The last part of the B1 Preliminary, B2 First and C1 Advanced Speaking tests. The interlocutor takes the topic of the collaborative task further and asks for your opinions. It is your last chance to show range.
| Exam | Paper and part | Questions | Marks | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | Speaking, Part 4 | 3 minutes | Assessed across the test | Speaking |
| B2 First | Speaking, Part 4 | 4 minutes | Assessed across the test | Speaking |
| C1 Advanced | Speaking, Part 4 | 5 minutes | Assessed across the test | Speaking |
| Exam | Part | Length | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | Part 4 | 3 minutes | Likes, experiences, habits and opinions related to Part 3 |
| B2 First | Part 4 | 4 minutes | Broader opinion questions related to Part 3 |
| C1 Advanced | Part 4 | 5 minutes | Abstract and more demanding questions related to Part 3 |
Questions can be addressed to one candidate or to both. Adding to your partner’s answer is welcome. At C2 Proficiency the discussion is part of Part 3, after the long turns.
A complete discussion task at B2 First level. Work it with the answers closed, then open the key.
Part 4 (about 4 minutes). The examiner asks you both questions related to the topic of Part 3. You give your opinions and can respond to what your partner says.
Examiner
Use the following questions, in order, as appropriate:
Is it better to have a job you enjoy or a job that pays well? (Why?)
Do you think students should be paid when they do work experience? (Why? / Why not?)
How important is it for young people to learn how to manage money? (Why?)
Do you think people will work fewer hours in the future? (Why? / Why not?)
Some people say that young people today have less free time than in the past. Do you agree? (Why? / Why not?)
Should schools teach practical skills for work, such as how to write a CV? (Why? / Why not?)
Select any of the following prompts, as appropriate: What do you think? Do you agree? And you?
Thank you. That is the end of the test.
Sample answer
Sample Part 4 — Part 4 (discussion)
Examiner: Lucía, is it better to have a job you enjoy or a job that pays well?
Candidate A: That’s a difficult question. Ideally both, of course! But if I have to choose, I would say a job you enjoy, because we spend so many hours at work. If you hate what you do, the money doesn’t really make up for it. My father worked for many years in a bank, with a good salary, but he was always stressed and tired. Now he has his own small business and earns less, but he’s much happier.
Examiner: And you, Tomasz?
Candidate B: I mostly agree with Lucía, but I think it depends on the situation. When you’re young and you have to pay rent, or you want to buy a flat, the salary is very important. Maybe later in your life you can choose something you enjoy more.
Candidate A: Yes, but sometimes people wait and wait, and they never change.
Candidate B: That’s true, it’s a risk.
Examiner: Tomasz, do you think students should be paid when they do work experience?
Candidate B: Yes, I think so. Even if they are learning, they are also working, and the company gets something from them. Also, if work experience isn’t paid, only students from rich families can afford to do it, and that’s not fair. In my country there are a lot of unpaid internships, especially in the big cities, and several of my friends couldn’t take them for this reason.
Examiner: What do you think, Lucía?
Candidate A: I agree with Tomasz about it being unfair. But maybe for very short periods, like one or two weeks, it’s OK not to pay, because the company has to spend time teaching the student, and the student can’t do so much useful work yet.
Examiner: Lucía, how important is it for young people to learn how to manage money?
Candidate A: I think it’s extremely important, and it’s something we don’t learn at school at all. When I moved out of my parents’ house, I had no idea how much electricity costs, or how to make a budget. The first few months, I spent almost all my money in the first two weeks! So I think schools should teach this, maybe as part of maths.
Examiner: Do you agree, Tomasz?
Candidate B: Yes, completely. And it’s even more important now, because when you pay with your phone or a card you don’t see the money, so it’s very easy to spend too much without noticing.
Examiner: Tomasz, do you think people will work fewer hours in the future?
Candidate B: Hmm, I’m not sure. In theory, technology should do more of the work, so people could work less, and some companies are already trying a four-day week. But on the other hand, with phones and laptops, many people never really stop working – they answer emails in the evening, at the weekend…
Candidate A: Yes, exactly. The line between work and free time is disappearing.
Candidate B: So maybe fewer hours in the office, but not less work in total.
Examiner: And what do you think, Lucía?
Candidate A: Well, I hope so! I think a four-day week is a great idea, because people who are rested work better. But I don’t think it will be possible in every job – for example in hospitals, or restaurants, where someone always has to be there.
Examiner: Thank you. That is the end of the test.
Grammar and Vocabulary: both candidates use a range of structures to express and justify opinions, such as conditionals, ‘Even if…’ and ‘it depends on the situation’, and topic vocabulary such as ‘unpaid internships’, ‘make a budget’ and ‘four-day week’. Occasional non-standard phrasing (‘The first few months, I spent…’, ‘the student can’t do so much useful work yet’) does not cause any strain. Discourse Management: answers are well developed with reasons and personal examples (Lucía’s father, Tomasz’s friends), and they move beyond simple agreement to qualified positions (‘maybe for very short periods…’, ‘fewer hours in the office, but not less work in total’). Pronunciation: clear, with appropriate sentence stress. Interactive Communication: the candidates react to each other without being prompted (‘Yes, but sometimes people wait and wait…’, ‘Yes, exactly’), which makes this a genuine discussion rather than a series of separate answers. Global Achievement: the candidates handle abstract questions with relevant, extended and well-supported answers.
The same task type at other levels: B1 Preliminary, C1 Advanced.
More practice at every level is on the Cambridge Speaking samples page. The whole section in context is on the Cambridge Speaking page, and how it is marked is on the scoring page.
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.