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