CAE Speaking Practice 1

Speaking can't be auto-graded the way Reading or Listening can — this is a real practice set for two students (or a student and teacher) to run together, with the examiner's actual questions and timing.

For the teacher/examiner: run this with a timer. Part 2 needs three photos on a related theme — use your own photos, a magazine, or a phone search matching each prompt below; the exact images don't matter as much as the theme and the language they push students to use (speculation, comparison, description).

Part 1 · Interview · 2 minutes

Getting to know you

The examiner asks each candidate a few personal questions in turn. Answer naturally in 2-3 sentences — not one word, not a speech.

Where are you from, and what do you like most about living there?
What do you do in your free time these days?
Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team? Why?
What's something you'd like to learn in the next few years?

Part 2 · Long turn · ~4 minutes total

Different ways of learning

Candidate A — compare two of these three photos of people learning, saying what the situations have in common and how the people might be feeling. You have about a minute.

Photo 1: someone studying alone at a laptop, headphones on, notes scattered around

Photo 2: a small group in a workshop, one person demonstrating something with their hands

Photo 3: an older adult and a teenager looking at a phone screen together, one clearly explaining something

Candidate B — after A finishes, you have about 30 seconds: which of these three learning situations would you find most difficult, and why?

Then switch roles with a new photo set:

Photo 1: a person practising a musical instrument in a bedroom

Photo 2: a language-exchange meetup, two people with notebooks, mid-conversation

Photo 3: someone following an online tutorial video while cooking

Candidate B compares 2 of 3 (~1 min) → Candidate A reacts (~30 sec)

Part 3 · Collaborative task · 3 minutes

Choosing a team project

Here are some ideas a workplace is considering for a team project. Talk to each other about how useful each idea would be, then decide together which TWO would benefit the team most.

A weekly one-hour skills-sharing session between colleagues
A mentorship pairing new employees with experienced ones
An anonymous suggestion system for workplace improvements
A shared online library of internal training resources
A rotating "shadow a colleague" scheme across departments

Discuss all five (~2 min) → agree on two (~1 min)

Part 4 · Discussion · 5 minutes

Learning and work, more broadly

The examiner extends Part 3 into a wider discussion. Give real opinions with reasons — don't just agree with your partner.

Do you think workplaces should be responsible for their employees' ongoing learning, or is that down to the individual?
Some people say you learn more from mistakes than from being taught directly. Do you agree?
How do you think the way people learn at work will change over the next ten years?
Is it more important for a team to have varied skills or for everyone to be strong in the same core skill?