How long is the speaking test?

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The speaking test is from 11 to 14 minutes long. This will depend on how much you say. The examiner will trying to get you talking as much as possible. 

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Is it face-to-face?

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The speaking test is done with an examiner. It prides itself on not using AI. Traditionally, it was always done face-to-face, but with the pandemic, video call speaking tests (VCS) started being used. In some places you can choose which style you would like. 

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How many parts are there in the speaking test?

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There are three parts in the speaking test as outlined below:

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• Part 1: answering questions relating to personal experience across 3 sets of questions. 

• Part 2: talking about a given topic for 2 minutes. You will have 1 minute to prepare. 

• Part 3: a discussion about the topic from part 2 in a general way. You are not talking about yourself in this part. 

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Do I get a score for each part?

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You are scored across all 3 parts. It is not done by individual parts. 

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Are any parts more important?

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Part 1 is mostly designed as a warm up and to allow lower level test takers show some language ability. If you make a big mistake in part 1 but do well in part 2 and 3, then the examiner will most likely ignore the earlier error. However, part 1 is your first impression on the examiner. You want to start strong. 

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How will they assess my speaking?

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There are 4 areas where your speaking is assessed, and they are equally important. 

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Fluency and coherence: the ability to speak at length and the connecting of sentences and ideas together. 

Lexical resource: your range of vocabulary. Your use of less common and idiomatic phrasing. Your ability to paraphrase.

Grammatical range and accuracy: your range of simple and complex structures. Your accuracy of these structures. 

Pronunciation: Your pronunciation of individual words. Your rhythm and stress of sentences. Using intonation appropriately.