Exam Strategies for the Speaking Exam

What are the examiners looking for?

 Structure
 Vocabulary
 Development and fluency
Check the MARKING CRITERIA

Examiner Tip
Remember that in the real exam you mustn’t deliver a monologue.
When you practice answering the bullet points on the topic card,
you can ask someone to act as the examiner to read out the bullet
points and ask you extra questions.
Examiner Tip
It’s a good idea to record yourself when you are practicing
answering the topic card. When you watch your performance
again, you can see better what you did well and what you need to
improve.
Examiner Tip
Use a timer to see how long you take to answer each bullet point,
to know whether you need to say a bit more about each point, or
not.

During Part C – the preparation part

1- Read all the bullet points very carefully.

Examiner Tip 1
In the real exam, ask the examiner if you don’t understand
any of the vocabulary on the topic card. Without properly
understanding the ideas on the topic card, you won’t be able
to prepare well for part D, the conversation.

2- Think of possible answers to each bullet point and

also other related ideas on that topic.

3- Spend 2-3 minutes thinking about your answers

Examiner Tip 3
Don’t rush the preparation part. Make sure you think about
all five bullet points before you start Part D, the
conversation.

During Part D – the conversation

4- Answer all five bullet points
5- Answer the bullet points in the order printed on
the topic card.

Examiner Tip 5
It is important to follow the order of the bullet points. The
points are arranged from easier everyday ideas to more
abstract ideas to help the conversation between you and the
examiner develop naturally.

6- Develop your answers.

Examiner Tip 6
Examiners won’t be able to assess your speaking from very
short answers. It is therefore important to give answers with
well-developed ideas. To develop your ideas, you can:
 Speak about your own experience or the experience of
somebody you know (e.g. a friend)
 Speak about something related to the topic that you
have read/ heard about (e.g. a report)
 Compare what is happening now to what used to
happen in the past.

7- Link your ideas logically using appropriate

linking words and phrases.
 Examiner Tip 7
To make your ideas sound more complex, use linking
words/phrases. For example: however …, on the one hand /
on the other hand …, that’s why …, which means …, it
wasn’t until …, etc.

8- Use a range of grammatical structures and

vocabulary.

Examiner Tip 8
The wider range of grammatical structures (e.g. tenses,
conditionals, relative clauses, etc.) and vocabulary
(adjectives, verbs, phrasal verbs, etc.) you use, the better the
mark you’ll receive.

9- Speak clearly.

Examiner Tip 9
You don’t have to speak like a native speaker, but you’re
expected to sound clear so that other people can understand
you. It is also important to use rising and falling intonation
and to pause now and again so that you don’t sound
monotonous or bored.