CAE SPEAKING TEST PART 1
Part 1 is a nice, easy start. The examiner will ask you and the other candidate some basic
questions about you and your life. You shouldn't talk to the other candidate at this time. In this
section you will learn how to avoid some common mistakes, and how to prepare.
1. INTERACTION DIAGRAM
The examiner asks you questions. You answer. When the other candidate is talking, don't
interrupt or ask your own questions.
2. DEAD AIR IS A CRIME
Imagine you are on a radio programme. We know that the worst thing a Disc Jockey or radio
presenter can do is leave 'dead air'. There should always, always be music or chat. If there is
dead air, listeners will switch to another station.
Dead air is just as bad in the speaking exam. It's a total of 15 minutes long. Some of that time
will be the examiner telling you what to do. Half of the time the other candidate will be talking.
Did you watch the video with Raphael and Maude? In part 1 Raphael spoke for just 25
seconds. In parts 2, 3, and 4 he spoke for 84 seconds, 64 seconds, and 98 seconds. A total
of 4 minutes 50 seconds. Not much time to show all the vocabulary and grammar he learned!
So, the absolute number 1 most important lesson to learn about the speaking test is never leave
dead air. If you forget a word, keep talking. If you realise you just made a big grammar
mistake, keep talking. If no one is smiling at you and you think you are doing badly - KEEP
TALKING!
3. WHICH QUESTIONS TO EXPECT
Typical questions about your hometown, your home, your job, your
hobbies, and your personality. Plus, one or two slightly more advanced
ones. Here are a few you could prepare for:
Where are you from?
Do you have a job or are you still a student?
How long have you been studying English?
What do you enjoy most about learning English?
How do you like to spend your free time?
What would your ideal job be?
Are you the kind of person who can do two things at once?
Are you planning to do any courses in the near future?
Do you use social networking sites a lot?
Would you enjoy preparing food for a large number of people?
Do you like to give yourself targets or goals?
If you won the lottery what would you do?
4. THE RIGHT LENGTH OF ANSWER
TOO SHORT
Q - Do you like your job?
A - Yes.
(Hey, come on! This is the CAE Speaking Test! A means advanced.)
A BIT BETTER
Q - Do you like your job?
A - Yes, it is good. Having a job is good and my job is good.
(Okayyyy... How about three sentences and use some C1 vocabulary?)
THE RIGHT LENGTH
Q - Do you like your job?
A - Yes and no! I mean, it's a challenge and the work is varied. But sometimes
the workload is overwhelming and my work-life balance suffers.
(This is a good length and the vocabulary is spot-on. A longer answer might start to annoy
everyone. Let the other candidate have time to answer questions. Being selfish is not a good
strategy in the CAE speaking test.)
5. LEARN KEYWORDS, NOT SPEECHES
The examiners don't want to hear a rehearsed speech. You are not Mauricio or Cristina. You
are not a politician or a newsreader. The point of the test is to see how well you would cope in
a spontaneous real-life situation.
So: learn some CAE level vocabulary that you can use for the questions you might be asked.
You’re having plenty of material in your course. One Advanced (C1) level phrase to describe
such a room is 'bright and airy'. If we took the exam, it would look like this:
Examiner: 'What do you like about your job?"
Reply: 'I like helping people and our offices are bright and airy.'
or
Examiner: 'How has your life changed in the last 5 years?'
Reply: 'A lot! My company changed their office - the old one was quite dark and in a bad
location. The new one is bright and airy. It's nice to work there.'
6. BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY
Now that you have some idea about what will be in part 1 and you understand the importance
of using advanced language, it's time to start adding high-level words to your active vocabulary.
But listen! YOU have to start using these new words. That means saying them in conversations,
writing them in emails, and being prepared to make some mistakes. If you aren't making
mistakes you aren't learning.
7. GET A BETTER GRADE - WITHOUT
SPEAKING!
As the interaction chart (above) shows, in this part of the test you shouldn't talk to the other
student. But most candidates 'switch off' when it's not their turn to speak. They stare at the desk
or at their hands.
WRONG! You should turn your body slightly towards the other candidate. Look at them and
listen to what they are saying. Nod, smile, be interested - the examiner will see this and feel
more warmly towards you and more positively
about your English.
Crazy? Not really. There's a lot of research into
body language, but you can see for yourself. Look
at this photo. Who looks stressed, struggling to
understand? Who looks confident and in control?
