ScoreFluentLanguageCert Academic Speaking, part by part.
About 14 minutes, four parts, one live interlocutor. Interview questions, two role-plays, a read-aloud with follow-ups, and a one-minute-prep presentation — marked on five 0–8 criteria anchored directly to CEFR levels.
Fourteen minutes, four parts, one interlocutor.
| Part | What you do | Stimulus | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Give and spell your name, say where you are from, then answer up to 5 questions — one per topic, with each topic announced aloud | General topics such as food, travel or family life | 3 min |
| Part 2 | Two role-play situations of about two turns each side. In the first the interlocutor starts and you respond; in the second you start the conversation yourself | Everyday student-life situations | 2 min |
| Part 3 | Read a short academic passage aloud — you get 30 seconds to look at it first — then answer follow-up questions about it | Academic passage on screen | 4 min |
| Part 4 | A short presentation from a chart or graph: 1 minute to prepare with notes allowed, up to 2 minutes to speak, then 2–3 follow-up questions | Chart or graph stimulus | 5 min |
The whole test is a conversation with a human interlocutor — in person or live on screen — and every test is recorded. The interlocutor marks Task Fulfilment & Communicative Effect during the interview itself; a second examiner marks the remaining criteria from the recording. Speaking is booked separately from Listening-Reading-Writing and taken the same day or within 14 days.
What each part asks — and how to practise it.
The format facts above are LanguageCert’s. The advice below is ours — strategy for the tasks as published, not examiner secrets.
Part 1 — rehearse the mechanics, then the topics
You will be asked to spell your name — practise it aloud until it is automatic, because stumbling on the first task of the exam costs confidence more than marks. Then drill 30–45 second answers on general topics: one direct answer, one reason, one example. Every question is spoken by a real person, so practise responding to a voice, not to text on a screen.
Part 2 — practise starting conversations, not just answering
One of the two role-plays requires you to initiate: walk into the situation and open the exchange yourself. Most learners have only ever practised responding. Rehearse openings for everyday requests and complaints — asking, checking, negotiating — because the turn where you speak first is the one this part exists to test.
Part 3 — use the 30 seconds on the hard chunks
The preview is 30 seconds. Do not read the whole passage in your head at natural speed — scan for the words and number-heavy phrases you might trip on, and decide where the sentence boundaries fall. Then expect follow-up questions: this part checks you understood what you read, not just that you can pronounce it.
Part 4 — turn the chart into three sentences in one minute
One minute of preparation, notes allowed. A reliable frame: the main trend, the sharpest comparison, and what it might mean. Speak up to two minutes, then expect two or three follow-up questions — so do not spend your preparation memorising a speech you cannot depart from.
Five criteria, scored 0–8, anchored to CEFR.
| Criterion | What it measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Task Fulfilment & Communicative Effect | Managing the tasks adequately for the level; linking utterances into coherent speech | Double-weighted — 16 of the 48 |
| Coherence | Coherent responses over extended speech; linking ideas and contributions | 8 |
| Accuracy & Range of Grammar | Varying and controlling grammatical structures appropriate to the task | 8 |
| Accuracy & Range of Vocabulary | Varying and controlling lexis and register appropriate to the task | 8 |
| Pronunciation, Intonation & Fluency | Intelligible sounds, appropriate stress and intonation, maintained flow | 8 |
Maximum 48 raw marks, and all four parts carry equal importance — the two-minute role-plays matter as much as the five-minute presentation. The 0–8 scales are built directly on CEFR levels: LanguageCert states that full descriptors exist only at 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1, with “8 designed to reflect C2 level CEFR Can-Do descriptors, 6 tied to C1, 4 to B2 and so on”.
| Criterion score | CEFR level it reflects |
|---|---|
| 8 | C2 |
| 7 | above C1, short of C2 |
| 6 | C1 |
| 5 | above B2, short of C1 |
| 4 | B2 |
| 3 | above B1, short of B2 |
| 2 | B1 |
| 1 | A2 or below |
The practical consequence for Speaking: a solid B2 performance scores 4 on a criterion, not 5 — and because Task Fulfilment & Communicative Effect counts double, completing every task matters more than any single polished sentence. The full scale mechanics are on the scoring guide.
Straight from the awarding body.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to LanguageCert or PeopleCert. The format facts here come from their published documents:
- LanguageCert Academic Qualification Handbook (PDF) — the Speaking task table and the five marking criteria.
- LanguageCert Academic exam page — the 30-second Part 3 preview and the Part 4 preparation and talk times.
- LanguageCert Academic Concordance Report (PDF) — the CEFR anchor points of the 0–8 scales.
Exam details change — the awarding bodies revise their documents during the year. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the full format guide, Writing, Listening and Reading.
Speaking questions, answered.
How long is the LanguageCert Academic Speaking test?
About 14 minutes, in four parts: roughly 3 minutes of interview questions, 2 minutes of role-plays, 4 minutes for the read-aloud and its follow-ups, and 5 minutes for the presentation. It is booked separately from the Listening-Reading-Writing component and taken the same day or within 14 days of it.
Is LanguageCert Speaking with a real person or a computer?
A real person. The test is a live interview with a human interlocutor, in person or on screen, and every test is recorded. The interlocutor marks Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect during the interview; a second examiner marks the remaining criteria from the recording.
How is LanguageCert Academic Speaking marked?
Five criteria, each scored 0–8: Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect (which is double-weighted), Coherence, Accuracy and Range of Grammar, Accuracy and Range of Vocabulary, and Pronunciation, Intonation and Fluency. That gives a maximum of 48 raw marks, and all four parts carry equal importance.
What score do I need on each criterion for B2 or C1?
The 0–8 scales are anchored to CEFR levels: 8 reflects C2, 6 is tied to C1, 4 to B2, 2 to B1, with the odd numbers as in-between points. So a solid B2 performance on a criterion scores 4, not 5 — worth knowing before you judge a practice score.
How much preparation time do I get in the Speaking test?
Two moments only: 30 seconds to look at the Part 3 passage before reading it aloud, and 1 minute to prepare the Part 4 presentation, where notes are allowed. Everything else — the interview questions and both role-plays — is unprepared, which is exactly what the Task Fulfilment criterion is watching.
Does ScoreFluent offer LanguageCert Speaking practice?
Not yet — scored LanguageCert Academic practice is in development. Our PTE Academic speaking practice is live today, and the LanguageCert waitlist gets one email on the day practice opens.
Be told the day LanguageCert practice opens.
Scored LanguageCert Academic practice is in build, not live. Leave your email and we will send one message when it opens — no date promised until we have one.
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