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How to do Speaking part 2 in the Cambridge B2 First

by Mark February 12, 2021
How to do Speaking Part 2 in the Cambridge FCE Exam

This FCE Exam class looks at Part 2 of the Speaking test in the Cambridge FCE Exam…

So, you’re thinking of taking the First Certificate exam? Welcome to this series of posts about the Cambridge B2 First exam, sometimes known as the FCE – the First Certificate of English. The whole exam is divided into four different ‘papers’ – Reading & Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. This page offers a guide to the second part of the Speaking Exam in the Cambridge B2 First Exam, what it tests, how to approach it and how to revise for it. Don’t be afraid, Speaking part 2 – let’s go!

What speaking part 2 involves

Part 2 of the Speaking Exam wants to see how well a student can talk about a random topic with very little preparation time. The Students take it in turns. The first student is given 3 photographs and 2 written questions. The student must talk for about 1 minute about two of the photographs and answer both of the written questions. The second student is then asked a question by the examiner regarding the first student’s photos. The roles are then reversed and the second student is given different photos and different questions.

Time

Approximately 1-2 minutes in total per student.

What's being tested

The student’s ability to talk about a subject and speculate on possible situations and show a range of vocabulary quickly and coherently.

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How to do Speaking part 2

Make sure you understand the question

You need to answer the question (which is written down for you), so it is important that you understand what it is asking you and that you continue to refer back to it while you compare the photos.

Don’t describe the photos

What is more important is to answer the question and to make comparisons – say what is similar or different between the two photos. Don’t waste valuable time by describing what you can see in the photos.    

Listen to your partner while they’re speaking

When your partner has finished talking for a minute about their two photos, the examiner will then ask you a follow up question about your partner’s pictures. You only need to talk for 15-20 seconds, so you only need to give 2 or 3 sentences to your answer.

Test Yourself

Why are the people doing the activities together?

One minute

Which activity would you most enjoy doing?

20 seconds

Thank you for reading our post. For more information about the Cambridge B2 First Exam (FCE) you can check out the official site here. You’ll find more English grammar tips elsewhere on our site and if you’d like information on our English courses in Dublin, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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