Before speaking: Understand, prepare, and organize
A good response starts before the microphone turns on. First identify what you need to communicate; then choose ideas you can develop clearly.
Work through each lesson and mark the module complete when you finish practising.
1.1 How the test works
Speaking includes eight tasks. You respond through the computer's microphone, with separate preparation and recording periods.
| Task | Preparation | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1: Giving Advice | 30 seconds | 90 seconds |
| Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Task 3: Describing a Scene | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Task 4: Making Predictions | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Task 5: Comparing and Persuading | 60 seconds to choose; another 60 to prepare | 60 seconds, only in the second part |
| Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation | 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Task 7: Expressing Opinions | 30 seconds | 90 seconds |
| Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
In Task 5, you do not speak during the initial selection. A new option then appears, which you compare with your choice.
These times come from the official Speaking guide. During the test, follow the instructions and timer on screen.
1.2 What to identify before responding
Ask yourself four questions:
- What do I need to do? Advise, narrate, describe, predict, compare, resolve, or argue.
- Who am I speaking to? Identify the person and your relationship.
- What information must I include? Look for needs, conditions, facts, and requested actions.
- How will I organize it? Choose a simple sequence and an appropriate ending.
Example: Your friend Sarah has an important exam and does not know how to organize her studying.
| What to identify | Your decision |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Give practical advice. |
| Listener | A friend; a warm, respectful tone. |
| Need | Organize her studying, rather than talk about your own life. |
| Sequence | Study plan, practice, and help with difficult topics. |
1.3 What is assessed
| Criterion | What to review in your response |
|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Relevant ideas, organization, examples, and supporting details. |
| Vocabulary | Variety, precision, and expressions appropriate to the context. |
| Listenability | Pronunciation, rhythm, intonation, pauses, self-correction, grammar, and sentence structure. |
| Task Fulfillment | Following the task, tone, relevance, sufficient development, and length. |
One impressive phrase does not determine your level. What matters is how it works within the whole response. Consult the official assessment criteria to connect your practice with these dimensions.
1.4 Prepare ideas, not a complete speech
Use brief notes to remember the sequence. Avoid spending preparation time writing every sentence you intend to say.
For Sarah, useful notes might be:
Sarah / worried / weekly plan + priorities / practice questions + mistakes / ask teacher / encouragement
Try this order: understand the task, choose ideas, and decide how to begin. For 90-second tasks, you can prepare two or three developed ideas as a starting point; this is neither a compulsory number nor a guarantee of duration.
Notes are an aid, not a requirement for speaking well. Practise until you know how much you need to write without losing attention to the task.
1.5 Speak clearly and manage your time
- Pace: Use a speed that lets you articulate and connect ideas. Speaking faster does not, by itself, demonstrate greater proficiency.
- Pauses: Pause between ideas. Avoid constantly interrupting a sentence to find a perfect word.
- Timer: Check it after finishing an idea to decide how much to develop the next one.
- Remaining time: Add a missing reason, example, or relevant detail. Do not repeat yourself just to fill seconds.
- Getting stuck: Return to a keyword or express the idea more simply.
Finishing very early may indicate insufficient development, but there is no fixed deduction for each second of silence. Practise complete responses that use the time without accumulating filler.
Mini-test
Recognize the timing
Which two tasks allow 90 seconds of response time?
Mini-test
Develop without filler
You are giving advice about organizing study time. You said Sarah should answer practice questions but have not explained why. Time remains. Which continuation develops that advice?
1.6 Speaking practice: From notes to ideas
Prompt: Your friend is starting a new job and is worried about organizing the first few weeks. Give advice on preparing and adapting.
Spend 30 seconds preparing and up to 90 responding. Record yourself without reading a complete text. This first recording will provide a reference for observing your progress.
When listening, check:
- Did I address my friend's concern?
- Did I explain how to apply my advice?
- Did my notes help me stay organized?
- Could I finish without rushing the ending?
You do not need to fix everything today. Note one strength and one specific improvement.
Start practising Speaking
Test your preparation with a speaking exercise.