B2 First (FCE) · Paper 4 · 45 tasks

B2 First Speaking: the complete guide

Four parts in 14 minutes, with a partner and two examiners. What happens in each part, the marks you need for a B2, how the examiners mark you, and free practice with an AI examiner who talks back.

Try one now · Part 1

The examiner asks:

Do you prefer spending your free time at home or going out?

Which answer would score better?

Going out.
It depends, really. During the week I’m happy at home, but at weekends I’d rather meet friends in town.
I like home. I like going out. Both.

A good Part 1 answer is short, but more than one word: an answer plus a reason or example.

Practise a full Part 1 →

4 parts
14 minutes
2 candidates
160 for a B2

Practise Part 1 free → · Practise with the AI examiner

The four parts, and where students lose marks

Tap a part to practise it

Part 1 · Interview: Short questions about you: home, studies, free time · 9 tasks. Format: Examiner and you, questions each. Time: 2 min, in the test. B2 students score: Too few tries yet.
Part 2 · Long turn: Compare two photos for a minute, then comment on your partner’s · 12 tasks. Format: On your own, 1 minute each. Time: 4 min, in the test. B2 students score: Too few tries yet.
Part 3 · Collaborative task: Discuss ideas with your partner, then try to agree · 12 tasks. Format: With your partner, 2 min + 1 min. Time: 4 min, in the test. B2 students score: Too few tries yet.
Part 4 · Discussion: Wider questions on the Part 3 topic · 12 tasks. Format: All three, discussion. Time: 4 min, in the test. B2 students score: Too few tries yet.

Every part counts towards one Speaking score (60 marks)
Times are the test’s own, for a pair of candidates

Discourse Management is where B2 students score lowest: 3.0 out of 5 on average. Give longer answers that hang together: a view, a reason, an example, linked with words like “whereas” or “that’s why”.

Average marks from 45 Speaking sessions marked by the AI examiner, for 20 B2 students on Cambridge Ready.

The marks you need for a B2

160 on the Cambridge English Scale

Speaking: 36 of 60. About 60% of the marks gives 160.

What the examiners mark

Grammar and Vocabulary: The range and accuracy of your grammar and words. B2 students here: 3.2 of 5.
Discourse Management: Longer, relevant answers that hang together. B2 students here: 3.0 of 5.
Pronunciation: How easy you are to understand: sounds, stress and intonation. B2 students here: 3.0 of 5.
Interactive Communication: Starting, responding and keeping the talk going. B2 students here: 3.9 of 5.
Global Achievement: The examiner who asks the questions gives one overall mark for the whole test. B2 students here: 3.3 of 5.

About 3 out of 5 on each scale (36 of 60 marks) gives 160, a B2.

Speaking is one of five scores, and your overall result is their average. Two examiners mark you: one asks the questions, the other listens.

From Cambridge’s published conversion tables. The exact mark varies slightly from paper to paper.

The method

Six habits that hold under time pressure

In Part 1, answer in two or three sentences: an answer, then a reason or an example.
In Part 2, compare the photos and answer the question above them. Don’t describe every detail.
Keep talking for the whole minute. If you run out, speculate: “they might be…”.
In Part 3, ask your partner questions and react to what they say.
In Part 4, give your opinion and support it. It’s fine to disagree politely.
If a word escapes you, describe it. Silence costs more than a simple word.

The traps

The mistakes we see most

Describing instead of comparing: Part 2 asks you to compare the photos, not list what’s in them. (~~In picture A there is a man…~~ → Both photos show…, but…)
One-word answers: Short answers give the examiners nothing to mark. (~~Yes.~~ → Yes, mostly at weekends, because…)
Ignoring your partner: In Part 3, a monologue of your own ideas lowers Interactive Communication.
Rehearsed speeches: Memorised answers sound memorised, and examiners notice when they don’t fit the question.

Practise with the AI examiner → Marked on the Cambridge Speaking criteria, with an AI partner for the paired parts. One free Speaking part a month.

Questions students ask

How long is the B2 First Speaking test?

14 minutes for a pair of candidates (20 for a group of three), in four parts.

How many marks do you need to pass B2 First Speaking?

About 36 out of 60 in Speaking, which gives 160 on the Cambridge English Scale, the B2 level. That is about 3 out of 5 on each marking scale. You pass on your overall score, the average of all five skills.

Do you take the B2 First Speaking test alone?

Usually with one other candidate, sometimes two. There are two examiners: one asks the questions, the other listens and marks.

Can I practise B2 First Speaking online?

Yes. Answer out loud and an AI examiner marks you on the Cambridge Speaking criteria, with an AI partner for the paired tasks. One marked Speaking part a month is free.