In part 3 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further questions which are connected to the topics discussed in part 2. 

This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity to talk about more abstract issues and ideas. It is a two-way discussion with the examiner, and will last 4-5 minutes.

How to practise

Ask your study partner to prompt your practice test discussion using the questions below. Try to speak as naturally and fluently as possible. Record your discussion if you can.

Let’s consider first of all how people’s values have changed. 

  • What kind of things give status to people in your country? 
  • Have things changed since your parents’ time? 

Finally, let’s talk about the role of advertising. 

  • Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Listen to the audio:

Transcript of the audio file

You can read the transcript of the audio to check any words that you did not understand. Do you think that this candidate performed well?
Think about how you can improve your own Speaking test.

Transcript

Examiner: We’ve been talking about things we own. I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions relating to this topic. First, let’s consider values and the way they can change. In Switzerland, what kind of possessions do you think give status to people?

Candidate: The first thing which comes in my mind is the car. Yes, because lots of people like to have posh cars or expensive cars to show their status, their place in the society.

Examiner: Is that a new development?

Candidate: No, I think it isn’t.

Examiner: People have thought like that for quite a long time?

Candidate: Yes. Another thing is probably the clothing. It starts already when you are young. When the children go to school they want to have posh labels on their jumpers or good shoes.

Examiner: What do you think of this way of thinking, that I need to have a car or certain clothes to show my status?

Candidate: Probably it’s sometimes a replacement for something you don’t have, so if your wife has left you or your girlfriend, you just buy some new, I don’t know, new watches or new clothes to make you satisfied again.

Examiner: You don’t think of it as a healthy way of thinking?

Candidate: It’s probably not honest to yourself. You can understand what I mean?

Examiner: Yes. And do you think this will change? In the future, will cars and designer clothes be status symbols in the same way?

Candidate: I’m sure that clothes will be ... that the thing with the clothes will be the same. I’m not so sure about the cars because cars cause lots of environmental problems and probably in some years, a few years, this will change because it’s not reasonable to drive a car anymore.

Examiner: Can you tell me a little bit more about that? 

Advice

You have now completed all three parts of the practice Speaking test. How did you do?

Listen to your recording of your own practice test. Which part of the test do you think you did best in? Are there any areas where you think that you need to do better?
Think about how you can improve your own Speaking test performance.

Review the examples

Go back through the test and listen to the recordings and read the audio transcripts for each part. These are designed to give you an understanding of the format of the test. They do not represent a test taker at a particular level of competency.

Do you think that this test taker performed well?
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