ScoreFluentC1 Advanced Speaking, with a partner.
Four parts in 15 minutes, face to face with another candidate and two examiners. Part of the mark is for how you interact, which you cannot rehearse with a recording alone.
Checked 15 and 16 October 2026 against Cambridge English. ScoreFluent is not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
How long is C1 Advanced Speaking, and who is in the room?
The test lasts 15 minutes for a pair of candidates and 23 minutes for a group of three. Groups of three happen when there is an uneven number of candidates, and the format and material stay the same. Two examiners are always present. The interlocutor runs the test and gives a global mark, and the assessor listens and awards the analytic marks without joining in. Cambridge says the examiner who talks to you could be online, examining remotely.
At the end you are thanked but given no indication of your level. Marks feed one of your five scores; see how C1 Advanced is scored.
What are the four parts of C1 Advanced Speaking?
| Part | Task | Time | What happens | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Interview | 2 min (3 for three) | A short conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate, in spoken questions. | General social and interactional language. |
| Part 2 | Long turn | 4 min (6 for three) | Each candidate gets three photographs and talks about two for 1 minute, then the partner comments for about 30 seconds. | Organising a longer turn: comparing, describing, giving opinions and speculating. |
| Part 3 | Collaborative task | 4 min (6 for three) | You and your partner discuss written prompts for 2 minutes, then have 1 minute to reach a decision. You get about 15 seconds to read the task first. | Sustaining an interaction, justifying opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, and negotiating. |
| Part 4 | Discussion | 5 min (8 for three) | The interlocutor asks questions that develop the topics from Part 3. | Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing, disagreeing and speculating. |
Times follow Cambridge’s handbook, which adds up to 15 minutes for a pair. Its format page gives about 3 minutes for Part 3, where the handbook lists 4. Part 1 and Part 4 have no separate guide, and the C1 Advanced task index links the Part 2 and Part 3 guides.
How is C1 Advanced Speaking marked?
Each criterion is marked from 0 to 5, and examiners may award half marks. The assessor marks the first five criteria and the interlocutor marks Global Achievement. The descriptions below paraphrase Cambridge’s C1 descriptors, which sit at band 3 of the 0–5 scale.
Grammatical Resource
A good degree of control of a range of simple and some complex grammatical forms.
Lexical Resource
A range of appropriate vocabulary for giving and exchanging views on familiar and unfamiliar topics.
Discourse Management
Extended stretches of language with very little hesitation, relevant contributions with clear organisation, and a range of cohesive devices.
Pronunciation
Intelligible speech, appropriate intonation, accurately placed sentence and word stress, and clearly articulated individual sounds.
Interactive Communication
Initiating and responding appropriately, linking your contributions to your partner’s, maintaining and developing the exchange, and negotiating towards an outcome.
Global Achievement
The interlocutor’s overall mark for handling a range of familiar and unfamiliar topics with very little hesitation and extended, generally coherent speech.
Together these make 75 marks. Cambridge says you are assessed on your own performance and not in relation to your partner. The full assessment scales are in the handbook linked below.
How do I practise each part?
The advice marked as Cambridge’s is from its handbook; the rest is our technique.
Part 1: expand every answer
Answer promptly and go beyond one word, as Cambridge advises. You are not invited to talk to your partner in this part, so give the examiner a full, relaxed answer.
Part 2: compare, then speculate
Choose two of the three photographs quickly and compare them, then answer the questions with ideas about what people might think or feel. Cambridge says to keep talking until the interlocutor says “Thank you”, so do not end with “That’s all”.
Part 2: listen to your partner’s turn
You must not speak during your partner’s minute, because you are then asked a short question about their photographs and answer for about 30 seconds. Note one detail while they speak.
Part 3: invite your partner in
Ask for their view and respond to what they say. Cambridge says you need not cover all five prompts, and it is better to deal with several in depth.
Part 3: the decision matters less than the route
You are not penalised for failing to reach a decision. Use the minute to weigh the options aloud and negotiate, and agree or disagree politely.
Part 4: join in without taking over
Listen to your partner’s answers and add to them, but do not interrupt or dominate. Cambridge says examiners can only assess the language you produce, not your ideas.
Practise at the full length of the test: Cambridge says the impression at the end matters as much as the one at the start. For deeper guidance, read the long turn guide and the collaborative task guide.
What can I practise on ScoreFluent?
ScoreFluent has practice for all four parts, done alone: Parts 1 and 4 use scripted examiner questions, Part 2 is a photo comparison, and Part 3 uses scripted partner turns. Examiner reports for speaking cost 8 credits at the time of writing, and the full C1 Advanced mock test, which includes Speaking, costs 40 credits. There is no separate Speaking mock test.
Our Speaking score is a provisional solo practice estimate. Because you speak alone, we can observe Grammatical Resource, Lexical Resource, Discourse Management and Pronunciation, but not Interactive Communication or Global Achievement. We have not calibrated it against real Cambridge marking, so read it as a rough pointer.
Solo practice cannot replace speaking with a person. Practise Parts 2 to 4 with a partner as test day gets closer, and see the practice test guide for Cambridge’s free sample Speaking material.
Straight from Cambridge.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The facts here were checked on 15 and 16 October 2026 against:
- C1 Advanced exam format — parts, timing, examiners and groups of three.
- C1 Advanced Handbook for teachers (PDF) — the four parts, assessment scales, who awards each mark and preparation advice.
- Converting practice test scores (PDF) — how the 75 Speaking marks are built.
- C1 Advanced preparation — sample Speaking material and examiner comments on three sample tests.
Exam details change. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the C1 Advanced guide, Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and how scoring works.
C1 Advanced Speaking questions, answered.
How long is C1 Advanced Speaking?
It takes 15 minutes for a pair of candidates and 23 minutes for a group of three. There are four parts: an interview, a long turn, a collaborative task and a discussion.
Do I take C1 Advanced Speaking alone?
No. You usually take it with one other candidate, or in a group of three when the number of candidates is uneven, in front of two examiners. Cambridge says you may be paired with a candidate from another school.
What are the four parts of C1 Advanced Speaking?
Part 1 is a short interview, Part 2 is a one-minute long turn comparing photographs, Part 3 is a collaborative task with your partner ending in a decision, and Part 4 is a discussion on related topics.
How is C1 Advanced Speaking marked?
The assessor gives 0–5 for Grammatical Resource, Lexical Resource, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication, and the interlocutor gives 0–5 for Global Achievement. Together they make 75 marks.
Does my partner affect my mark?
Cambridge says you are assessed on your own performance, not in relation to your partner. Examiners are trained to give each candidate the same opportunity to speak, whether in a pair or a group of three.
Do I have to reach a decision in Part 3?
No. Cambridge says candidates are not penalised if they fail to reach a negotiated decision, and there is no right or wrong answer. You are assessed on how you use the language of negotiation and collaboration.
Does Part 2 just ask me to describe the photographs?
No. You compare two of the three photographs and answer questions that ask you to speculate, such as how people might feel. Cambridge says candidates are never asked merely to describe a visual.
Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?
Yes. Cambridge says you can ask the examiner to repeat the instructions or a question.
Can I practise C1 Advanced Speaking on my own?
Partly. On ScoreFluent you practise alone with scripted examiner questions and a scripted partner, which builds your content and delivery but cannot reproduce a real partner. Our Speaking score is a provisional solo practice estimate, so also practise with a person before test day.
Start practising C1 Advanced today.
C1 Advanced practice is live on ScoreFluent: all four Speaking parts, practised alone, free to start.
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