Part One - The Interview

(approx. 2 minutes for pairs / 4 minutes for trios)

Part 1 is known as the 'Interview', and consists of some questions about your life. These
questions will be asked individually to you and your partner, so there's no need to
interact with the other candidate(s) too much - although you may if you wish.

The interview tests 'general interactional and social language'

1. Which questions to expect

Typical questions about your hometown, your home, your job, your hobbies, and your
personality are all very common. However, unlike at lower levels, the CPE Speaking
Test will sometimes require you to give your opinion (O) and speculate (S) a little in
Part 1.

Generally the questions start about you and your personal life, then ask you to make
opinions, then move into more speculative territory.

Here are a few you could prepare for:

•    Are you working or studying at the moment?

•    What do you enjoy most about the place where you're living now? (O)
•    You said you're from X. What's the most interesting place for visitors to see there?
(O)
•    How difficult would it be for you to move away from the area you're living in now?
(S)
•    What, for you, is the most interesting aspect of learning English?* (O)
•    How much time do you spend travelling every day?
•    Do you think it's easy for people to find a good job nowadays? (O)
•    In the future, do you see yourself living in your own country, or somewhere abroad?
(S)
•    Do you tend to get nervous, and if so, in what circumstances?
•    Do fashions in music change rapidly in your country? (O)
•    Do you think your personality has changed over the years? (O)
•    What countries or other parts of your country have you travelled to?
•    Is it common for people to leave the place you come from? (O/S)
•    Can you tell us something about housing in your area? (O)
•    How good are you at organising your time?
•    How important is the internet to you?
•    With more shopping being done over the internet, what future is there for ordinary
stores? (S)

(*note how this is a slightly more advanced version of the CAE Part 1 question: "what
do you enjoy most about learning English?")

3. GIVING OPINIONS
Part 1 of the CPE Speaking test asks for opinions, but many candidates fall into the trap
of using the same old language to do this, with every sentence starting with an "I
think ....". Mix it up a bit! Even in Part 1 it's important to use every opportunity to sound
like you know how to use English confidently and flexibly, and every little helps. So,
instead of saying "I think ...", how about trying something like:

It's likely/unlikely that ....

I bet / You can bet that ....

I imagine that ....

The chances are that ....

There's no chance of ....

In all probability .....

My guess is that .....

I wouldn't be surprised if .....

It seems to me (that) ....

All things considered ....

To tell you the truth ....

Personally ....

To my mind .....

I reckon ....

As I see it ....

I'm inclined to think/believe that ....

In my opinion ..

I believe ...

I reckon ...

I suppose ...

For me ...

As I see it ...
It seems to me ...

As far as I can tell ...

I would say ...

As far as I'm concerned ....

4. KEYWORDS, NOT SPEECHES

The examiners don't want to hear a rehearsed speech - and trust me, they know one
when they hear one! The point of the test is to see how well you cope in a spontaneous,
real-life situation and, crucially, how natural you sound.

So, learn some CPE-level vocabulary that you can use for the types of questions you
might be asked. Let's take another look at a few of those sample questions, shall we?

What do you enjoy most about the place where you're living now?

Describing Areas:

upbeat, leafy, suburban, sleepy, a cultural hotspot, vibrant, got a real buzz, family-
friendly, secluded, brilliant nightlife, amenities, facilities, cosy, traditional, modern, just
a stone's throw from the X

How much time do you spend travelling every day?

Describing Travelling:

(gruelling) commute, fellow commuters, daily grind, rush hour, congestion, traffic jams,
exhausting, waste of time/money, poor/excellent public transport system, season tickets,
invigorating, get some headspace, catch up on my Podcasts/TV shows

Do you think it's easy for people to find a good job nowadays?

Describing Jobs:

job market, labour pool, high/low salary, relevant (work) experience, qualifications,
interview techniques, major corporations, climb the corporate ladder, start on the bottom
rung, paid/unpaid internship

Part Two - Collaborative Task

(approx. 4 minutes for pairs / 6 minutes for trios)

Ok, so here's where CPE starts to look very different to CAE and FCE.

In Part 2 of the Cambridge English: Proficiency test, you and your partner(s) are given a
number of photos (4 or 5) on a common theme.
  For the first activity, the examiner will select 2 or 3 photos and give you a
question to discuss together for 1 minute (2 minutes for trios).
 After that the examiner will give you a 3-minute (4-minute for trios) task using
ALL of the photos which will involve discussing
 and then either: selecting 1 for a particular purpose; or thinking of something
else that could be added to the collection.

This is a collaborative task, so it will require you to work together closely with your
partner.

What does it test?

            - sustaining an interaction
            - exchanging ideas
            - expressing and justifying opinions
            - agreeing/disagreeing
            - suggesting
            - speculating
            - evaluating
            - reaching a decision through negotiation

Let's Look at An Example!

“Here are some pictures of different aspects of the modern food industry.”
— The Examiner

First, I'd like you to look at picture B and C and talk together about which picture
interests you more.

Now look at all the pictures.

I'd like you to imagine that a magazine is planning an article on aspects of the modern
food industry. These pictures will be used to accompany the article.

 Talk together about the positive and negative aspects of the modern food
industry as shown in these photos.
 Then suggest: 1. one other aspect that could be included in the article, or 2.
which aspect would be most suitable for the cover image.

(NB. In the exam there will be only 1 question in the second part - we have included 2
here to show the different types of question you are likely to be asked)

Now that you know what the task looks like, let's get into the tips.
1. What Exactly Is Collaboration?

AGREE DISAGREE PARTIALLY AGREE

We don’t see eye to
We see eye to eye I take your point, but let's think of ...
eye
I couldn’t agree with I tend to disagree with That's interesting, but have you
you more. you there considered ...?
That’s exactly how I I’m afraid I have to True, but I think there are other
feel. disagree with you there points/aspects/opinions to bear in mind.
Yes, but if we looked at it from another
You have a point there. I beg to differ
angle ...
I was just going to say That’s not always the
OK, but what about ...?
that. case.
That's not exactly how
Absolutely.
I look at it.
I'd go along I'm afraid I just don't
with that. buy it!
On second thoughts, I
have to agree with you.
That seems reasonable.

Part Three - Long Turn

(approx. 4 minutes for pairs / 6 minutes for trios)

And finally, on to the part that makes every candidate's knees shake: the 2-minute Long
Turn! You don't need to fear, however, because we're here to help!

In Part 3 of the Cambridge English: Proficiency test each candidate is given a card with
a question written on it, along with 3 ideas. The task involves answering the question on
the card for 2 minutes, although the additional prompts on the card are optional. Don't
forget that you will be asked a follow-up question about your partner's card, and will
also be asked to comment on your partner's response to yours - so don't 'switch off'!

What does it test?

 organising a longer speech

 expressing and justifying opinions
 developing topics

1. Common Mistakes

 Panicking!
 Talking about the general topic rather than answering the specific question
 Repeating information and ideas
 Repeating vocabulary
 Not using any linking words or devices
 Long pauses and fillers like "errrrrrrrr"
  Speaking in a monotone
 Not developing the ideas sufficiently with examples or reasons
 Not using all the time available

2. Hints And Tips

 You can have up to 10 seconds to think before you need to start speaking - use
it!
 Remember: you don't need to use the ideas on the card if you don't want to -
they're just there to help in case you need a flash of inspiration.
 Practise quickly brainstorming ideas on key topics/areas before the exam.
 Focus on the construction of your answer, i.e. avoid "mind vomit" or "here's
everything I know about X in 2 minutes" - structure is very important, so think
about including an 'introduction', 'main points' and a 'summary', just like in
writing.

3. The Golden Rule

Practice makes perfect! Oh, such a cliché - but so true. Candidates always struggle to
produce satisfactory answers the first few times, and why wouldn't they? It's testing so
many things! So, the real key to this task is practice, practice, practice ....

Part Three - Discussion

(approx. 6 minutes for pairs /8 minutes for trios)

Part 3 of the Cambridge English: Proficiency test ends with a number of more general
questions related to the theme of the Long Turn questions and usually lasts around 6
minutes (8 for trios). The questions may be asked to a specific candidate or they may be
left open for anyone to answer. You will be expected to comment on your partner's
contributions in some way, so make sure you're paying attention!

What does it test?

          - expressing and justifying opinions

          - developing topics
          - agreeing/disagreeing

1. Common Mistakes

 Talking too personally instead of about the topic in a more abstract way
 Not answering the question directly (for example, if the question is "Do you
agree?" then you need to say either 'yes' or 'no' - in CPE-level language, of
course!)
 Not being able to comment on the other candidate's/candidates' contributions
 Not developing responses sufficiently
 Overdeveloping and dominating the discussion
2. Try Your Hand

The discussion questions always continue the theme of the Long Turn questions. For
example, following the Long Turn questions 'What makes people work more
effectively?' /'How can city transport be made to work more effectively?' there may
follow questions on efficiency in general. Have a go at answering some of these
questions:
 

 In what ways do you think modern technology helps our world to function
efficiently?
 What personal skills do people need to make their lives run smoothly?
 When things go wrong these days people often want financial compensation. Do
you agree with this attitude?
 They say that money makes the world go round. How much truth is there in
this?
 In what ways can the design of a building help people work better?
 What group of people do you think contributes most to the society we live in
today?
 3. Answering the Question

 Q. When things go wrong these days people often want financial
compensation. Do you agree with this attitude?
 A. Oh yeah, I read a story recently about a woman who spilled McDonald's hot
coffee down herself and sued them for compensation.
 The mad thing was, she'd bought the coffee and then tried to drive with it
between her knees, and then when she braked it went everywhere! Apparently
that's why they now have to print "CAUTION - HOT!" on all takeaway drinks
now.
 Ok, we love an anecdote as much as the next person - and the Stella Awards are
hilarious - but the question asks if you AGREE with it or not, i.e. is it a good or
a bad thing?
 The vocabulary and grammar from this answer are spot on, but it needs another
sentence evaluating the story and deciding if the decision to award the
compensation was good or bad and why. Something like this ....

 Q. When things go wrong these days people often want financial
compensation. Do you agree with this attitude?
 
 A. Oh yeah, I read a story recently about a woman who spilled McDonald's hot
coffee down herself and sued them for compensation.
 The mad thing was, she'd bought the coffee and then tried to drive with it
between her knees, and then when she braked it went everywhere! I mean, how
utterly crazy is it that a company should pay for this lady's stupidity - fancy
trying to drive with boiling hot coffee balanced between your knees!
 But I think that this is becoming an increasingly common attitude these days,
that everyone wants something for nothing, you know? It's a shame, and I don't
think it's right.
As you can see, to pass CPE (3+) the examiners are expecting flexible use of
vocabulary to express your opinions about "unfamiliar and abstract topics", and it's your
job to make sure that you're prepared for this.

Obviously, general things like phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions are all going to be
really useful; but you will also need a good selection of topic-specific vocabulary to
express yourself.

Take a look at these 10 frequently appearing topics to make sure that you'd feel
comfortable talking about them - remember, you need to be able to talk about them in
an "abstract" way, not just personally or relating to you!

1. Crime & Punishment

2. The Environment
3. Travel & Tourism
4. Food & The Food Industry
5. Family & Childhood
6. Science & Technology
7. Sport, Hobbies & Free-Time
8. Fashion, Clothing & Design
9. Health
10. Education

So, how can you get the vocab you need? .....

..... BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY

Now it's time to start adding high-level words to your 'active vocabulary' (as opposed to
your 'passive vocabulary', i.e. words that you can recognise in context, but that you
wouldn't use yourself).

That's something only you can do, but here are some website suggestions to get you
started:

 http://www.narrative.ly/ - Human Stories, Boldly Told

 https://www.dezeen.com/ - Architecture and Design Magazine
 https://www.jstor.org/ - Digital Library of Academic Journals, Books and
Primary Sources
 https://www.societyforscience.org/ - Science Magazine

(NB. All 4 also have newsletter subscriptions which send select articles and links to
your inbox regularly - for FREE!)

You can also check out CNN, The Guardian, The Independent, FOX News, BBC and
many other excellent news outlets for a variety of articles and videos - with the internet
at your disposal the world is your oyster!

However, be careful - YOU have to start using these new words! That means saying
them in conversations, writing them in emails, or even just writing short
reviews/summaries of what you've read. It also means being prepared to make some
mistakes: if you aren't making mistakes, you aren't learning.