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Learn >> FCE Speaking Test





If you`ve signed up for the First Certificate in English exam and need help with the Speaking test, then this page is here to help. You`ll find below an overview of the oral exam plus tips to help you do your best on the day of the FCE test.
FCE Speaking Test: Key Facts
Duration: Approximately 14 minutes. Participants: Candidates interviewed in pairs. (In threes for the final session at a centre with an odd number of candidates). Two examiners are present. One examiner (the interlocutor) carries out the interviewer whilst the second (the assessor) focuses on the candidate`s performance. Format: There are four parts to the test.





FCE Speaking Test: Part 1 (Interview)
Tests ability to: use language for social purposes, e.g. making introductions, answering questions about yourself.
Part 1 of the FCE Speaking test lasts about 3 minutes. The examiner will ask some `getting-to-know-you` questions perhaps to find out where you come from, your interests, your family or your studies etc.
Example Questions
Q: Where are you from? Q: Tell me something about your family. Q: What did you enjoy most when you were at primary school? Q: Do you have any plans for a holiday this year? Q: Do you play any musical instruments?
Tips!
Giving full answers to the examiner`s questions will help get the interview off to a good start.
1) Avoid giving short, uncommunicative replies. Q: Tell me something about your family. A: I live with my mum, dad and sister and brother. (Don`t stop there!) My sister`s younger than me and still goes to school. My brother works as a computer technician.
2) Avoid short, `yes`, `no` answers to closed questions. (These are questions beginning `Have you ...`, `Do you ...`, `Is it ...` etc which can be answered simply with a yes or no answer). Q: Do you have any plans for a holiday this year? A: Yes. (Don`t stop there!) If I get the chance I`d like to visit my friend in Germany. We haven`t seen each other for a while and I`m really looking forward to seeing him and getting to know Germany. Q: Do you play any musical instruments? A: No. (Don`t stop there!) We had music lessons when I was at school but I was never very good.
3) Offer examples to help you explain a statement. Q: Why are you preparing for the FCE exam? A: No reason really. (Don`t stop there!) I enjoy learning English and I think it would be good to have a qualification to show my level.
FCE Speaking Test: Part 2 (Long Turn)
Tests ability to: speak at length coherently, use language to describe, compare and contrast and comment upon a topic.
Part 2 of the FCE Speaking test lasts between 4 minutes (6 minutes for groups of three). The examiner gives you two photographs and your partner a different pair of photographs. You have to speak about your two photos without interruption for about 1 minute and also answer a question about your partner`s photographs when he or she has finished their long turn.
Example Task
The interview will begin with the examiner saying something like:
Q: In this part of the test I`m going to give each of you two photographs. I`d like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about 1 minute and also to answer a short question about your partner`s photographs. Q: (Candidate A), here are your photographs. They show people participating in sporting activities. Q: I`d like you to compare the two photographs and say why sport is important to people. Q: All right?
Notice there are TWO instructions here: first to `compare` the two photographs and also `to say why` sport is important to people. In Part 2 candidates need to show they can compare but also give an opinion.


The examiner will then ask Candidate B a short question about these photographs. Q: Thank you (Candidate A). (Candidate B) which sport would you most like to try? Candidate B will then do their long turn with a different set of photographs and at the end, Candidate A will be asked a short question.
Tips!
1. Listen to the instructions carefully and make sure you know what you have to talk about. If you don`t understand the instructions you should ask the examiner to repeat them: "Excuse me, could you say that again?" "I`m sorry, but would you mind repeating that?"
2. The question will help you with the structure of your talk. A) Start with a general summary of the topic: `These two photographs show people involved in a sport.` B) Then