FCE Speaking Exam (B2 First) — Structure & Strategy

The exam at a glance

B2 First speaking is taken in pairs — two candidates, two examiners (an interlocutor who runs the test and an assessor who only listens). 14 minutes in total, four parts:

You are scored on four criteria, each 0–5: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication, plus a Global Achievement mark from the interlocutor. Speaking is one of the four papers and counts for 20% of your overall Cambridge English Scale score; 160–179 overall is a B2 pass, and 180 or more is reported as C1.

Part 1: Interview

The questions are everyday — where you live, what you study or do, what you like doing at the weekend, what you would like to do in the future. Two or three sentences per answer, with one reason or example, is the B2 shape: "I live in Valencia, which is great for the beach, though I'm hoping to move to Madrid for work next year." One-word answers read as B1; a rehearsed paragraph reads as memorised, and examiners hear it immediately.

Part 2: Long turn — the minute that decides your Part 2 mark

You get two photographs and a question printed above them, such as "Why might the people have chosen to spend their time like this?" You have one minute to compare the photos and answer the question — comparing and answering, not describing each photo in turn. A structure that reliably scores:

1. Name the link and the difference (10 sec): "Both photos show people learning something, but the first is a classroom and the second is someone learning alone at home."
2. Speculate on the question, one photo then the other (35 sec): "The students might have chosen a class because they want the structure and a teacher to ask… whereas the person at home probably prefers to go at her own pace."
3. Round off with a preference or a conclusion (10 sec): "Personally, I'd find the class more motivating."

Part 3: Collaborative task — interaction is what is scored

You and your partner get a central question (for example "How important are these things for a happy life?") with five written prompts around it. Two minutes to discuss, then the interlocutor asks you to decide together on one or two of them, with a minute to do it. Interactive Communication is a fifth of your mark, and it is scored on how you talk WITH your partner, not at them.

• Open by inviting, not declaring: "Shall we start with money? What do you think?"
• Agree and add: "Yes, I agree, and I'd say it also matters because…"
• Disagree politely: "I see what you mean, but I'm not sure it's the most important one."
• Move the discussion on: "OK, what about friends?" — you don't have to cover all five prompts.
• In the decision minute, actually decide: "So shall we say health and friends are the most important?" A decision is not required to pass, but trying to reach one is what gets scored.

Part 4: Discussion — opinions with reasons

The interlocutor asks broader questions on the same topic — "Do you think people today have too much free time or too little?" — sometimes to one of you, sometimes to both. 20–40 seconds per answer: a clear opinion, one reason, one example from your own life. At B2 you are expected to give reasons and to react to what your partner said; you are not expected to be abstract or philosophical, which is what separates this from the CAE version of the same part.

• "I think so, mainly because… For example, in my job…"
• "It depends. For students it's probably true, but for people who work…"
• "I'd agree with what she said, and I'd add that…"

Mistakes that lose B2 First marks

1. Describing the photos one after the other in Part 2. "In the first photo there is a man. He has a hat." is A2. Comparing and speculating is B2.
2. Falling silent before the minute is up. Fill it: "Another difference is…", "I suppose that…".
3. Dominating or disappearing in Part 3. Both lose Interactive Communication marks; hand the turn to your partner at least twice.
4. Saying "I don't know" and stopping. Say "I'm not sure, but I imagine…" and keep going.
5. Apologising for your English. It signals B1 to an examiner who was about to give you B2.
6. Whispering. Pronunciation is a fifth of the mark and the assessor is sitting across the room.

How to prepare

1. Record yourself doing Part 2 with a timer, twice a week. The first listen-back is uncomfortable and the most useful ten minutes of your preparation.
2. Practise Part 3 with a partner, taking turns as the interlocutor: read the prompts aloud, time two minutes, then the decision minute.
3. Build a bank of comparing and speculating phrases (whereas, while, might, perhaps, probably, seems to) and use them until they are automatic.
4. Do at least one full mock with a tutor who knows the exam a fortnight before; the timing surprises everyone the first time.
5. Check you are actually at B2 first. A free 5-minute CEFR test tells you whether the speaking gap is a B2 polishing job or a B1-to-B2 jump — those need different plans.