This page covers Speaking only. Pricing and booking steps are on the online IELTS tutor page for Taiwan; open times are on the booking page.
How a one-to-one Speaking session with Mike works
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA and teaches every session himself, live on Google Meet from Hanoi. Lessons are in English, not in Chinese. His own IELTS result is 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking (about Mike). Sessions are online and one-to-one, with no centre in Taiwan.
A regular session lasts 60 minutes. A Speaking session can give you:
- Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format and to its timings;
- feedback during the session, while the answer is fresh, not days later;
- a recording on request, and written progress notes in your account afterwards.
This is practice with a teacher, not an IELTS test, and no band is promised: progress depends on where you start and the work between sessions. See IELTS Speaking coaching for the full description (its prices are for Vietnam).
The real IELTS Speaking test: three parts, 11 to 14 minutes
According to ielts.org's Academic Speaking page, the test is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, in three parts, taking 11 to 14 minutes, and it is recorded. The General Training Speaking page gives the same parts and timings, and ielts.org's Academic test page says Speaking is the same on both tests (see Academic vs General Training).
| Part | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction and interview | The examiner checks your identity and asks general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies or interests. | 4 to 5 minutes |
| 2. Long turn | A task card, then one minute to prepare with pencil and paper. You talk until the examiner stops you (the General Training page frames the aim as keeping going for 2 minutes); one or two questions may follow. | 3 to 4 minutes, including preparation |
| 3. Discussion | A more general and abstract discussion of issues related to the Part 2 topic. ielts.org says it tests your ability to explain opinions and to analyse, discuss and speculate. | 4 to 5 minutes |
The four band criteria in plain words
ielts.org's article Demystifying the IELTS Speaking test says Speaking is scored on four equally weighted criteria and the final score is the average of the four; IDP Taiwan's Speaking scoring page lists the same four. The table is a plain-words reading of ielts.org's public Speaking band descriptors (PDF).
| Criterion | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | Whether you keep going and give long answers without obvious effort, how much hesitation, repetition and self-correction there is, and whether you link ideas clearly. |
| Lexical Resource | How much vocabulary you can use on a topic, how flexibly and precisely, and whether you can say a meaning another way when a word will not come. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | The range of structures you use, from simple to complex, how many sentences have no errors, and whether errors get in the way of being understood. |
| Pronunciation | Whether a listener can follow you without much effort. The descriptors look at features such as chunking, rhythm, stress, intonation and individual sounds. |
The descriptors add that a candidate must fully fit a band's positive features to receive it, and is rated on average performance across all parts. The PDF carries a 2025 copyright notice and asks readers to check ielts.org for updates. Bands 6, 7 and 8 are compared in IELTS Speaking: Band 6 to 7 and Band 8.
How the Speaking test is arranged in Taiwan
Short answer: IELTS in Taiwan is taken on computer. IDP Taiwan's announcement says that after 31 January 2026 it is offered fully on computer, and the British Council's Taiwan IELTS page says it and IDP no longer offer IELTS on paper there. Some IDP pages still carry older paper wording, so confirm the format when you book. Speaking is an interview with an examiner, often on the same day as the other parts but sometimes on another day, and the British Council says some of its centres run it by video call from the test centre.
You book the test with IDP Taiwan or British Council Taiwan, not with Band Booster; they set the fees and dates, so this page quotes neither. Their Taiwan pages were read in October 2026, and your booking confirmation is what applies.
Same day, or another day?
The providers word this differently:
- IDP Taiwan's test day page says Speaking usually takes place last on test day and that computer candidates can choose to have it before or after the written sections. Its Traditional Chinese computer-based IELTS page adds that if the centre cannot offer Speaking on the same day, IDP will contact you to arrange a date as soon as possible. IDP's English Speaking preparation, computer-based IELTS and test-day pages say that if you take IELTS on computer, Speaking is taken on the same day, before or after the other three parts. Two other English lines are more general: the Speaking preparation page says that at some test centres Speaking can be on the same day or up to 7 days before or after your test date, and its English FAQ says it might be scheduled on the same day or a different date. Its Traditional Chinese Speaking preparation page says Speaking tests are all scheduled on the same day. The wording differs between these pages, so your booking confirmation decides.
- British Council Taiwan's English test-day page says Speaking may be on the same day or up to a week before or after, with advance notice if it is on a different day. Its Traditional Chinese test-day page words the window slightly differently (it names only the week before the written test). Its dates, fees and locations page adds that the centre may change the Speaking slot you chose when registering, so check the registration portal three days before the test.
The safe reading is that Speaking is often on the same day but can be on another, so ask before you book if the date matters.
Face to face, or by video call?
ielts.org's Speaking format pages describe a face-to-face test with an examiner, and its ways-to-take-IELTS page says the same for IELTS on computer at a test centre; its Guide for Test Takers, however, says test takers take Speaking face to face or via video call. IDP Taiwan's computer-based IELTS page, its Speaking preparation page and its scoring page describe a face-to-face test with an examiner; the scoring page adds that it takes place in a quiet room.
British Council Taiwan's IELTS Academic page and IELTS General Training page say that some of its IELTS test centres deliver the Speaking test by video call. You take it at an official IELTS test centre, and the pages say it matches the in-person test in content, scoring, timing, question format and security arrangements, delivered by an IELTS Speaking Examiner. The pages do not say which centres, so the format can differ by provider and centre. Your booking confirmation shows yours, and the provider can answer if it matters to you.
ielts.org's ways to take IELTS page says IELTS Online, offered only in some countries and for IELTS Academic only, has Speaking by video call with an examiner. The Taiwan pages read did not make clear whether IELTS Online can currently be booked in Taiwan, so ask IDP or the British Council.
Taiwan time and Hanoi time: one hour apart all year
In the IANA time zone database, Taiwan (Asia/Taipei) is UTC+8 and Vietnam (Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh) is UTC+7. Neither has a current daylight-saving rule in that database (Taiwan's last dates from 1979). Taipei is therefore one hour ahead of Hanoi all year: 20:00 in Taipei is 19:00 in Hanoi.
The calendar on the booking page shows each slot in your own time zone. Which times are open depends on Mike's calendar, and no particular hours are promised.
Speaking practice and mock tests online
Yes, as practice, not as a marked IELTS test.
- A mock Speaking interview with Mike. Parts 1, 2 and 3 in order and to time, with feedback during the session. It gives no IELTS result, and no band is promised.
- On this site. The Part 2 cue cards, the Part 1 and Part 3 topics (themes, not real test questions) and the Speaking Part 2 timer for timed practice.
- Sample tasks. ielts.org's Academic sample test questions page links a PDF of Speaking sample tasks, and the British Council's Speaking practice page also links a Speaking sample tasks PDF. They are practice material, not a marked test.
- IDP Taiwan. Its Traditional Chinese Speaking practice page offers prompts, recordings and transcripts for Parts 1, 2 and 3.
General tips for improving IELTS Speaking
These tips are this page's own teaching advice, built on what ielts.org and the British Council say about the test (named under each point). None is an IELTS rule, and none promises a band.
- Practise Part 2 against a clock. ielts.org's General Training page frames the aim as keeping going for 2 minutes until the examiner stops you, and a timer shows whether you can.
- Give reasons and examples in Part 3. ielts.org says this part tests your ability to explain opinions and to analyse, discuss and speculate; giving reasons and examples is one way to practise that.
- Ask if you did not catch a question. The British Council's Speaking preparation page says you may ask the examiner to repeat a question without penalty.
- Listen to yourself. This one has no official source: record a practice answer and listen for pauses, repeated words and unclear sounds.
For how the public descriptors compare bands 6, 7 and 8, see IELTS Speaking: Band 6 to 7 and Band 8.
Who this suits, and who it does not
It may suit you if you are comfortable being taught in English, want to speak aloud to one live listener and want feedback while the answer is fresh. Sessions are booked as you need them, from the times open in Mike's calendar, with no subscription or package. It will not suit you if:
- you want lessons or explanations in Chinese (lessons are in English only);
- you want lessons in person or a classroom (every session is online and one-to-one);
- you want an actual IELTS result or help registering (Band Booster does not run or register for the test);
- you want a promised band or timeline (none is promised).
Ready? Pick a time on the booking page. Questions first? Message Mike on WhatsApp, Telegram or Zalo at +84 383 390 963, or email mkcenter007@gmail.com.