Cambridge English Speaking

The Cambridge Speaking test is taken in pairs, with two examiners in the room. That makes it different from almost every other English test: part of your mark depends on how well you talk to another candidate, not just to the examiner, and it is marked as carefully as your grammar.

The Speaking Test at Each Level

Exam	Paper	Parts	Raw marks
A2 Key	Speaking	Part 1: Interview (3-4 minutes) Part 2: Collaborative Task (5-6 minutes)	45
B1 Preliminary	Speaking	Part 1: Interview (2 minutes) Part 2: Long Turn (3 minutes) Part 3: Collaborative Task (4 minutes) Part 4: Discussion (3 minutes)	30
B2 First	Speaking	Part 1: Interview (2 minutes) Part 2: Long Turn (4 minutes) Part 3: Collaborative Task (4 minutes) Part 4: Discussion (4 minutes)	60
C1 Advanced	Speaking	Part 1: Interview (2 minutes) Part 2: Long Turn (4 minutes) Part 3: Collaborative Task (4 minutes) Part 4: Discussion (5 minutes)	75
C2 Proficiency	Speaking	Part 1: Interview (2 minutes) Part 2: Collaborative Task (4 minutes) Part 3: Long Turn (10 minutes, long turns then discussion)	75

Exam	Length (pairs)	Parts
A2 Key	8-10 minutes	Interview; discussion from pictures
B1 Preliminary	10-12 minutes	Interview; photo description; discussion from pictures; general conversation
B2 First	14 minutes	Interview; long turn comparing two photos; collaborative task; discussion
C1 Advanced	15 minutes	Interview; long turn on two of three photos; collaborative task; discussion
C2 Proficiency	16 minutes	Interview; collaborative task from photos; long turn from a card, then discussion

The Two Examiners

One examiner, the interlocutor, runs the test: asks the questions, gives out the pictures and keeps time. They also give one overall mark for Global Achievement. The other examiner, the assessor, says nothing and marks you in detail against the analytic criteria. The interlocutor can be online, examining remotely.

You are marked on your own performance, not compared with your partner. A weaker partner does not pull your score down, and helping them into the conversation counts in your favour.

The Task Types

Interview

Part 1 at every level: the examiner asks each of you questions about yourself. A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency.

Long Turn

Talk on your own for a minute or two, from photographs or a question card, while your partner listens. B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency.

Collaborative Task

Discuss a task with your partner and work towards a decision. How you interact is marked as closely as what you say. A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency.

Discussion

The examiner widens the topic of the collaborative task and asks for your opinions. B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced.

What Is Assessed

Exam	Criteria
A2 Key	Grammar and Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Interactive Communication, Global Achievement
B1 Preliminary, B2 First	Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation, Interactive Communication, Global Achievement
C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency	Grammatical Resource, Lexical Resource, Discourse Management, Pronunciation, Interactive Communication, Global Achievement

How the marks are weighted, and the full descriptors, are on the Cambridge Speaking scoring page.

Common Mistakes

Describing the photos instead of comparing them. From B2 upwards the question above the pictures is what you are marked on.
Monologues in the collaborative task. Ask your partner questions, react to what they say, and build on it.
Agreeing too soon. A decision reached in fifteen seconds leaves nothing to discuss.
One-word answers in Part 1. Give a reason or an example every time.
Rehearsed speeches. Examiners hear them daily and they rarely answer the actual question.

How to Prepare

Practise with a partner at the same level, and time every part.
Record yourself doing a long turn and listen for how often you pause to search for a word. Learn phrases for speculating and comparing.
In collaborative practice, count how many questions you ask your partner.
Learn to paraphrase when a word is missing: "the thing you use to…".

Examiner scripts, pictures and sample answers with audio for every level are on the Cambridge Speaking samples page.

Kirill O'Nayd, Cambridge English exams expert

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

English test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He has spent years preparing candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency, and taking apart how each paper awards its marks. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.