Each response is scored at the task level by ETS’s SpeechRater using measurable speech features. You also see SpeechRater Dimension scores aligned to the official criteria: Delivery, Language Use, and Topic Development.

For individual speaking tasks, SpeechRater is at least as reliable, and sometimes more reliable, than humans. It was trained on large sets of human-scored responses, which improves consistency.

You can use a teacher if you prefer, but the platform provides rubric-aligned details and an AI coach that translates data into next steps. This reduces opinion noise.

Record → Get instant scores → Read the data → Fix one issue → Re-record. The key is single-focus iteration. Address one penalty at a time, verify the gain, then move on.

Speaking rate is one of several Delivery features. Many successful test takers target a controlled 140–160 WPM for independent tasks. Clarity, phrasing, and stability are more important than raw speed.

Fillers correlate with disfluency but they are only one part of Delivery. Focus on phrasing, stress, and smooth clause chaining. A few natural fillers are not fatal when overall Delivery is strong.

No. Vocabulary diversity, on its own, is a poor predictor of performance. Favor precise, context-appropriate words that support a clear message.

• Delivery: Intelligibility, phrasing, stress, rhythm, and rate stability.
• Language Use: Grammatical control, lexical precision, and clause structure.
• Topic Development: Relevance, completeness, coherence, and logical progression.

Pick the single largest penalty driver that appears most consistently across attempts. If Delivery is unstable, start there. If you drift off-topic or leave gaps, target Topic Development. If grammar breaks under time pressure, target Language Use.

Two to four high-quality loops are enough for most learners. Add a constraint, record, review the data, and lock the improvement before increasing volume.

• Delivery: one clear stress peak per sentence.
• Language Use: one complex clause per sentence, no tense shifts.
• Topic Development: one-sentence claim, two reasons, one result.

Yes. Prompts vary and speech is probabilistic. Use trend lines rather than single attempts to judge progress. Aim for an upward trend and reduced variance.

You get task-level predictions and Dimension data based on the same technology family used operationally. Use multiple prompts and trends to anchor expectations.

Memorized scripts often inflate rhythm and vocabulary while hurting spontaneity and coherence. Practice real-time planning and flexible phrasing.

Independent: claim → two micro-reasons → example → tie-back. Integrated: summarize the reading and explain the speaker’s stance with supporting reasons.

Find the darkest cells. Fix one cluster, retest, and confirm it lightens. Then move to the next cluster. The heat map sequences your improvements.

Audio quality affects intelligibility and stability. Use a clean, consistent setup. Avoid clipping and very low input levels.

Feedback language is anchored to Delivery, Language Use, and Topic Development. You get targeted explanations for why a penalty occurred.

Over-speeding harms phrasing and coherence. Inflated vocabulary often reduces precision. Stable intelligibility and coherent development move the score.

When the trend for your current target stabilizes above your threshold and variance narrows across at least three different prompts.

Rotate prompts to avoid overfitting. Three to five varied prompts per week is a practical target. Confirm that improvements generalize in the dashboard.

Task-level outputs align to a four-point scale. Across tasks, ETS aggregates and maps to the 0–30 Speaking section score. Treat task-level numbers as levers you can control during practice.

Frequent issues: missing a required element, weak support, circular reasoning, contradictions, or failing to address the speaker’s stance in integrated tasks.

Tense stability, subject–verb agreement, clause linkage, and article use. Prefer fewer, clearer sentences with controlled complexity.

Use measurable Dimension scores to isolate penalties, apply one constraint, verify the gain, and repeat until the trendline reaches your target.

It reads your Dimension patterns, compares against target bands, and prioritizes constraints that reduce the dominant penalty with minimal side effects.

Many learners see early gains after fixing a major Delivery or Topic Development issue. Sustainable improvement comes from regular, focused loops.

Check Topic Development for completeness and logic. Ensure each sentence advances the idea and that you address all required elements.

No. The target is intelligibility, stable phrasing, and predictable stress patterns. Clear regional accents with consistent rhythm score well.

We align prep and feedback with ETS criteria and adapt training guidance and displays so you can keep practicing with trustworthy data.

Pick one prompt, record once, read the data, choose a single constraint, and re-record. Save attempts to your dashboard. Adjust the constraint if the targeted Dimension does not improve.