Speaking
B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking is Paper 4: 10-12 minutes per pair of candidates, with two examiners. One examiner speaks with you; the other listens and assesses. The test has four parts and checks your ability to give personal information, interact with a partner, describe, compare and discuss ideas. You are assessed on grammar and vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation and interactive communication.
What each part asks
- Part 1: personal information questions about school, free time, family, likes and plans.
- Part 2: a collaborative task. You and your partner discuss a situation shown in pictures and make a decision together.
- Part 3: each candidate talks about a photograph for about one minute and answers a follow-up question.
- Part 4: a discussion with the examiner and partner, linked to the Part 3 topic.
Core rules
In Part 1, answer with a full sentence plus one extra detail: 'I usually go cycling at the weekend because...' In Part 2, make suggestions, respond to your partner and move toward a decision: 'What about...?', 'That sounds good, but...', 'Shall we choose...?' In Part 3, organize the description: who and where, what is happening, what might happen next. In Part 4, give opinions and reasons, and respond to what your partner says rather than waiting for your turn.
Worked example
Part 2 prompt: discuss different ways to travel to a school trip and decide which is best. Weak interaction: 'I think bus.' Strong interaction: 'The bus is cheaper, but the train is faster. What do you think?' Partner: 'The train, but it's expensive.' You: 'Maybe the bus is better for the whole class, then. Shall we say bus?' The reasoning: the task is not to list options; it is to compare them and reach a joint decision. Phrases such as 'but', 'maybe' and 'shall we' show interaction and help the decision.
Traps
Do not give one-word answers; they give the examiner little language to assess. Do not dominate Part 2 or ignore your partner; interaction is assessed. In Part 3, do not describe every detail of the photograph; cover the main action and the question. Do not memorize a speech, because the examiner may ask a follow-up that does not fit. If you do not understand, ask for repetition politely rather than staying silent.