Speaking
The Speaking paper lasts about 15 minutes and is taken in pairs. It has three parts and is assessed on grammatical resource, lexical resource, discourse management, pronunciation, and interactive communication. Part 1 is an interview of about two minutes. Part 2 is a collaborative task of about four minutes in which you discuss a question with written prompts and reach a decision. Part 3 contains a long turn of about two minutes per candidate, followed by a discussion.
Core rules and concepts
- Part 1: give developed answers. A one-sentence reply gives the examiner little language to assess; add a reason, example, or contrast.
- Part 2: this is collaborative, not a monologue. Initiate, respond to your partner, concede a point, and move the discussion toward a decision. Useful functions include suggesting, agreeing, disagreeing politely, and summarising.
- Part 3 long turn: structure the talk. State a position, develop two or three points, and conclude. Use discourse markers to signal moves, but do not recite a memorised speech.
- Part 3 discussion: respond to your partner's ideas and develop them. Repeating a prepared point without listening limits interactive communication.
- Across all parts, range and accuracy both matter. Complex structures and less common lexis earn credit only when they are used appropriately.
Worked example
Part 2 prompt: 'Here are some factors that might influence whether a city is a good place to live: public transport, green spaces, cost of living, cultural facilities, safety. Talk together about which two are most important, and decide.' Candidate A: 'Public transport seems crucial because it affects access to work.' Candidate B: 'I see your point, but cost of living might matter more for young families. What do you think?' Reasoning: B acknowledges A's idea, introduces a counterpoint with a reason, and asks for A's view. This creates interaction and moves toward the required decision; merely describing each prompt in turn would not.
Traps
- Treating Part 2 as a presentation and ignoring your partner.
- Failing to reach a decision in Part 2, which leaves the task incomplete.
- In the long turn, listing points without a clear structure or conclusion.
- In the discussion, repeating your long-turn content instead of responding.
- Dominating the pair, or staying silent and leaving the interaction to your partner.
- Using idiomatic phrases that you cannot pronounce or use accurately.