LanguageCert Academic Speaking Part 4: the presentation from a chart

Part 4 is the longest and most structured part of the LanguageCert Academic Speaking test. You get a topic and some information, one minute to plan, and up to two minutes to talk, followed by questions. What you write down in the minute decides what the two minutes sound like.

For the criteria across all four parts, see LanguageCert Academic Speaking, part by part.

What happens in Speaking Part 4?

In the official interlocutor scripts, you are told you will talk on your own for about two minutes on a named topic, and the information appears on screen. You have one minute to look at it and write notes. The interlocutor then says "now you have two minutes to talk about the topic". When you have talked for a maximum of two minutes, the interlocutor thanks you and asks one or more follow-up questions, as time allows.

What does the stimulus look like?

In each of the three official practice papers, the stimulus is a bar chart. In two of them a second panel of figures sits beside or below it: percentage changes by category in one, and three headline figures in the other. LanguageCert's tips tell you to practise interpreting information from infographics.

The topics in those papers are everyday and social: attitudes to looking for a job, book sales and global tourism. You are assessed on language, not subject knowledge. LanguageCert says to focus on communicative competence even if the topic is unfamiliar.

What should I do in the one minute?

The tips say to use the minute to interpret the infographic, think about your answer, make notes and organise your ideas. A split that fits 60 seconds, with timings that are ours:

1. 15 seconds: read the title, the units and the caption. Know what is being measured and over what period or between which groups.
2. 25 seconds: find the main pattern, one comparison and one figure that stands out. Write each as two or three words and a number.
3. 15 seconds: choose your opinion, reason or prediction, and write a keyword for it.
4. 5 seconds: decide your first sentence, so that you do not start by searching for words.

Write keywords, not sentences. Sentences read aloud rarely sound natural, and writing them takes the whole minute.

How do I structure two minutes?

A frame that works for most charts, with timings that are ours:

• Opening (about 15 seconds): name the chart type, the topic and what it measures.
• Overall pattern (about 30 seconds): the main trend, the biggest category or the clearest contrast.
• Two supporting comparisons (about 40 seconds): two figures set against each other, with numbers. If there is a second panel, refer to it here.
• Reason or opinion (about 25 seconds): why you think the pattern looks like this, or what you expect next.
• Close (about 10 seconds): one sentence that returns to the main point.

Do not read out every number. LanguageCert's tips say to keep the content focused on the topic given. The interlocutor stops you at two minutes, so a close that arrives at about 1 minute 50 is better than an unfinished sentence.

Here is a worked plan for a line graph

This plan is ours, for the working-from-home line graph in item 2 below. It shows what 60 seconds of notes can look like.

Notes: % of employees, days WFH per week, 2019 to 2024 / 2019: never 84% / 2020: 3-5 days 40% / 3-5 days falls to 18% / 1-2 days rises 10% to 38% / hybrid stays? growth slowing (33, 37, 38)

From those notes, the talk goes:

• Opening: "The line graph shows what percentage of employees worked from home never, one to two days, or three to five days a week, from 2019 to 2024."
• Pattern: "In 2019 most people, 84 per cent, never worked from home. In 2020 that dropped to 45 per cent as three-to-five-day working jumped to 40 per cent."
• Comparison: "Since then, three-to-five-day working has fallen every year to 18 per cent, while one-to-two days has risen every year, from 10 per cent to 38 per cent."
• Opinion: "I think hybrid working will stay, but the rise in one-to-two days is slowing, from 33 to 37 to 38, so I expect it to level off."
• Close: "So the trend is not back to the office or all at home, but somewhere in between."

What do the follow-up questions ask?

In all three official practice papers, the first follow-up goes back to the information on the sheet: the main trend, the most surprising figure, or whether ideas change over time. The later questions move to the wider topic and ask for your own view or your reasons.

Because the first question is about the data, do not clear it from your head the moment you finish talking. LanguageCert's tips say you can use fillers such as "that's an interesting question" or "let me see" if you need time to think. Then answer in the usual shape: answer, reason, example.

How is Part 4 marked?

Part 4 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 4?

• Reading out every number. A list of figures is not a description, and it uses time you need for reasons and opinion.
• Ignoring the second panel, when there is one. The follow-up questions may use it.
• Writing full sentences in the minute. You will read them stiffly, and you will not have planned the structure.
• No close. Running into the interlocutor's thanks mid-sentence leaves the talk unfinished.
• Learning a speech. The follow-up questions need a speaker who can respond, not recite.

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

These are ScoreFluent practice items, not real LanguageCert charts. Time yourself: one minute of notes, up to two minutes of speaking, then answer the follow-ups before opening the model answers. The official frame names the topic and shows the information. The bank adds a direction in the brief to make each task concrete. Chart data is shown as text.

Item 1: Revision methods (pie chart)

Chart: Most-used revision method among 500 university students. Re-reading notes 34%, practice questions 26%, flashcards 16%, study groups 10%, watching video lessons 14%.

Brief: Explain which revision methods students use most according to the chart, and tell us which method you think is most effective and why.

1. Why do many students prefer to re-read their notes rather than try other methods?
2. How early should students start revising before an exam?

Model answers

1. It feels easy and familiar, and you can see what you've covered. Unfortunately, it often gives a false sense of knowing the material. Practice questions are harder, so many people avoid them even though they work better.
2. Ideally, they should begin about four to six weeks beforehand, with short sessions each day. That way they can cover everything without panic. Leaving it until the last week usually leads to stress and weaker results.

Item 2: Working from home (line graph)

Chart: Employees by number of days worked from home each week, 2019 to 2024, as a percentage of employees.

• Never: 84, 45, 38, 41, 43, 44
• 1-2 days: 10, 15, 24, 33, 37, 38
• 3-5 days: 6, 40, 38, 26, 20, 18

Brief: Talk about the changes shown in the chart in how many days a week employees work from home, and say whether you think the trend will continue.

1. Why do you think the number of people working from home most of the week has fallen since 2021?
2. What are the disadvantages of working from home for a company?

Model answers

1. I think many employers wanted people back in the office for teamwork and training. Some employees also missed the social side of work, or found it hard to work at home. Hybrid arrangements seem to be a compromise that suits both sides.
2. It can be harder to build a team spirit and to train new staff, because people don't meet naturally. Managers may also worry about measuring performance. The company might save on office costs, but it needs to invest in good communication tools to make up for it.

Item 3: What matters in a job (bar chart)

Chart: Factors rated "very important" when choosing a job, by age group, 2024, as a percentage of employees. Salary: over 40s 68%, under 30s 71%. Flexible hours: 58%, 64%. Friendly colleagues: 60%, 52%. Training and promotion: 41%, 77%. Short commute: 55%, 39%.

Brief: Present the differences between younger and older employees in what they consider important in a job, and say which factor you personally would put first.

1. Why do you think younger workers value training and promotion so much?
2. Would you accept a lower salary for a job with better working hours?

Model answers

1. They're at the start of their careers, so they want to learn new skills and progress quickly. Many also expect to change jobs several times, so training makes them more employable. Older workers are often settled and care more about stability.
2. Yes, within reason. If I could save money on commuting and have more time with family, a slightly lower salary would be worth it. But I'd need enough money to cover my basic costs and to save a little.

How can I practise Part 4 with scoring?

ScoreFluent shows the chart with a one-minute preparation countdown, records up to two minutes of speaking, plays the follow-up questions as audio, 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 3, read aloud and questions. 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 4 task and the marking arrangements.
• LanguageCert Academic tips for candidates: the one-minute preparation, notes, practice and filler advice.
• LanguageCert Academic Test Taker Guide: notes allowed only in Part 4.
• Official practice papers: the interlocutor scripts, the stimulus types, the follow-up pattern and the part timings.
• LanguageCert Academic exam page: the Part 4 preparation and talk times.