An interlocutor frame is the scripted set of questions, prompts, instructions, and rubrics that an examiner follows during a speaking test. It ensures that every candidate, regardless of when, where, or by whom they are tested, participates in essentially the same assessment event.
The term is primarily associated with Cambridge Assessment and the IELTS Speaking Test, though the principle applies to any face-to-face oral assessment that aims for standardisation across multiple examiners and test sites.
In speaking tests, the examiner is both interlocutor (conversation partner) and rater (scorer). This dual role creates a standardisation problem: if examiners are free to ask whatever they like, some candidates will face harder questions, more supportive examiners, or more natural conversations than others. The interlocutor frame constrains the examiner's language to reduce this variability.
Key functions:
The IELTS interlocutor frame structures all three parts of the 11–14 minute test:
| Part | Duration | Frame characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Introduction and interview | 4–5 min | Scripted identity check + set topic questions. Examiner must follow the exact wording. |
| Part 2: Individual long turn | 3–4 min | Scripted task card handover + standard instructions. 1 minute preparation, 1–2 minutes speaking. |
| Part 3: Two-way discussion | 4–5 min | Looser frame: topic prompts provided, but examiner has more flexibility to rephrase and follow up at a level appropriate to the candidate. |
The frame includes explicit instructions: "Stick to the rubrics; do not deviate in any way... If asked to repeat rubrics, do not rephrase in any way" (IELTS examiner guidance). Part 3 allows more flexibility because the discussion format requires responsive interaction, but even here, topic content is pre-specified.
The level of scripting represents a trade-off:
Strict frames (Parts 1 and 2):
Flexible frames (Part 3):
Research (e.g., Brown, 2003; Seedhouse & Egbert, 2006) has shown that examiner deviations from the frame, even well-intentioned ones like rephrasing a question for a struggling candidate, can affect candidate output and, therefore, scores.
Common deviations from the frame:
All of these can affect what language the candidate produces. Rater training and regular monitoring aim to minimise deviation, though some degree of natural variation is inevitable.
The principle of standardised examiner behaviour applies to any speaking assessment: