Cambridge English speaking practice (B2 & C1)

The Cambridge speaking exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced) test real interaction: answering the examiner, speaking at length from a prompt, and discussing with a partner. Fluency, range, and keeping a conversation going are what earn marks.

Airi acts as your examiner and discussion partner. Practice the interview questions, the long individual turn comparing pictures or ideas, and the collaborative discussion where you must agree, disagree, and reach a decision. She responds naturally so you build the interaction the exam is really testing.

A quick example with Airi

Interview part. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I like reading and sometimes I go hiking in weekend.

Small fix: "at the weekend." Lovely. Why do you enjoy hiking?

Because it helps me relax and I enjoy the nature.

"I enjoy nature." Good. Let's try a long turn next — I'll give you two photos to compare.

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

Cambridge Speaking test format for B2 First and C1 Advanced

Cambridge English publishes the format below at cambridgeenglish.org. The Speaking test takes 14 minutes per pair of candidates for B2 First (formerly FCE) and 15 for C1 Advanced (formerly CAE). With three candidates it takes 20 and 23 minutes, and the parts run longer than the pair timings shown here. One examiner, the interlocutor, talks to you; the other, the assessor, only listens.

Part	B2 First	C1 Advanced
Part 1: interview	2 minutes on your life, experiences and plans.	2 minutes on your interests, studies and career.
Part 2: long turn	Two photographs to compare: 1 minute alone, then about 30 seconds answering a question about your partner's photos.	Three pictures, of which you compare two. Same timings.
Part 3: collaborative task	A question and five written prompts: 2 minutes to discuss, then 1 minute to decide together.	The same format and timings. In both exams, Cambridge says it is fine if you don't reach a decision.
Part 4: discussion	4 minutes of questions on the Part 3 topic.	5 minutes, moving to more abstract ideas.

What Cambridge Speaking examiners mark

Cambridge's guide to assessing speaking at Level B2 says you are assessed on your own performance, not in relation to your partner. The assessor marks four criteria in bands from 0 to 5, and the interlocutor adds a mark for Global Achievement, your performance as a whole. C1 Advanced splits the first criterion into Grammatical Resource and Lexical Resource. The table summarizes the B2 First scales.

Criterion	What the examiner listens for	How to show it
Grammar and Vocabulary	Control of simple forms, attempts at complex ones, a range of vocabulary.	Be ambitious: Cambridge says language you attempt to use counts too, as long as you can still be understood.
Discourse Management	Answers of the right length, little hesitation or repetition, relevant and linked ideas.	Use your whole minute in Part 2, the examiners' main opportunity to assess this.
Pronunciation	Being understood: intonation, word and sentence stress, clear individual sounds.	Cambridge accepts different accents, so aim to be clear and stress the words that carry your meaning.
Interactive Communication	Starting discussions, responding to your partner, moving toward an outcome.	Ask questions and build on your partner's ideas, above all in Part 3.

Phrases for each part of the Cambridge Speaking test

Prepare phrases, not whole answers: Cambridge tells candidates that memorized answers almost certainly won't answer the questions they are asked.

Part	The moment	Say
1	Extending an answer about your free time	I usually go running. I sit at a desk all day, so I need to move.
2	Comparing the photos	Both photos show people traveling. The family looks relaxed, whereas the man at the airport seems stressed.
2	Speculating	He might be late for his flight, or maybe he's lost his passport.
2	Answering a question about your partner's photos	I'd pick the train, mainly because you actually get to see the countryside.
3	Opening the discussion	Why don't we start with bike lanes?
3	Bringing your partner in	How do you feel about cheaper bus tickets?
3	Building on their idea	That's a good point, and it would cut pollution downtown too.
3	Disagreeing politely	I see what you mean, but would people really give up their cars?
3	Reaching a decision	So we both think bike lanes would help most. Shall we go with that?
4	You don't know the topic	I don't know much about city planning, but my sister bikes to work, and she'd say the roads don't feel safe.

Common Cambridge Speaking test mistakes and what to say instead

Instead of	Say	Why
I can see a man. He is wearing a white hat.	Both photos show people at work, but the chef looks far more rushed than the gardener.	Cambridge tells candidates not to simply describe the photographs. Compare them, then answer the question printed above them.
... and that's all.	Another difference is that the gardener can work at his own pace.	Cambridge's C1 Advanced teaching tips say to keep talking until the examiner says "Thank you."
Yes, I agree.	I agree, and it would help older people too. What about parking fees?	A bare "I agree" gives your partner nothing to respond to. Add a reason and a question.
Bike lanes are good. Buses are good too. What's next?	Let's stay with the buses for a moment. Who would actually take them?	Cambridge does not expect you to discuss all five prompts. Its C1 Advanced teaching tips say it is better to deal with several in depth than with all of them superficially.
Guessing at a question you didn't catch.	Sorry, would you mind repeating that, please?	Cambridge says you may ask the examiner to repeat a question or the instructions.

A rehearsal routine for the Cambridge Speaking test with Airi

Airi plays the examiner or the other candidate, but she does not mark you on the Cambridge scales. Free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, so rehearse one or two parts per session, with your own timer.

Part 1: "Be a Cambridge B2 First examiner. Ask me four Part 1 questions about my daily life and plans, one at a time."
Part 2: "Describe two photos of people studying, then ask me to compare them and say which way of studying works better." Talk for a full minute. For C1 Advanced, ask for three pictures and compare two.
Part 3: "Be the other candidate. How could a city get people to drive less? Our prompts are bike lanes, cheaper buses, car-free streets, carpooling and parking fees. Disagree with me sometimes." After two minutes, say: "Let's decide which two would work best."
Part 4: "Be the examiner again and ask me three opinion questions about city life."
After each small fix, say the corrected sentence out loud once.

How to get the most from it

Extend and justify

Never give one-word answers. Add a reason or example, which examiners reward.

Practice the long turn

Speak from a prompt for a full minute without stopping. Time yourself so you learn how long a minute feels.

Interact, don't monologue

In the collaborative task, respond to ideas and move toward a decision.

Start speaking today

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Frequently asked questions

Can Airi run the Cambridge speaking parts?

Yes, as a role-play. Ask her to be the examiner for the Part 1 interview or the Part 4 discussion, or the other candidate in the Part 3 task, and she will ask questions, react to your answers and reply out loud. For the long turn, ask her to describe two photos in words. She is a practice partner, not the exam itself, so keep your own timer.

Which levels does it help with?

The parts on this page are those of B2 First and C1 Advanced, and you can rehearse either. Tell Airi which exam you are taking: C1 Advanced gives you three pictures instead of two in Part 2 and moves to more abstract ideas in Part 4. The same role-plays also work as general speaking practice at those levels.

Is this official Cambridge prep?

No. Airi is an independent AI speaking partner, not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge. For official sample papers and Speaking test videos with examiners' comments, go to cambridgeenglish.org.

How long is the Cambridge Speaking test, and how much does it count?

Cambridge English lists 14 minutes per pair of candidates for B2 First and 15 for C1 Advanced, or 20 and 23 minutes with three candidates. Its Information for Candidates booklets say Speaking is one of five equally important scores, with Reading, Use of English, Writing and Listening, so it is a fifth of your overall result. They also say it is the only paper that usually happens on a different day from the others; your exam center sends you the date.

What if my partner in the Speaking test is better than me?

Cambridge says candidates are assessed on their own performance, not in relation to each other, and that examiners are specially trained for situations where one candidate is stronger or weaker, or talks too much or not enough. What you control is the interaction: listen, react to your partner's ideas, ask what they think, and take your turn.

How much Cambridge Speaking practice fits in the free credits?

Signing up with Google gives you 600 free credits, about eight minutes of speaking: enough for a Part 1 interview and a long turn, or for one collaborative task. Further practice uses one-off credit packs; there is no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03