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Basically, the speaking test builds up to Part 3. Parts 1 and 2 are relatively easy as you can just talk about yourself. This is much easier to do in a foreign language. However, in Part 3, this is where the examiner doesn’t have to follow a rigid script and can push you to see what you can do in English. This is where you find out whether the candidate is Band 7+ as they are able to support what they say. It is those that are below band 7.0 that struggle to do this. They start talking about themselves again or repeating their ideas or correcting themselves. This is what lowers your speaking marks for the most part and stops you getting into Band 7+.

What also happens in Part 3 with lower-level students is they start to make more and more grammatical/lexical errors with quite simple speech.  In Part 1 and 2, the candidate has control of the conversation (to some extent) but in Part 3, it is the examiner that has control of the conversation and this is where band 6.5 and lower candidates start to come apart a bit.