Skills for Life Teaching Resources

Make sure you are familiar with what happens in each part of the test and how long each part lasts.

Practise speaking English as much as possible in groups and in pairs, both inside and outside the classroom.

Practise speaking for one minute (at Entry 2) or 1½ (at Entry 3) about free time, friends, things to do in your area etc.

Listen carefully to the instructions and questions during the test, and respond appropriately.

Speak clearly, so that both the interlocutor and assessor can hear you.

Use all the opportunities to speak you are given in the test, and extend your responses whenever possible.

Invite your partner to speak, respond to what your partner says, develop and extend your partner’s ideas and question your partner.

Make full use of opportunities to make notes.

Make sure you know what questions you have been asked in Phase 2a (listening) before the recording begins.

Ask for clarification of instructions or questions if you're not sure what you have to do.

Don't try to prepare answers before the test.

Don't interrupt your partner during their long turn in Phase 1b.

Don’t dominate your partner during the test – be sensitive to turn-taking.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of a word – find another word or phrase to use instead.

Don’t worry if you realise you’ve made a mistake – grammatical accuracy is only one part of the assessment.

Don’t ask the examiner if what you have said is correct.

Don't worry about being interrupted by the examiner. This shows you have spoken enough.