Speaking (B2 First Paper 4)
B2 First Speaking lasts about 14 minutes, has four parts, and is worth 20% of the total. You are examined in pairs by two examiners: an interlocutor who manages the tasks and an assessor who marks your performance. It tests your ability to communicate fluently and interactively at B2, not to display isolated grammar.
The four parts
- Part 1 Interview (2 minutes): questions about home, work or study, interests and plans. Give extended answers of two or three sentences with a reason or example.
- Part 2 Long turn (1 minute each, plus a 30-second response): compare two photographs and answer the question printed above them. Your partner then responds briefly to your photos.
- Part 3 Collaborative task (2 minutes, then 1 minute to decide): discuss a mind map with your partner and reach a decision together.
- Part 4 Discussion (4 minutes): examiner questions linked to the Part 3 topic; give opinions with reasons and respond to your partner.
What the assessor marks
- Grammar and Vocabulary: range and accuracy at B2.
- Discourse Management: coherence, relevance, and extending ideas without repetition.
- Pronunciation: intelligibility, word and sentence stress, intonation.
- Interactive Communication: initiating, turn-taking, responding, negotiating. These are equally weighted, alongside a global achievement scale.
Worked example (Part 2)
Photos: a family cooking together; a person eating alone at a desk. Prompt: "Why might people choose to eat alone?" Weak: "In the first photo there is a family. In the second photo there is a man." Strong: "Both photos show meals, but the atmosphere is completely different. The family look relaxed and sociable, whereas the man seems to be fitting lunch around work. People might eat alone because they are busy, or simply because they prefer peace and quiet." Reasoning: the strong answer compares rather than describes, uses speculative language (might, seems), and answers the printed question directly in the final third of the minute.
Traps that cost marks
- Describing photos in detail without comparing or answering the question.
- One-word answers in Part 1.
- Dominating Part 3, or saying almost nothing.
- Memorised speeches that ignore the actual prompt.
- Leaving silence when your partner hesitates; interactive communication is scored.