The Cambridge B2 Speaking exam lasts for 12-14 minutes and consists of 4 parts:

Learning with mistakes is part of the learning process and completely natural, “We need classes that develop the courage to commit errors” (Hattie 2009, p. 178).

Interview (part 1) 2 minutes: The examiner will ask you questions individually and you need to answer with extended answers or about 30 seconds. The questions are simple but you need to elaborate your answers and make them more interesting to show you can develop, when we develop answers we show confidence with language use. Link everything to your opinion and personal experiences. The important thing is to show that you want to participate and are willing to speak.

FOR EXTRA EXAM HELP LOOK AT STARTER SPEAKING QUESTIONS – CAMBRIDGE (FCE) B2 LEVEL AND Advice for speaking better during Cambridge oral exams

Example exercise:

Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is… and this is…

And your names are?

Can I have your mark sheets, please?

Thank you.

First we’d like to know something about you.

Hobbies

What do you usually do at weekends?

Do you prefer exercising or relaxing?

Would you like to take up a new hobby?

Tell us about your favourite hobby.

Education

Why are you currently learning English?

What was your favourite subject at school?

Is it essential to go to university nowadays?

Are you going to study anything interesting in the near future?

Likes and dislikes

What do you enjoy doing with friends?

Tell us about something you really like doing.

Are you fond of spending time outdoors?

Do you prefer to spend time alone or with others?

Long turn (part 2) 3 minutes: In this part of the exam, each student speaks individually for 1 minute (do not stop until the examiner says “thank you”) about 2 photos. The candidate needs to compare the images using a variety of connectors and complex grammar (passive, relative clauses, conditionals, wish, modal verbs) to show that they can organise and extend their speech. Do not just describe, you need to go from one image to the next (see diagram). Complex grammar is easy to use; you should use fixed phrases, like:

10 Activities Using Images and Photos

(passive) This photo was taken/These photos were taken…
(impersonal passive) It is said that… it is widely known that…
(relative clauses) There is a person who is…/There are some people who are…

(modals) This is a beautiful image, it may/might/could be…..
(conditionals) If I were the person in the picture, I would/could…
(wish/if only) The activity in the picture looks fun, If only/I wish I could

After describing the images, your partner will answer a simple question for about 30 seconds.

EXAMPLE EXERCISE:

In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you two photographs. I’d like you to talk about the photographs on your own for about one minute, and also to answer a question about your partner’s photographs.

What is the best way to spend your time at home?

Family eating healthy breakfast in kitchen

freundlicher berater gibt auskunft am telefon

Compare the images:

In the first picture there is a man who is reading a book whereas in the second the man is watching TV.

DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE QUESTIONS IN THIS LINK

Collaborative task (part 3) 3 minutes: In this part of the exam the candidates speak together about a situation for 2-3 minutes. In this part you need to look at the 5 options or topics and use the following skills to have a conversation.

Suggest

Initiate and respond (questions)
Develop (maintain the conversation and make it interesting)
Link (relate your points to those of your partner)

Negotiate an outcome (conclusion)

EXAMPLE EXERCISE:

Now, I’d like you to talk about something together for about two minutes.

I’d like you to imagine that you are having a conversation about technology. Here are some of the ideas to think about and a question for you to discuss. First you have some time to look at the task.

Now, talk to each other about which you would prefer as a way of being more productive and why.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which is the best thing to do to be efficient.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Thank you.

Which is the best way to make sure people become more productive in their day-to-day lives?

work from home

hold video conferences

automate your tasks

provide ICT equipment

training sessions

An important part of this part of the exam is the use of ´question tags´, the conversation needs to be natural and easy to follow with little repetition or hesitation. Do not stop speaking until the examiner stops you.

5 activities to improve interactive communication skills

DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS IN THIS LINK

Discussion (part 4) 4 minutes: This part of the exam can be very similar to part 1 or part 3. The examiner has a choice of either asking direct questions to candidates (they will name the candidate) or open questions (no name) in which the candidates need to speak for up to 4 minutes. The topics are similar to part 3 of the exam but there is no information to look at while you speak. The questions are quite long and they say them quickly, and they only say them once. You need to converse in a similar way to part 3 of the exam.

Why it is essential to have a language learning partner

You will not be told your grade until you receive your results.

Example exercise:

use the following questions, in order, as appropriate:

Do you think you spend too much time using technology?

Some people say that technology has made our lives easier. What do you think?

Do you think that we use technology responsibly?

Some people think that addiction to technology is out of control. Do you agree?

What could be a good idea for a new technological advance?