Online Practice Tests First for Schools Speaking A

20 CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST FOR SCHOOLS | TEST A This page may be photocopied © Cambridge University Press 2014

Speaking

About the Speaking testThe Speaking test lasts for about 14 minutes. You take the test with another candidate (called your ‘partner’). There are two examiners – one will speak to you and your partner, the other will only listen. Both examiners will award marks. The listening examiner gives five different marks: grammar and vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation and interactive communication. The speaking examiner awards one mark for overall performance.

Part 1 (2 minutes)The examiner will ask you and your partner questions about yourselves. You may be asked questions about everyday topics such as your family, how you spend your free time and your career plans.

Part 2 (4 minutes: a 1-minute ‘long turn’ for each candidate and 30 seconds for a response from the second candidate)In this part of the Speaking test, the examiner will show you two photographs and will ask you to talk about them for one minute. Your partner will then be asked a question about your photographs.

Then the examiner will show your partner two different photographs. Your partner will talk about these photographs for one minute. This time the examiner will ask you a question about your partner’s photographs.

Part 3 (4 minutes)Now the examiner will ask you and your partner to talk together. The examiner will give you a piece of paper with a question written on it and some ideas to help you. You and your partner talk together about the question, listening and responding to each other’s ideas, agreeing and disagreeing. You should both take turns so that you speak for the same amount of time. The examiner will then ask a further question to encourage you to summarise your discussion.

Part 4 (4 minutes)The examiner will ask some further questions related to the Part 3 topic. The idea is to have a discussion in a little more depth about the topic. The examiner may ask you to answer questions on your own, or may encourage you to discuss questions with your partner.

Practice Test X6 BOOK.indb 20 06/10/2014 15:31


Speaking • Part 1

2 minutes (3 minutes for groups of three)

The interlocutor introduces him/herself and asks you and your partner your names as below:

Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is and this is my colleague .

And your names are?

Can I have your mark sheets, please?

Thank you.

• Whereareyoufrom,(Candidate A)?

• Andyou,(Candidate B)?

The examiner will ask each of you questions about everyday life. Here are some example topics and questions:

First we’d like to know something about you.

Everyday life

• Doyouliveneartheschool? (How do you get to school?)

• Whendoyouusuallydoyourhomework? (Why?)

• Whatthingsdoyouenjoydoingathomeintheevening?

• Doesyourfamilyhaveamealtogetherintheevening? (What do you like to eat?)

• Whatareyougoingtodothisweekend?

School

• Whatisyourfavouritesubject?(Whydoyoulikeit?)

• Whatisthebestthingaboutyourschool?(Why?)

• Tellusaboutoneofyourschoolfriends.

• Whatwouldyouliketodowhenyoufinishschool?(Why?)



Speaking • Part 2

1 Getting exercise2 Holidays


In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you two photographs. I’d like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question about your partner’s photographs.

(Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs (page 23). They show young people doing different kinds of exercise.I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say what the benefits of doing these kinds of exercise are.

When Student A has finished, the examiner asks Student B a question.

(Candidate B), how do you keep fit? ... (Why?)

Now, (Candidate B), here are your photographs (page 24). They show different kinds of holidays.I’d like you to compare the photographs and say what you think the young people are enjoying about these different types of holiday.

When Student B has finished, the examiner asks Student A a question.

(Candidate A), what kind of holiday do you enjoy most? ... (Why?)



What are the benefits of doing these kinds of exercise? 1

A

B



What are the people enjoying about these different types of holiday?

A

B

2



Speaking • Part 3


Now, I’d like you to talk about something together for two minutes.

I’d like you to imagine that a secondary school has some money to spend on improving the facilities. Here are some things your school could spend some money on and a question for you to discuss. First you have some time to look at the task.[15 seconds]

Now, talk to each other about why these things might be useful for most students.

The examiner then asks you to decide something together.

Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which two things you would not spend the money on.

Speaking • Part 4


The examiner asks you some questions related to the activity in Part 3.

Here are some examples of questions you might have:

• Somepeoplesaystudentsspendtoomuchtimestudyingandnotenoughtimedoingotherthings.What do you think?

• Shouldschoolsprovidesportsfacilitiesorshouldchildrendosportoutsideschool?

• Doyouthinkschoolsshouldhaveanorchestra?Why?/Whynot?

• Whichactivitiesdoyoudooutsideschool?Whichdoyouenjoythemost?

• Doyouthinkdramaisanimportantsubjecttoincludeatschool?Why?/Whynot?

• Somepeoplesaythatpracticalsubjectslikedesignandtechnologyandartareasimportantasacademic subjects. What do you think?



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Online Practice Tests First for Schools Speaking A

Documents

partner questions

minutesthe examiner

listening examiner

speaking examiner awards

schools test

test lasts

cambridge english

practice test x6 book