CPE Speaking Test: Key Facts

Duration: 16 minutes.
Participants: Candidates are interviewed in pairs. There are two examiners present: one
who asks the questions, the other acts as assessor and doesn't speak during the interview.
Format: The oral test consists of three parts.

Part 1 (Interview)
Tests ability to: use language for social purposes, such as in making introductions,
answering questions, giving an opinion.

This first section of the CPE Speaking exam lasts about 2 minutes. In this section the
examiner will ask you at least three questions to give you the chance to introduce yourself
and for you to give an opinion on a general topic to do with your life experiences, interests
etc.

Example Questions

The interview will begin with the examiner saying something like:

Q: Hello. My name is ........ and this is my colleague ........

Q: And your names are?
Q: Can I have your mark sheets please? ........ Thank you.
Q: First of all we'd like to know something about you.
(Source: CPE Handbook: www.cambridgeesol.org)

The examiner will then ask each of you a minimum of three questions. For example:

Q: Which place would you recommend a visitor to your country see?

Q: How important is it to speak English in your country?
Q: Do you think young people spend their leisure time usefully?

TIPS

You may well be asked questions that could be answered with a brief response. However, try
to give full, relevant answers to these questions.

1) Offer more than the bare minimum in your answers.

Q: Which place would you recommend a visitor to your country visit?
A: If someone comes to the Czech Republic they'll obviously want to spend time in the
capital, Prague but I'd also recommend visiting Brno. (Don't stop there!) It's in the heart of
Moravia and it's full of cultural places of interest. There's a city centre and an old part of the
town and they're both full of lovely cathedrals, museums and much more.

2) Offer examples to help you explain a statement.

Q: How important is it to speak English in your country?
A: Speaking English is very important. Children learn it from an early age and many jobs
require you to have an English qualification or want evidence that you can communicate in
English well. It's not just English though. In my company for example, for business reasons
German is also very important.

Part 2: (Collaborative Task)

Tests ability to: use language to discuss and interpret, to agree, disagree or agree to
disagree, negotiate and collaborate, to rank or classify, speculate, evaluate, make decisions
etc.

There are two sections to Part 2 of the CPE Speaking test, which lasts about 4 minutes. The
examiner will ask you and your partner to talk about a set of visual prompts together.
Example Task

The examiner will say something on the lines of:

Q: Now in this part of the test you're going to do something together. Here are some
pictures showing people in different situations. First, I'd like you to look at
pictures A and C and talk together about why these photographs might have been taken.
You have about 1 minute for this so don't worry if I interrupt you.

Then after approximately 1 minute:

Notice there are TWO instructions. You are asked to talk about all the pictures first but also
to reach a decision as to which one picture should be used for the campaign. This means
you're required not only to discuss but also to show your ability to negotiate and collaborate
with your partner. You don't have to reach agreement but you must at least work towards
this.

TIPS

The discussion will proceed more productively if you work collaboratively on this task.
1. Ask your partner for his or her opinion rather than simply stating your own. Focus just as
much on asking some 'What do you think ...' type questions rather than simply making 'I
think ...' type statements.

2. When your partner is speaking listen carefully and 'actively'. Show interest in their
opinions by responding to comments he or she makes. This might be by showing you agree
or disagree with something they've said but could also be to ask them to expand or clarify a
comment they've made.

3. When giving your opinion, accommodate your partner's views when appropriate.

+INFO:

1. http://www.splendid-speaking.com/exams/cpe_speaking.html

2. Evans, V. & Scott, S. Listening and Speaking Skills for the revised Cambridge Proficiency
exam. Express Publishing