FCEORAL EXAM

PART I

The Speaking test is 14 minutes long and consists of four parts. The standard test format is two candidates and two examiners. One examiner (the interlocutor) will speak to you and your partner and the other (the assessor) will be listening.

Part 1 (2 minutes)

The interlocutor asks you and your partner questions about yourselves. You may be asked about things like your home town, your interests, your studies, etc.

What is being evaluated?

Grammar and VocabularyAre you using a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary?

Are you using these structures and vocabulary correctly?

Are you using vocabulary which is appropriate for a range of familiar topics?

Discourse ManagementAre you using both long and short

answers, depending on the task? Is everything you say relevant to

the task? Are your ideas expressed clearly?Are you using some language to

link and organise your ideas?Are you able to speak fluently and

with very little repetition?

PronunciationYou don't need to have an English

accent, but it is important to be clear.Are you pronouncing individual

sounds clearly?Are you placing stress on the right

parts of words and on the right words in sentences?

Does your voice go up and down at the right times?

Interactive communicationAre you able to interact with the

other candidate easily and effectively?

Are you listening to the other candidate and answering in a way that makes sense?

Are you able to start a discussion and keep it going with your partner?

Can you think of new ideas to add to the discussion?

How to succeed?Listen and pay atention. If you don’t understand, just ask

again! Excuse me, could you repeat that?.

Practise giving information about yourself.

You can give short answers, but it is good to extend them if you can.

Don’t give answers which you have learned, as they don’t sound very natural.

 Reasons (justify your answer) Examples ( personal past experiences) Feelings ( Describe emotions, say why you

like certain things) Give extra information Example : if you are asked: Where are you from? what do you like to do to there?Answer: I am from Chillán. I like to go out with my friends at night and do some sport sometimes.

This answer is too far to be a good answer.

Where are you from? what do you like to do to there?

I’m from Chillán. It’s a beautiful town in the south of Chile, not very far from Concepción. I was born in Santiago but I’m living in Chillán at the moment. I usually go there during vacations. It’s so fun to be there. For example, last month I spent some time with my family and friends and I went shopping with my cousin, things are way too cheaper than in Chillán.

Example Speaking Part 1 Questions

What is your name?Where are you from?And what do you do there/here?How long have you been studying

English?What do you like most about studying

English? Is English important for your future? 

The examiner can “widen the scope” of the conversation… Tell me about your experience arriving here

today.  What was your day like today? Where do you see yourself in five years?  Tell me about something you celebrated

recently.  Tell me about a story you heard in the news

lately. 

Useful phrases and vocabulary for Cambridge CAE and FCE Speaking Module (Part 1)

On Your City  Speaking about your city is a great way to show that

you know how to use Relative Clauses correctly. Make sure you have prepared a short explanation about your city.

Examples: I’m from Umbria, which is a region in Central Italy. I’m originally from Daegu, which is a small college

town in South Korea. I’m from Maresme, which is a region just north of

Barcelona.

This is also a great opportunity to use the Present Perfect Continuous.

Example: I’m from Umbria, which is a region in

Central Italy. But I’ve been living here in San Diego for four months. 

I’m originally from Daegu, which is a small college town in South Korea. However, I’ve been studying English in San Francisco for the last three months.

I’m from Maresme, which is a region just north of Barcelona. But for the last few months I’ve been living in California.

On Your ChildhoodExamples Speaking about your childhood is a great

opportunity to use phrasal verbs like GROW UP. It’s also a great way to use the Past Passive.

- Born in I was born in Berlin.- Raised by I was raised by my mother and stepfather.- Grew up in I grew up in a small town, just north of Zurich.- Born and raised I was born and raised in Seoul.

On Your Personal LifeExamples: The Cambridge employee will want to know a little

about you, so be prepared to talk about your likes, dislikes, and interests. Here are some useful phrases.

- I’m an avid ________________. I’m an avid reader. I have hundreds of books in

addition to plenty of files on my e-reader.- I’m a ________________ lover. I’m a huge soccer lover, so I usually play with my

friends on weekends.- I’m a big fan of ________________. I’m a big fan of music, and in my free time I often go

to concerts.- I’m a ________________ fan. I’m a fitness fan, so I’m often found at the gym or

outdoors doing something exciting, like hiking.

Examples of what you are going to be asked

 Hometown: Where are you from’ where were you born? Free time: What are your hobbies? What activities do you

usually do when you’re at home? Do you enjoy being outdoors?

Past experiences: Tell me something you enjoyed doing recently. What did you do last weekend?

Travelling: do you enjoy travelling? Tell me about a place you’d love to visit.

Work: what would be your ideal job? What would you like to do in the future? Do you have a job or do you study?

Sports: do you enjoy doing sports? What activities can you practice where you live?

Family: tell us a little bit about your family. Books and TV: do you watch TV? What are your favourite

shows? Do you prefer watching TV or reading?

Useful phrases and tipsThere is one very important thing to remember: it’s completely natural that you might not understand everything the interlocutors say! If you don’t understand a question, you can always ask for clarification. Here are some ways to do so: I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you

please repeat the question? My apologies, I didn’t hear that last bit. Would

you mind repeating the question? Would you mind repeating the question once

more? Thank you.

Asking for clarificationSorry, I’m not sure what you mean. I don’t (really) understandCan you say that again, please? I’m not

(quite) sure what I have to do.Can I ask a question?Do you want me to....?Correcting yourselfWhat I mean is...What I meant was...What I’m trying to say is...