himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English. He does not set or mark the official test.
- You practise Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format, with feedback given in the moment rather than days later.
- You work on the public Speaking band descriptors one area at a time, so you know which one holds your answers back.
- You can also use the hour for Writing Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors, or for Listening and Reading.
- Written progress notes are left in your account after each lesson.
Lessons last 60 minutes. There is no subscription or package. A paid 30-minute trial is available once per student, on the first booking. You can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot. The Meet link and calendar invite arrive by email right after payment. The exact price is shown on the booking page before you pay, and PayPal charges the US-dollar equivalent. No band score or timeline is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between lessons. More about the teacher is on the About Mike page.
If you are under 18, a parent or guardian first agrees to a short consent letter before the booking is made.
