The speaking test is a test of communication. It isn’t necessary to speak quickly, it isn’t necessary to hurry and having an accent is OK. To get a good mark on the speaking test you need to answer the examiner’s questions and show that you can interact naturally with the examiner and the other candidate. An important part of good communication is listening, make sure you pay attention and ask questions if you don’t understand something during he test.

Test format and marking:  two candidates take the speaking test together, in most cases the candidates do not know each other.  There are also two Cambridge representatives in the exam, the interlocutor and the assessor.  The interlocutor will ask questions and interact with the candidates while the assessor will not interact or say anything, he or she will be giving marks in the following categories:

  • Grammatical Resource: measures the range and accuracy of simple and complex grammatical structures
  • Lexical Resource: measures the range and appropriacy of vocabulary
  • Discourse Management: measures the ability to logically connect phrases to form coherent and relevant answers to the tasks
  • Pronunciation: measures the ability to form intelligible speech, includes stress and intonation as well as individual sounds
  • Interactive Communication: measures the ability to take an active role in the development of discussions by taking time to speak and also inviting others to speak

One final mark will be given by the interlocutor:

  • Global Achievement: measures the overall effectiveness in responding to the tasks in the different sections of the speaking test

Parts of the speaking test:

Part 1: Candidates will each be asked questions about themselves.  Topics will be home, work, school, hobbies, habits, interests and future plans.

  1. Be relaxed and natural. Smile. Be the kind of person who is nice to have a conversation with!
  2. Give honest answers even if you think they are “not good”. Your opinions and lifestyle are not part of the marking criteria (on the other hand, you can tell lies if you prefer, as long as you can continue with them until the test finishes).
  3. Support your answers, don’t just say what you like or what you do but explain why. “Because” should be your favourite word in this part of the test.
  4. Listen to your partner, you may be asked the same question and you don’t want to repeat their answer.

Part 2: Candidates will have to speak for one minute about two pictures.  They must compare the pictures and answer an opinion question about them.  Candidates will also have to answer a short question about their partner’s pictures.

  1. You have two tasks to complete during your one-minute talk: compare the photos and answer a question about them. The question you have to answer will be written on the card with the photos.
  2. Starting your talk can be difficult, many times the pictures can seem unrelated or just bizarre. Don’t worry though! The examiner will give you the words to begin with. Listen carefully as they give you the pictures. They will say: “Here are your photographs. They show _____. I’d like you to compare the photos and say …” Just repeat what the examiner said to start the words flowing: “OK. Well, both of these pictures show ______…”
  3. Remember, the first task is not to describe the photos but to compare them. Connect the pictures to each other with linking words. For example: “In the first picture the people are happy, but the second picture they seem bored. In the first picture it is a sunny day, while in the second picture it is evening. In the top picture I think the people are good friends, however, in the bottom picture I think they are work colleagues.” These are good answers. Other good linking words are: and, but, while, whereas, although, on the other hand, compared to, just like, or contrary to. Poor answers sound like this: “In the top picture, it is a sunny day, and the people look happy. I think they are good friends. In the second picture, it is evening and the people are bored. I think they are work coleagues.” These sentences don’t make comparisions, so they do not do what the interlocutor asked. There is a lot to do in one minute, you do not have time to waste!
  4. When you have made some comparisons, look at the top of the page at the opinion question you have to answer. Just relax and try to be honest. If you honestly don’t have an opinion, just choose something and give a reason for it. It is not a test of your opinions but a test of how you explain them!
  5. After the other candidate speaks, you will have to answer a question about their pictures. As they are speaking, look at their pictures and try and think of words they haven’t used in their answer. Listen carefully to the question you are asked and try not to repeat the things the other candidate said.

Part 3: Candidates have a task to complete together without any input from the interloctor.  About five or six pictures related to a theme will be provided and candidates will have to discuss the pictures, give their opinion, and make a decision about the pictures.

  1. Turn your chair to face your partner. This will provide a physical reminder of what is important in this task, which is to interact with your partner. You don’t need to look at the interlocutor, he or she will not ask you any questions during this section.
  2. Start the task with a question about one of the pictures to your partner, you should be trying to involve your partner and respond to what he or she is saying during this task.
  3. Discuss all of the pictures before discussing the decision. You are not required to actually agree about the decision. In fact, if you reach agreement before the time limit, it makes it difficult to continue the discussion.
  4. If your partner talks too much: you can still receive a good mark if you use appropriate phrases to interrupt them. “Excuse me, may I interrupt? I’m afraid I have to disagree. Can I make a point? I’d just like to say…”
  5. If your partner doesn’t talk at all: you can still receive a good mark if you encourage them to speak and give them time to answer.
  6. Remember, this is an interactive task and you must show that you understand how to participate in a discussion.

Part 4: The interlocutor will join in the discussion on the general theme of the pictures from part 3.  The interlocutor will ask the candidates questions and encourage them to share their opinions about the questions and each others’ answers.

  1. Relax!  The “hard” parts of the test are over, now you can just have a normal conversation with the people sitting at the table with you.
  2. In Part 1, the examiner clearly identified the candidate they were speaking to, in Part 4, they will ask open questions to the table. You must decide either to answer the question, allow your partner to answer the question or ask another question to your partner.
  3. Give your honest opinion and don’t hesitate to react to what the other candidate says.
  4. Don’t dominate the conversation, the other candidate deserves a turn to speak as well.

The end of the test: The interlocutor will say, “Thank you.  That is the end of the test.”

  • Thank the interlocutor and the assessor and leave.
  • Don’t ask your score.
  • Don’t say, “Oh my god, I’m so glad that’s over!”
  • Behave like you are at a job interview, go outside before you stop “taking the test”.