Set of instructions for you speaking exam

The English B HL IB speaking exam will take place at the end of your second IB year at your
school. It is the part of internal assessment where you will be graded and such grade will
be part of your final English IB mark.
The exam consists of a monologue about a topic of your choice that you must relate to
two of the books read at school during the past 2 IB years at school.
First, you need to prepare for the exam, write what you are planning to say beforehand in
a piece of paper or a document. Bear in mind that the exam has multiple parts, first you
will talk for approximately 10 minutes on your own, and then your teacher will ask you
some questions on the topic and make you develop some points that you made during the
first part.
Always have a clear structure in your head, so if you get lost you always know what you
should say. You should have an introduction, two main body paragraphs of the main
points that you want to discuss in the exam and a conclusion at the end, summarizing the
points made. Always remember that the conclusion should not add anything new that you
haven’t already said.
Try to always keep calm and don’t talk too quickly, because that might make you forget
about things you initially planned to mention and also make your oral much shorter than
what it should be. Talking too quickly will also make you harder to understand, because,
remember, the exam will be recorded and then listened by the examinator so audio
quality might not be the best.
If you struggle with nerves and you think that that might affect you during the exam you
should practice a lot before the day of the exam. I recommend practicing in front of your
family or friends so that it feels more authentic. Make sure to time yourself so that you
make sure you talk for the required time.
It is important that, for the last part, you answer what your teacher asks you. A lot of
students tend to ignore the question they are asked and instead talk about something else
or add new points. This will tell the examiners that you don’t have a full knowledge about
the topic and must be avoided at all times.