LanguageCert Academic Speaking Part 3: read aloud, then answer questions

Part 3 is the one part of LanguageCert Academic Speaking that starts with a text. You get 20 seconds to look at it, you read it aloud, and then the interlocutor asks you questions about its topic. Candidates often spend the 20 seconds reading silently from start to finish. The better use is to decide how you will read it and what its main point is, because the first question is usually about that.

For the criteria across all four parts, see LanguageCert Academic Speaking, part by part. For more passages with follow-up questions, see our Part 3 practice questions.

How long do I get to look at the passage?

Twenty seconds. The Test Taker Guide, the tips for candidates, the exam page and the interlocutor scripts in all three official practice papers say the same. In the scripts, the interlocutor says "You now have twenty seconds to look at the passage, then I'll ask you to read it out loud", and then stops making eye contact while the recording keeps running.

If you have seen 30 seconds quoted elsewhere, that does not match the LanguageCert sources checked for this guide. If you have booked a specific product, follow the preparation material that came with it. Checked 15 and 16 October 2026.

What happens in Speaking Part 3?

The interlocutor shares the passage on screen and gives you the 20 seconds. You read it aloud. The interlocutor then says they will ask some questions about the topic, and asks one or more, "as time allows".

The passages in the three official practice papers run from 97 to 114 words by our count. LanguageCert does not publish a word count for them.

What should I do in the 20 seconds?

LanguageCert's tips say to skim the text for overall meaning, not to read it end to end. A plan that fits 20 seconds, with timings that are ours:

1. First 5 seconds: read the first and last sentences, which are the quickest places to look for the main point.
2. Next 10 seconds: scan for numbers, acronyms, unfamiliar words and very long sentences. These are the places where fluent readers stumble. LanguageCert's tips specifically suggest practising numbers, acronyms, long noun phrases and long sentences.
3. Last 5 seconds: decide your main-point sentence in your own words, so that you can say it when asked.

You do not need to mark every pause. Mark only the places where you would otherwise rush.

What are the follow-up questions like?

In all three official practice papers, the first follow-up asks for the writer's main message or main point. The later questions ask for your own view on the topic of the passage, such as why something has changed or what people could do about it.

That pattern is worth rehearsing, because a fluent reading followed by a vague answer to the first question wastes the work you did on the reading. Remember the text stays on screen, so you can glance back at it, but reading a sentence out again is not an answer.

How do I answer the main-message question?

Use two sentences: the point in your own words, then one detail from the text. This example is ours, written for Passage 2 below.

The writer's main point is that bees matter more for pollination than for honey, and that falling bee numbers could threaten harvests. The passage supports this by noting that roughly a third of the food people eat depends on pollination.

Paraphrase rather than copying the sentence you just read. The question tests whether you understood the text, and a paraphrase shows that more clearly than a repeat.

How do I answer the opinion questions?

Answer, give a reason, add an example, and tie it back to the passage in half a sentence if you can. The model answers in the practice items below follow this pattern. They run to two to four sentences, which suits a part of about 4 minutes in total.

How should I read the passage aloud?

LanguageCert's tips give four instructions:

• Use punctuation as a guide to fluency, for example pausing briefly after a comma.
• Aim for clarity and precision in your speech.
• Give words you are unsure of your best try and move on quickly, because the flow matters.
• Practise numbers, acronyms, long noun phrases and long sentences.

Here is the first passage from the practice items below, split into phrases. A single slash is a short pause and a double slash is a sentence end. The splits are ours.

Many first-year students choose to live in university halls of residence. // Sharing a building with hundreds of other newcomers / makes it easy to meet people, / and most halls organise events / during the first weeks of term. // Rent usually includes heating, water and internet, / so students avoid the stress / of dealing with several different bills. // On the other hand, / rooms can be small and noisy, / and some students find / that they prefer the independence of a rented flat / once they have made a few close friends.

Practise by recording yourself and checking two things: whether you ran through any commas, and whether you restarted a sentence. LanguageCert does not publish a pace, so aim for clear phrasing rather than speed.

How is Part 3 marked?

Part 3 uses the same five criteria, each scored 0 to 8, as the other parts, and each part carries equal importance (Handbook, section 3). The interlocutor awards Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect in real time. A second examiner marks the other four criteria from the recording. Checked 15 and 16 October 2026. The criteria are set out on the Speaking page.

What mistakes should I avoid in Part 3?

• Reading the passage silently from start to finish in the 20 seconds and having no main point ready.
• Reading as fast as possible. Clear phrasing matters more than speed.
• Stopping to repair every slip. Move on after your best try.
• Ignoring commas and full stops, which turns the passage into one long breath.
• Answering the main-message question by reading a sentence again instead of putting the point in your own words.

Practice items from the ScoreFluent bank (not real exam questions)

These are ScoreFluent practice items, not real LanguageCert passages. Give yourself 20 seconds, read the passage aloud, then answer the follow-up questions before opening the model answers. The bank's follow-ups are opinion questions. Ask yourself the official-style first question as well: what is the writer's main message?

Passage 1: Halls of residence

Many first-year students choose to live in university halls of residence. Sharing a building with hundreds of other newcomers makes it easy to meet people, and most halls organise events during the first weeks of term. Rent usually includes heating, water and internet, so students avoid the stress of dealing with several different bills. On the other hand, rooms can be small and noisy, and some students find that they prefer the independence of a rented flat once they have made a few close friends.

1. Would you prefer to live in halls or in a shared flat during your first year? Why?
2. How important is it for students to live close to the campus?

Model answers

1. I'd choose halls, mainly because I wouldn't know anybody. Living with lots of other new students would make it much easier to make friends quickly. I'd probably think about a flat in my second year, when I'd want a bit more space and quiet.
2. I think it matters quite a lot, especially for early lectures. If you live nearby, you can go home between classes and you save money on transport. That said, a longer journey isn't a disaster if the bus or train service is reliable.

Passage 2: Honeybees

Honeybees are often praised for making honey, yet their greater contribution is pollination. As a bee moves between flowers collecting nectar, pollen sticks to its body and is carried to the next bloom, allowing plants to produce seeds and fruit. Roughly one third of the food people eat depends on this process, from apples and almonds to coffee. Scientists are therefore concerned that falling bee populations, linked to pesticides and the loss of wild habitats, could eventually threaten harvests as well as the countryside.

1. Why do you think so many people overlook the work that insects do for farming?
2. What could ordinary people do to protect insects where they live?

Model answers

1. I think it's because we only notice what we can see on our plates. Insects are small and they work quietly, so most of us never connect an apple in the shop with a bee in an orchard. Programmes on television could help, because they show the link very clearly.
2. Even a small action helps. If I had a garden or a balcony, I'd plant flowers that bloom at different times of year and avoid chemical sprays. I think councils could also leave patches of grass uncut in parks, because that gives wild insects somewhere to feed.

Passage 3: Rewilding

Rewilding is an approach to conservation that aims to restore natural processes rather than manage every detail of a landscape. Instead of preserving land exactly as it is, rewilding projects reintroduce missing species, allow rivers to follow their original courses, and limit farming in selected areas. Beavers, for instance, create wetlands that store water and provide habitat for many other animals. Supporters believe such projects can revive local ecosystems with surprisingly little intervention. Opponents, particularly farmers, fear losing livestock and income, and they argue that the countryside has been shaped by human activity for centuries.

1. Do you think it is acceptable to reintroduce large predators into areas where people live?
2. Who should pay for conservation projects: governments, businesses or individuals?

Model answers

1. I think it can be acceptable, but only with careful planning and the agreement of local people. Predators help control other animals, which benefits the whole ecosystem. Farmers should receive fair compensation if they lose animals, otherwise the project won't succeed.
2. I'd say governments should carry most of the cost, because nature benefits everybody. Businesses that damage the environment should contribute as well, as they have a clear responsibility. Individuals can help through donations or volunteering, but they can't be expected to fund large projects.

How can I practise Part 3 with scoring?

ScoreFluent shows the passage with a preview countdown, plays the follow-up questions as audio, records your reading and answers, and returns a practice estimate against the five criteria, with an examiner report (8 credits). The estimate is not an official LanguageCert score, and a recording cannot reproduce a live interlocutor. New accounts start with 40 free credits. Credits never expire and there is no subscription.

Start with 40 free credits →

Also in this series: Part 1, the interview questions, Part 2, the role play and Part 4, the presentation. The full format is on the LanguageCert Academic hub.

Sources

ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to LanguageCert or PeopleCert. Format and marking facts above come from LanguageCert's published documents. Checked 15 and 16 October 2026.

• LanguageCert Academic Qualification Handbook, version 9.0: the Speaking 3 task and the marking arrangements.
• LanguageCert Academic Test Taker Guide: the 20 seconds of preparation for Part 3.
• LanguageCert Academic tips for candidates: the text staying on screen and the reading-aloud advice.
• LanguageCert Academic exam page: the Part 3 preparation time.
• Official practice papers: the interlocutor scripts, the passage lengths, the follow-up question pattern and the part timings.