C1 Advanced (CAE) · Paper 4 · 46 tasks

C1 Advanced Speaking: the complete guide

Four parts in 15 minutes, with a partner and two examiners. What happens in each part at C1, the marks you need, how the examiners mark you, and free practice with an AI examiner who talks back.

Try one now · Part 2

You compare two photos of people learning new skills, and say why they might be doing it.

Which sentence moves your answer forward best?

In the first picture there is a man. In the second picture there is a woman.
Whereas the man seems to be learning for work, the woman looks as if she’s doing it purely for pleasure.
I don’t know why they are doing it.

The task is to compare and speculate, not to describe.

Practise a full Part 2 →

4 parts
15 minutes
2 candidates
180 for a C1

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: Questions about you, your views and experiences · 10 tasks. Format: Examiner and you, questions each. Time: 2 min, in the test. C1 students score: 69%.
Part 2 · Long turn: Compare two of three photos for a minute, answering two questions · 12 tasks. Format: On your own, 1 minute each. Time: 4 min, in the test. C1 students score: 64%.
Part 3 · Collaborative task: Discuss a question and its prompts, then decide together · 12 tasks. Format: With your partner, 2 min + 1 min. Time: 4 min, in the test. C1 students score: 74%.
Part 4 · Discussion: Wider, more abstract questions on the Part 3 topic · 12 tasks. Format: All three, discussion. Time: 5 min, in the test. C1 students score: Too few tries yet.

Every part counts towards one Speaking score (75 marks)
Times are the test’s own, for a pair of candidates

Discourse Management is where C1 students score lowest: 2.7 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 53 Speaking sessions marked by the AI examiner, for 34 C1 students on Cambridge Ready.

The marks you need for a C1

180 on the Cambridge English Scale

Speaking: 45 of 75. About 60% of the marks gives 180.

What the examiners mark

Grammatical Resource: The range and control of your grammar. C1 students here: 3.3 of 5.
Lexical Resource: The range and precision of your vocabulary. C1 students here: 3.6 of 5.
Discourse Management: Extended answers that are relevant and hang together. C1 students here: 2.7 of 5.
Pronunciation: How easy you are to understand: sounds, stress and intonation. C1 students here: 3.1 of 5.
Interactive Communication: Starting, responding and moving the discussion forward. C1 students here: 4.0 of 5.
Global Achievement: The examiner who asks the questions gives one overall mark for the whole test. C1 students here: 3.2 of 5.

About 3 out of 5 on each scale (45 of 75 marks) gives 180, a C1.

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, extend your answers naturally, but keep each one to about 20 or 30 seconds.
In Part 2, pick two photos quickly and answer both questions printed above them.
Speculate with range: “she might well be…”, “it looks as if…”.
In Part 3, build on your partner’s ideas and move towards a decision in the last minute.
In Part 4, develop your opinions with reasons and examples, and consider other views.
Paraphrase when a word escapes you. Keeping the flow matters more than the perfect word.

The traps

The mistakes we see most

Answering only one question: Part 2 prints two questions above the photos. Leaving one out means part of the task is missing.
Agreeing too fast: Deciding in 20 seconds leaves nothing to discuss. Explore the options first.
Talking over your partner: Long turns that shut your partner out lower Interactive Communication as much as saying too little.
Safe, simple words: At C1 the examiners listen for range. (~~very good~~ → highly effective)

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 C1 Advanced Speaking test?

15 minutes for a pair of candidates (23 for a group of three), in four parts.

How many marks do you need to pass C1 Advanced Speaking?

About 45 out of 75 in Speaking, which gives 180 on the Cambridge English Scale, the C1 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 C1 Advanced 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 C1 Advanced 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.