B1 Preliminary for Schools

Speaking test video: examiner feedback
Part 1

Bertille
Bertille answers all questions appropriately
and produces some extended responses
(i.e. when talking about teachers she likes),
although some responses are less well-
developed, such as her response to the
question Which time of year do you like
the most?
She shows a good degree of control of
simple grammatical forms and uses a range
of appropriate vocabulary to talk about
familiar topics.
Her pronunciation is generally clear despite
occasional slips with individual sounds, i.e.
the initial ‘w’ (/v/) and /i:/ instead of /ai/ in
dynamic.
Miray
Miray responds to all questions
appropriately, giving fully developed and
extended responses and using a range of
cohesive devices to introduce and connect
her ideas.
She demonstrates a wide range of
vocabulary appropriate to the questions,
with only occasional slips, watching pop
music, and a good degree of control of
grammatical forms.
Miray’s pronunciation is clear.

Tips for Part 1

• T
 he ‘tell me about’ question is an opportunity to give a longer answer to a question. Use
this opportunity to demonstrate a range of language and clear organisation of your ideas.
Try to avoid the interlocutor having to prompt a longer answer with Why?

• T
 he questions in this part will all be on familiar topics such as family, hobbies, travel and
work or school. You can prepare for this part of the test by practising questions on these
topics and developing your range of vocabulary.

B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test video: examiner feedback 1



Part 2

Bertille
Bertille gives a clear description of the
photograph, including details about what she
can see and some speculation, Maybe is it
in the evening because … . Her description
is relevant and organised effectively, with no
repetition, but she is unable to keep talking
for the full minute allowed.
She has generally good control of mainly
simple grammatical forms and uses an
appropriate range of vocabulary to describe
the photograph.
Her pronunciation is generally clear and
individual sounds are generally articulated
clearly.
Miray
Miray starts confidently with comments that
go beyond simple descriptions, I see a really
positive family … it might be in the evening
because … lunch too. However, she quickly
runs out of things to say and only talks for
just over half the time allowed.
She uses a good range of language despite
repetition of there is and errors with single/
plural agreement.
Her pronunciation is clear, although the
clarity of some individual sounds is affected
by a rushed start to her description.

Tips for Part 2

• Y
 ou are given up to a minute to talk about the photograph, so there is no need to rush
when you start talking. Take time to organise what you want to say.

• Practise speaking for a minute so that you have a clear idea of how long this is.

• A
 s well as talking about what you can see, it’s a good idea to speculate about the
photograph, i.e. what may have happened before the picture or what might happen next.
This gives you more to talk about, and also gives opportunities to use a wider range
of language.

B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test video: examiner feedback 2

 

Part 3

Bertille
Bertille generally initiates and responds
appropriately. She starts the discussion off
and responds to some of Miray’s comments,
for example her suggestion of taking fruit.
Bertille has to be prompted to continue
contributing to the interaction and she uses
this opportunity to move the discussion
forward to the second part of the task,
Maybe the most useful are the water and
the map.
Bertille shows a good degree of control of
mainly simple grammatical forms and uses
a range of appropriate vocabulary.
Miray
Miray initiates and responds appropriately
throughout this part. She drives the
discussion forward by moving on to the next
picture and encourages interaction with her
partner. Her contributions are organised
effectively, but they are occasionally
incomplete, in case we get thirsty and that.
Miray makes good use of modals and
conditionals to speculate about the task.
She demonstrates a range of vocabulary,
refillable, environment friendly, and uses
paraphrase to communicate her ideas,
space-taking.

Her pronunciation is clear. Her pronunciation is clear.

Tips for Part 3

• R
 emember there are two parts to the question: talk about … and then say … . You don’t
need to talk about all the pictures before moving on to the second part of the task.

• U
 se this part of the test as an opportunity to show how you can interact with your partner.
Listen to what your partner says and respond: you can agree or disagree, before you make
your own point.

B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test video: examiner feedback 3



Part 4

Bertille
Bertille struggles to find the exact words
she needs to answer the first question, but
she uses gesture and paraphrase to make
her point. She responds appropriately to all
questions, without repetition.
She shows a generally good degree of
control of mainly simple grammatical forms.
Her pronunciation is clear, with some lack of
clarity of individual sounds, i.e. climb /kli:m/.
Miray
Miray struggles to find the words she needs
to answer the first question and so abandons
this response. Her responses to the next
questions are appropriate and extended, with
limited repetition, and she develops Bertille’s
comments about the trip to Stonehenge
effectively.
Miray demonstrates a good range of
vocabulary, pretty close, socialise, digital
world, and generally has good control of a
range of grammatical forms.

Her pronunciation is clear, with isolated

examples of less clear pronunciation, i.e.
Wednesday.

Tips for Part 4

• T
 he questions in this part of the test will be related to the topic you discussed in Part 3, but
they will give you the opportunity to talk about your own experiences and opinions. You can
prepare for this part of the test by practising different ways of expressing opinions.

• In this part, you may be asked individual questions, or you may be encouraged to discuss
the questions with your partner, so continue listening and responding to what your partner
says. This skill is assessed under Interactive Communication.

B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test video: examiner feedback 4


Overall
Bertille
Grammar and Vocabulary
Bertille shows generally good control of
language although she uses mainly simple
grammatical forms and a limited range of
vocabulary. Errors, for example with verb
forms and prepositions, do not impede
communication.
Discourse Management
Bertille produces responses that are extended
beyond short phrases, with little hesitation and
no repetition. Her contributions are relevant,
and she uses generally simple cohesive devices
to connect her ideas.
Pronunciation
Bertille’s pronunciation is intelligible. Sentence
and word stress are generally accurately
placed, and intonation is appropriate, but there
are several instances of individual sounds
which are less clearly articulated.
Interactive Communication
Bertille responds appropriately throughout the
test. She makes some attempt to initiate and
maintain the interaction, for example in Part 3.
Global Achievement
Bertille handles communication on familiar
topics, with only minimal hesitation. She
produces utterances with some development,
using mainly simple structures and vocabulary.
Some inaccuracies are present.
B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test video: examiner feedback

Miray
Grammar and Vocabulary
Miray shows a good degree of control of
simple grammatical forms and of some
more complex forms, including modal
verbs and conditionals. She uses a range
of appropriate vocabulary, with some
effective use of paraphrase.
Discourse Management
Miray produces extended stretches
of language with little hesitation. Her
comments are relevant and generally
organised effectively with a good range of
linking words and referencing, although
she frequently uses like to connect her
ideas.
Pronunciation
Miray’s pronunciation is clear and
intelligible, with generally good control of
individual sounds and or stress patterns,
although this is sometimes affected by
rushed speech or abandoned responses.
Interactive Communication
Miray initiates and responds appropriately.
She generally maintains and develops the
interaction without the need for support.
Global Achievement
Miray handles communication on familiar
topics effectively. She uses a range
of language and organises extended
discourse appropriately, with occasional
lapses of coherence arising from
vocabulary limitations or rushed speech.
5