May 2023

ECPE

SPEAKING

1. Choosing a TV reporter.
Information about the selected reporter:
a. Has written 3 successful books for children / for school
(the examiner’s comment/question: This makes them a good writer and not a good
reporter.)
2. A group consisting of singers-actors-dancers is recruiting a new member. / A company
wants to hire a performer. There are four candidates.
Options:
a. A man / Antony Royal
 34 years old
 Singer-actor with 12 years of experience
 Worked on Broadway
 Directed a play
 Available in 6 months
 Negative: aggressive behaviour / not open to criticism
Elaboration question:
 It says that this candidate is a singer-actor. What about his dancing?
b. A man / Daniel
 24 years old
 Performer (singer-actor-dancer) since childhood
 Had a break from performing between the ages of 15 and 20
 Has recorded two songs that became popular
 Available in 1 month
 Negative: recovering from an injury / has a criminal record
Elaboration question:
 Are his songs appropriate and of good quality?
c. Rachel
 22 years old
 Dancer, actress
 BA in acting
 Available now
 Negative: Recently had a knee injury.
d. Amy Pointer
 22 years old
 Singer, actress, dancer
 1 year of experience
 Popular on social media
 Has a role in 2 musical performances,
 Available immediately
 Negative: does not follow our scripts
All four options had bullets regarding experience, age and availability.
OR
Choosing the director for a performance.
OR
About an actor/actress/singer to be hired for a school performance.
3. Adding a section to the supermarket.
Options:
a. Coffee shop
b. Flower shop
  Negative: fresh flowers are expensive.
c. Photo section
d. Supply section
4. A catering company needs to be selected.
Options:
a. Pasta World
 Offers a variety of dishes
 $12 for an average dish
 Free salad
 20 years in business
 Open 10:00-20:00
 Vegetables from local farms
 Negative: small portions
Elaboration questions:
 Would supply only from local farms mean that there might be limitations
regarding the number of vegetables available?
 In Greece, a free salad usually means a small portion or low quality. Will it
be worth it?
b. International Buffet
 Offers a variety of dishes
 25% discount on Saturday
 $16 average for a dish
 2 years in business
 Open 11:00-22:00
 Negative: previous restaurant failed
c. Captain Snack
 Offers sea food snacks
 $20 for a dish
 25 years in business
 Negative: slow service
d. Café toast
 Offers baked goods and drinks
 10% discount
 $6 for a meal
 5 years in business
 Open 6:00-18:00
 Negative: ???
5. Part 1
a. Tell me about yourself.
b. Have you ever won any awards?
Part 2. You are high school teachers. Choose a student to receive an award for the best
innovation.
Options:
a. A boy who developed a gaming website which would help high school students with
school subjects.
b. A girl who built a machine to recycle the school books into paper. She donated to
school. Problem was it made a lot of noise.
c. ?
d. ?
6. Choosing a book editor.
a. ?
 Has an impressive book collection
 Used to be the sales manages and has won a prize
 Negative points:
 Insults other people
 Bad references
7. Creating new municipality infrastructure.
Options:
a. Music hall
b. History museum
c. Animal shelter
d. Park for kids (e.g. Wonderland)
OR
Options:
a. Athletic centre
b. Recreational area
c. History museum
d. Jazz music centre
8. Building a swimming pool (appropriate design, heated, with an indoor bar)
OR
Options:
a. Splash amusement pools
 3 pools and water slides
 In an amusement park
 In the city centre
 300.000 residents in the city
 18 months to complete construction
 Entry fee: $75/year
 Really crowded on the weekend
b. Lounge pools
 2 pools with bar/restaurant
 1 year to complete construction
 Entry fee: $15 per visit
 Located on the roof top of a restaurant
 Above 18 years old
c. …
 Space as an Olympic stadium
 Can accommodate 1000 people
 3 years to complete construction
 Entry fee: $75/month
 Gym, only for exercise
9. General questions:
a. Introduce yourselves.
b. How long have you been learning English and how do you think it will be helpful in
the future?
Choosing a student exchange programme abroad (English-speaking countries)
Options:
a. Chicago, USA
 4 weeks
 1,500 per student
 Food and restaurant facilities
 Negative: 45 minutes train station from the school
b. London
c. Melbourne, Australia
 5 weeks
 800 per student
 Computer additional studies
  Negative: inexperienced teachers
d. Dublin
Each had information about cost, duration, accommodation.
Negative: They had to stay at other student's homes which might make them feel
uncomfortable.
OR
Part 1
a. What is the ideal country for studies? (abroad or in your country)
Part 2
Choosing a country for Erasmus programme.
Part 3
a. Why are you taking the proficiency exam?
10. Part 1
a. brief character description
b. the importance of travelling so to better understand different cultures
Part 2
Choosing a language school abroad. The aim was to choose the most suitable school so as
to learn and practice a foreign language, enhance communicative skills and improve
command of it.
11. Choosing a volunteer project for students
Options:
a. Working with the elderly
b. Working with children
c. On the beach
d. In the mountains
OR
Part 1
Personal questions about volunteering.
Part 2
The Teachers’ Committee needs to choose an out-of-school activity. / volunteer project.
Options:
a. Beach clean-up / river clean-up
 Increasing environmental awareness
 Walking distance from school
 Duration: 3-hour project
 Equipment provided by the school
 Risks: lots of broken glass
b. Offering a meal/lunch to the elderly
 Students will learn to respect the elderly
 Students will eat with the seniors
 Duration: 4 hours OR 4 days – Friday lunch breaks
 Resources provided by the school
 Negative: may disturb seniors’ routine
c. Animal shelter
 Care for abandoned animals
 School pays for the transportation
 Risk: a dog may bite a student
d. Graffiti removal / Cleaning graffiti off people’s property
 Equipment provided by the school
 Risk: might have to climb a ladder
OR
Which volunteer project to do as a school? Options:
a. River cleanup
 Remove garbage from the river 
  Duration: 4 hours 
 Increase the students’ environmental awareness 
 City pays for the equipment 
 Local fishing community will help 
 Touching broken glass 
b. Helping the elderly with lunch
 Helping older people 
 Walking distance from school
 Students will eat with seniors 
 Change of seniors’ routine  
c. Graffiti removal
 Remove paintings from buildings 
 Increase city buildings’ value
 Appreciated by the community
 City pays for protective clothing 
 Danger because involves climbing of short ladders

12. Restoration of a warehouse.

You are the mayor and you have to decide how to make the best use of a warehouse / how
to best restore a warehouse.
Options:
a. Soup kitchen
b. Recreational centre with skateboarding facilities
c. Art centre
d. ???
OR
Make a creative use of a warehouse 
Options:
a. Farmer's market
 boost the economy
 sell local products
 job opportunities
b. Mall 
 Cinema
 Shops
 Art events, shows, etc.
c. ?
d. ?

WRITING

1. Essay.
Being honest and direct is the best way to communicate. Advantages and disadvantages of
honest communication.
OR
Being direct and always sincere in your relationships - advantages and disadvantages.

2. Proposal.
A company is considering abolishing face-to-face meetings and switching to electronic
correspondence instead. This would give the employees more personal time. Compare the
two ways.

3. Essay.
 The government is supporting / Some governments are thinking to support arts by funding
cultural events and art lessons with tax payer money (advantages and disadvantages).

4. Essay.
Should employers take into consideration other competences (soft skills, e.g. team spirit,
cooperation, leadership) apart from education and work experience during the recruitment
process? Does this have positive or negative consequences?
OR
Lately, employers have started focusing more on qualities than of qualifications. What are
the advantages and disadvantages of this? What is your opinion on the topic?
OR
Many employers are starting to consider qualities rather than directly related education and
work experience when deciding when to hire. What are the positive and negative effects
this might have?

5. Article.
The government has decided that students will be required to take a class about ''soft
skills'', such as collaboration and leadership, in order to graduate. What are the positive
effects of students taking these courses? Express your opinion.

6. Article.
Regarding teaching arts at school. Discuss the various opinions on the topic, taking into
consideration that some students are against art classes. What is your opinion?