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Paper 3: Speaking
Overview
How long is the Speaking test?

1012 minutes

How many parts are there?

Who will be in the room?

Normally 2 candidates and 2 examiners. One

examiner is an interlocutor and manages the
test by asking questions and setting up the
tasks. The second examiner is an assessor
and does not speak.

How is the paper marked?

Candidates are assessed throughout the

test. The assessor gives detailed marks and
the interlocutor gives a global mark.

Part 1
A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate in turn
General personal factual questions about the candidates life, likes and dislikes, etc.
Part 2
The candidates talk to each other using visual prompts
The candidates work together to reach a decision on a task given to them by the
interlocutor.
Part 3
Each candidate is given a different photograph to talk about for one minute.
The photographs are linked in theme.
Part 4
The candidates talk to each other on a topic based on the theme of the pictures.
What is the focus of ?
..Part 1

social and interactive language

..Part 2

making and responding to suggestions, discussing alternatives,

making recommendations, negotiating agreement

..Part 3

describing photographs, using a range of language,

managing discourse

..Part 4

general interaction about likes, dislikes, experiences, etc.

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Speaking
Parts 1-4
FAQs
Q Why do candidates take the exam in pairs?
A All the Cambridge speaking tests are taken in pairs. Candidates need to show
that they can speak by themselves, managing their discourse effectively, but
also be able to use social and interactional language.
Q When are candidates assessed?
A All through the whole test.
Q What are candidates assessed on?
A Grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation and interactive communication. There is
also a global mark given by the interlocutor.
Q What happens if one candidate is stronger than the other?
A It is not important candidates are assessed individually and they are not
compared with each other. The examiners listen to both candidates and mark
them individually.
Q What happens if candidates cant agree on a decision in Part 2?
A It doesnt matter. The important thing is the discussion, and candidates should
address the task and keep the conversation going. They should try to reach a
decision but not worry if they dont.
Q What happens if candidates dont talk for a full minute in Part 3?
A Candidates should try to talk for a full minute as this will allow them to show a
range of language. However, if they stop after 45 seconds or so, the interlocutor
will just go on with the test and the candidate will be assessed on what they
have said.
Q What happens if candidates dont understand the instructions?
A They should ask the interlocutor to repeat what was said. They will not lose
marks if they sometimes ask for repetition.

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Speaking
Parts 1-4
Task preparation
Part 1
As with KET preparation, give students as much opportunity as possible in class to
talk about themselves and their interests.
Part 2
Tip: Candidates are assessed on their ability to take part in the task, not the
outcome of their discussions, so they dont have to complete the task in the time
given. However, the task directs their discussion and they should make sure they
address it. It is important that they discuss as many of the visuals as possible, and
they can also bring in their own ideas if they wish.
Do work in class on interactive language for specific functions such as agreeing,
disagreeing, suggesting and so on. You could give the class a topic such as: Are
mobile phones a good thing? Put the class into pairs. Ask each pair to come up
with 3 points that support the idea and 3 points against it. Then either have a
whole-class debate or put the students into groups of 4, where they take it in turns
to make their point and then the other pair agree or disagree with it.
Part 3
Students should describe what they see in their picture as fully as possible. Their
partners picture will be on the same theme. Encourage students to bring their
own pictures to class; they can describe their pictures to each other.
Part 4
Students should ask each other questions about the topic as well as give their own
opinions.

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And whats your name?

Thank you.

Candidate B, whats your surname?

How do you spell it?

Now, whats your name?

Thank you.

Do you have English

lessons?

Do you study English at school?

Do you like it?

(Repeat for Candidate B.)

Thank you.

Do you live in ?

How do you write your family

/ second name?

How do you write your family

/ second name?

Back-up prompts

Where do you live / come from?

(Ask the following questions. Ask Candidate A

first.)

Thank you.

And, Candidate A, whats your surname?

How do you spell it?

Thank you.

Im and this is .
He / she is just going to listen to us.

(Hand over the mark sheets to the Assessor.)

Good morning / afternoon / evening.

Can I have your mark sheets, please?

A/B

A/B

Phase 1
Interlocutor

Part 1 (2-3 minutes)

Preliminary English Test for Schools

Speaking Test

(Introduction to Part 2)
In the next part, you are going to talk to each other.

Thank you.

Tell us about your family.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Tell us about your English teacher.

Whats your favourite school subject? Why?

(Select one or more questions from the list to ask each candidate. Use candidates names
throughout. Ask Candidate B first.)

Phase 2
Interlocutor

Activate! Teaching PET for Schools

Sample Test

PAPER 3: SPEAKING
Part 1

p e t f o r sc h o o l s h a n d b o o k f o r te ac h e r s | pa p e r 3 : s p e a k i n g | sa m p l e pa p e r

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Reproduced from the PET for Schools Handbook for Teachers with the permission of Cambridge ESOL

About 2-3 minutes (including time to assimilate the information)

Retrieve Part 2 booklet.

Thank you. (Can I have the booklet please?)

Allow the candidates enough time to complete the task without intervention.
Prompt only if necessary.

All right? Talk together.

A boy is leaving his school because his parents are going to work in
another country. The students in his class want to give him a present. Talk
together about the different presents they could give him and then decide
which would be best.

Ill say that again.

Pause

Place Part 2 booklet, open at Task 1, in front of candidates.

Here is a picture with some ideas to help you.

A boy is leaving his school because his parents are going to work in
another country. The students in his class want to give him a present. Talk
together about the different presents they could give him and then decide
which would be best.

Im going to describe a situation to you.

PAPER 3: SPEAKING
Part 2

Interlocutor
Say to both
candidates:

Part 2 (2-3 minutes)

Speaking Test 1 (Leaving present)

Activate! Teaching PET for Schools

Sample Test

p e t f o r sc h o o l s h a n d b o o k f o r te ac h e r s | pa p e r 3 : s p e a k i n g | sa m p l e pa p e r

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Interlocutor
Say to both
candidates:

Part 4 (3 minutes)

Approximately one minute

(Candidate B)

Parts 3 & 4 should take about 6 minutes together.

Thank you. Thats the end of the test.

Allow the candidates enough time to complete the task without intervention.
Prompt only if necessary.

Your photographs showed teenagers in their bedrooms at home. Now, Id like you
to talk together about the things you have in your bedrooms at home now and the
things youd like to have in your bedrooms in the future.

Retrieve Part 3 booklet from Candidate B.

Thank you. (Can I have the booklet please?)

Now, Candidate B, here is your photograph. It also shows a teenager in his

bedroom at home. (Place Part 3 booklet, open at Task 1B, in front of Candidate
B.) Please show it to Candidate A and tell us what you can see in the photograph.

Retrieve Part 3 booklet from Candidate A.

Thank you. (Can I have the booklet please?)

If there is a need to intervene, prompts rather than direct questions should be used.

Approximately one minute

Candidate A, please tell us what you can see in your photograph.

Candidate A, here is your photograph. (Place Part 3 booklet, open at Task 1A, in
front of Candidate A.) Please show it to Candidate B, but Id like you to talk about it.
Candidate B, you just listen. Ill give you your photograph in a moment.

Now, Id like each of you to talk on your own about something. Im going to give
each of you a photograph of teenagers in their bedrooms at home.

Interlocutor

(Candidate A)

Interlocutor
Say to both
candidates:

Part 3 (3 minutes)

Speaking Test 1 (Teenage bedroom)

Abode/Beateworks/Corbis

Activate! Teaching PET for Schools

Sample Test

PAPER 3: SPEAKING
Parts 3 and 4

p e t f o r sc h o o l s h a n d b o o k f o r te ac h e r s | pa p e r 3 : s p e a k i n g | sa m p l e pa p e r

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Reproduced from the PET for Schools Handbook for Teachers with the permission of Cambridge ESOL

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