Home > C1 Advanced > Speaking > Part 2
Many students seem to miss basic facts about the C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2, so this page is to fill in some of that missing information about Part 2. There is also a separate page for general information and advice as well as others for each part.
C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2
| Task Type and Format | An individual ‘long turn’ for each candidate with a brief response from the second candidate. In turn, the candidates are given three pictures to talk about. |
| Focus | The focus is on organising a larger unit of discourse; comparing, describing, expressing opinions and speculating. |
| Timing | A 1-minute ‘long turn’ for each candidate, plus a 30-second response from the second candidate. The total time for Part 2 is 4 minutes. |
Candidates have the opportunity to show their ability to organise
their thoughts and ideas, and express themselves coherently in
appropriate language. The listening candidate is also asked to
comment briefly (for about 30 seconds) after their partner’s long
turn. They should not, however, speak during their partner’s long
turn
Information
This part tests the candidates’ ability to produce an extended piece of discourse.
In Part 2, candidates are given the opportunity to speak for 1 minute without interruption. Each candidate is given a different set of pictures and asked to comment on and react to them.
Prompts are given to the candidates in the form of two direct questions; these are written above the pictures.
Candidates are asked to compare, express opinions and speculate about two pictures from a set of three.
Candidates have the opportunity to show their ability to organise their thoughts and ideas, and express themselves coherently in appropriate language. The listening candidate is also asked to comment briefly (for about 30 seconds) after their partner’s long turn. They should not, however, speak during their partner’s long turn.
Candidates will always be asked to speculate about something which relates to the focus of the visuals. They will never be asked to merely describe the visuals.
Candidates will always be asked to speculate about something
which relates to the focus of the visuals. They will never be asked to merely describe the visuals.
Advice
a) With a teacher, classmates or a friend, get plenty of practice in talking for a minute on a set subject or ‘holding the floor’. Time yourself so you can gain a sense of how long to talk to fill your minute. Try to do this because it is common for students to finish too early.
b) Collect pictures from newspapers, magazines and the internet and use these to practise comparing them. Group pictures into sets and imagine what you might be asked to talk about in a Part 2 task in the exam.
c) Use your phone and video or record yourself from the other side of a room and give a short 1-minute presentation on a topic of your choice. This will help you to gain confidence and project your voice.
d) Be clear about what is an adequate response, e.g. your response needs to go beyond the level of pure description and contain a speculative element.
For example:
‘This picture shows two people who are on an expedition. They have to work together to achieve their goal.’
is not as impressive as
‘These people look like they’re on an expedition to the North Pole or they might be climbing a mountain together. This could be a personal challenge, a kind of dream for them, or they might be doing it because they have work to do during the trip – like doing some research into animal life or the natural world, so they could be friends or they could be colleagues. Either way, their relationship must be very strong. Their lives could depend on how well they co-operate with each other if there is an emergency.’
e) Keep talking until the interlocutor says ‘Thank you’. In this way, you will maximise the time available for your 1-minute long turn.
f) Practice organising ideas coherently and use useful phrases for linking ideas and comparing pictures to help you. You can build up your own lists of suitable phrases as you study, thus ensuring that you have a range of language to draw on when necessary.
C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2 Sample Pictures
Conclusion
I hope that has helped to give you a better understanding of what is required for the C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2, and that you will look into each part in more detail. There is a full list of pages on the C1 Advanced Speaking test here. Good luck with your test!
information on this page is adapted from The Cambridge C1 Handbook for Teachers