Every official Pearson tip for all 7 speaking tasks (V4 July 2025) — including the two new tasks: Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation. After each task, take a 5-question quick check.
Speak as if you were talking on the phone. There is no need to shout or whisper.
Make sure the microphone is placed to the side of your face, a few centimetres away from your mouth.
If you don't know an answer, try to provide a response as best you can, or say "I don't know" and move on to the next question.
Read a short text aloud — accuracy, fluency, and natural pronunciation.
Robots are typically built with inflexible materials, like metal. This means their adaptability and range of motion is limited. However, engineers have developed a new generation of soft robots based on animal anatomy. Inspired by the soft tissue which gives many creatures flexibility and mobility, engineers have designed soft robots that can move in ways their rigid robot counterparts cannot.
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English is a stress-timed language. Make the stressed syllable higher, louder and longer (e.g. en-gi-NEERS, a-DAPT-a-bil-ity). Drop your pitch slightly at full stops, lift it a little at commas. Flat reading kills the oral fluency score even if every word is correct.
Read at a natural speaking pace — not the speed of conversation, but not slow dictation either. Pause briefly at commas, a little longer at full stops. Never pause for more than 3 seconds: the mic closes and you lose the rest.
“Robots are typically built with inflexible materials, like metal. This means their adaptability and range of motion is limited. However, engineers have developed a new generation of soft robots based on animal anatomy. Inspired by the soft tissue which gives many creatures flexibility and mobility, engineers have designed soft robots that can move in ways their rigid robot counterparts cannot.”
“Robots are typically built with inflexible materials, like metal. This means their adaptability and range of motion is limited. However, engineers have developed a new generation of robots based on animal anatomy. Inspired by the soft tissue which gives many creatures flexibility and mobility, engineers have designed soft robots that can move in . . .”
“Robots are typically built with inflexible materials, like metal . . . that can move in ways their rigid robot counterparts cannot.”
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What is the maximum text length of a Read Aloud prompt?
Single answer
How long does the microphone wait before closing on silence?
Single answer
Which of these are scored as errors in Read Aloud? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
True or False: You should slow down to fill the entire 40 seconds.
True / False
Which best describes how to handle stressed syllables?
Single answer
Listen to a sentence and repeat it word-for-word.
Renewable resources provide only a small proportion of the world's energy requirements.
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You are scored on the correct word sequences you produce. The more meaningful phrases you understand, the better your reproduction will be. Example: "Next week's tutorial / on Tuesday / has been canceled." — three phrases, each with its own meaning.
Make a mental note of how the speaker says the sentence — their use of stress and intonation. These patterns help convey meaning. Speak calmly and clearly, copying the stress and intonation. You do not need to copy the speaker's accent.
“Renewable resources provide only a small proportion of the world's energy requirements.”
“Renewable resources provide only a small proportion of the world's energy.”
“Resources errr provide small of energy.”
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Do you need to copy the speaker's accent?
True / False
What should you do if you make a mistake mid-sentence?
Single answer
Why listen to the sentence as meaningful phrases? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
Which is the best note-taking strategy for Repeat Sentence?
Single answer
True or False: Speaking too loudly can hurt your score.
True / False
Describe a graph, table or chart in 40 seconds.
Reading habits in the city of Winstone, by average hours per week (categories: social media, books, newspapers, blogs — for students, working professionals, retired adults).
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Introduction (what the image shows) → Main points (the most important data) → Other details (additional features) → Conclusion (overall takeaway). Your response should always be original, in your own words, using only information directly relevant to the image.
Introduction → Key features (compare highest/lowest across categories) → Most significant feature and conclusion. Always original; never templated.
“The bar chart shows the sightings of dolphins and whales, in a bay, across the years 2017-2020. The data covers 4 years in total. We can see straightaway that the sightings of dolphins is actually increasing — from 203 to 513 across the four years. Whereas the sightings for whales has fluctuated, so it was 522 in 2017, then the number decreased drastically to 253 and a further drop to 247 in 2019. In 2020, we saw a massive increase in sightings of whales to 707 (an increase of around 450 sightings). It seems that the sightings of these animals has increased over the period with 2020 being the year where there were the most sightings for both of these mammals.”
“The bar chart shows the number of sightings of dolphins and whales, in a bay from 2017-2020. There are 2 bars per year. An orange bar for whales and a blue bar for dolphins. For whales, there were 522 sightings in 2017 (the second highest) but this then dropped to 253 in 2018, 247 in 2019 (the lowest) before increasing dramatically to 707 sightings in 2020. For dolphins, there were 203 sightings in 2017, 211 in 2018 and then a significant rise in 2019 to 409 sightings and to 513 in 2020. In 3 of the 4 years, there are more whales sightings than dolphins with 2019 being the exception.”
“So this graph shows us the sightings of dolphins and whales in the bay. So in for example, 2017, 522 whales were seen whereas in 2018, 253 whales were seen. However, in 2019 it was the opposite, there were more sightings of dolphins. And then in 2020 we can see that there were more sightings of whales again, with around 700 whales being seen and only 500 dolphins being seen. More whales were sighted than dolphins in 3 of the 4 years.”
“So this graph describes sightings of dolphins and whales on the first year. On 2017 had a lot more whales, almost twice the amount 2018 less less whale, same amount of dolphins. On the year after that we saw an increase in the number of dolphins. The whales stayed the same and in 2020 there was a very large increase in both the sightings of dolphins and whales.”
“It shows an increasing amount of spotting of dolphins throughout the last years and the spottings of whales also.”
“This is a very informative and interesting picture. It shows 2017, it shows 2018, it shows 2019 and 2020. It shows number of sightings. It shows sightings of dolphins. It shows dolphins. It shows whales. It shows that the data is increasing and decreasing to different levels. That is the end of my task describing an image. Thank you very much for listening to me.”
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How long do you have to study the image, and how long to speak?
Single answer
What can happen if you use a memorized template like "This is an informative graph"?
Single answer
Which should you do? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
True or False: You should add your personal opinion about the data.
True / False
Why is repeating the same word many times (e.g. "sightings") a problem?
Single answer
Listen to an academic lecture, take notes, retell in 40 seconds.
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Strong answers include the topic, the key points, characters, actions, show connections between these points, and make a conclusion at the end. Always original, in your own words, summarising the lecture with relevant language.
“In this lecture, the scientific process of creating new recipes was examined. Chefs aiming to produce recipes for a cookery book or for other chefs must pay meticulous attention to detail. They often use a test kitchen, similar to a laboratory, where each ingredient is precisely measured, and the procedure is carefully documented. This method is repeated multiple times to ensure the accuracy of ingredient balance, cooking temperature, and times. Once developed, the recipe is tested by a competent cook at home, who provides feedback on the outcome and clarity of instructions. Many chefs find this process challenging as it restricts their spontaneity and creativity.”
“When chefs want to develop a recipe, they do it in a special kitchen that works more like a lab, where they try to reproduce the same recipe over and over, looking for the exact same outcome of flavour and whatever. So after they produce a recipe, usually though they go test it with someone who isn't a chef but just a good cook and then those people can give some feedback about the recipe. Chefs usually don't like the process of the lab recipe thing because they can't be as creative or spontaneous.”
“Chefs need to create a new recipe, they often do that process like laboratory investigation. So they develop the recipe very carefully and record all the aspects such as quantities of ingredients, cooking time or temperature. In addition to this, they may repeat that process many times in order to produce that recipe and so that other people can do that process. Because after that, the recipe is tested by staff of the kitchen. And yes, that's all!”
“So this is about the process of chef creating your recipe. So they basically have to repeat the process many different times to perfect it until it can be given to everyone to try out the recipe. So it's almost and then before they put out the recipe, there's someone who tries it and it gives feedback. So it's almost like a scientific experiment rather than just cooking.”
“Chefs and how they create new recipes was the main topic of the lecture. Cookery books and attention to detail was told. Test kitchens and laboratories was discussed. Test procedures and cooking time was also mentioned. Trialled and home kitchen was also highlighted. Feedback and outcome was also given. To conclude, the lecture was very informative.”
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How many seconds pass between the audio ending and the microphone opening?
Single answer
What should strong answers cover? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
Which linking strategy is best?
Single answer
True or False: It's fine to add information not in the lecture if it sounds reasonable.
True / False
Why should you try to speak for the full 40 seconds?
Single answer
Listen to a short question — answer in just a few words.
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The instructions tell you how to answer. There is no point in saying more than you need to. Marks are awarded for a short, accurate answer — there are no extra marks for additional words. Example: "What do you call a person who comes first in a race or competition?" → "Winner." scores the same as "A winner is a person who comes first in a race or competition."
“Q: "What do you call a person who comes first in a race or competition?" Short: "Winner." Long: "A winner is a person who comes first in a race or competition."”
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How long should a typical Answer Short Question response be?
Single answer
Should you take notes for this question type?
True / False
What should you do if you're not sure of the answer?
Single answer
Why do long answers earn the same as short ones?
Single answer
Which behaviour helps the system recognise your voice? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
Listen to 3 speakers discuss an academic topic — summarize in 2 minutes.
You will hear three people having a discussion. When you hear the beep, summarize the whole discussion. You will have 10 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to give your response.
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Separate notes into Topic (T), Main Ideas (MI), who said what (S1/S2/S3), and supporting details. Example — T: 3 students, time management at uni. MI: Balancing academic + personal + extracurricular. S1 — wants more than just studying. S2 — juggling readings, assignments, projects. S3 — can't get organised, stressed. MI: Long-term planning. S2 — procrastinates till the last minute. S3 — can't long-term plan, must multi-task.
Make notes on each speaker as you listen, with supporting details. Topic: challenges managing time at uni. Speaker 1: workload concerns, no consistency, course length, computer crash. Speaker 2: lectures/projects/exams, no time, procrastinates → deadline rush, discipline different to high school, interest-driven. Speaker 3: managing time, stress/exhaustion, restarting each term, agrees, long-term planning + multi-tasking are hard, suggests a seminar.
Opening: "The three speakers were discussing ___." → Speaker 1: "The first speaker mentioned ___, particularly ___." → Speaker 2: "The second speaker added ___ and compared this with ___." → Speaker 3: "The third speaker agreed/disagreed and emphasised ___." → Close: "Overall, they all agreed/disagreed that ___, and suggested ___."
Adding: also, in addition, furthermore, moreover. Contrast: however, on the other hand, whereas, while. Agreement: similarly, likewise, both speakers, all three agree. Sequence: firstly, then, after that, finally. Cause/effect: because of this, as a result, which means. Summary: overall, in the end, to sum up.
❌ Speaking under 60 seconds → speak the full 2 min, add details and agreement/disagreement. ❌ "Topic 1 is…, topic 2 is…" robotic listing → use connectives instead. ❌ Mixing up speakers → label notes S1/S2/S3 immediately, don't wait. ❌ Adding wrong info ("every few weeks" when audio said "each term") → if unsure, leave it out. ❌ Repeating the same words from the audio → paraphrase main ideas in your own words.
“The three speakers were talking about the various challenges they face at university especially with respect to time management. The first speaker talked about his concerns about his workload; he seemed very concerned and somewhat stressed. He mentioned that he had no consistency in what he does and had a particular concern about the length of the course and some of the workload. He also mentioned an interesting point around challenges with his computer crashing, in relation to his time management issues. The second speaker also talked about the number of lectures, projects and exams that they have and said they're not very good with time management, especially because of procrastination — they rush when there's a deadline because they tend to focus on things that interest them rather than things that are important. This person also mentioned an issue with discipline and made a comparison with high school, where teachers tell you what to do, whereas at university you have greater autonomy. The third speaker agreed with much of what was said and also had an issue with procrastination — the same as speaker two. The third speaker talked about time management issues, stress, and exhaustion, and mentioned long-term planning as key and multi-tasking as an important attribute, but said this is challenging. In the end, the third speaker mentioned a seminar on time management and suggested they attend it.”
“The students in the conversation agree that their biggest challenge at university is managing their time. They feel overwhelmed by the many tasks they have to complete, and with each new term bringing a different schedule, it's difficult to stay organized. One student mentions struggling to establish a consistent routine for tackling his assignments, adding that technical issues, like computer freezing make things even worse. He also talks about procrastinating. The second student points out that self-discipline is a challenge; in primary school, teachers told him what to do and when to do it, but now, he has to figure out how to prioritize tasks on his own. The third student shares that long-term planning is a major hurdle for her, and she finds it hard to juggle multiple tasks at once. By the end of the conversation, they all agree that attending the university's time management seminar could help them improve their ability to manage their work more effectively.”
“These students say that their biggest challenge at university is time management. They think there is so much to do and the schedule keeps changing each term so it's hard to get organized. One student says he can't find a routine to follow for doing the work and sometimes has computer problems too. Another student says she also has trouble with long term planning and she thinks another problem is that she has to multitask and she isn't very good at that. The other student says that he can't discipline himself to do the work and that he used to rely on his teachers to plan his work. Now he has to do it himself.”
“The conversation spoke about studying and projects. Also mentioned was getting organized, stress and new schedule. Another interesting point was putting off tests and routines. As well as this, deadlines and long-term planning was mentioned. They mentioned multi-tasking, computer crashing, discipline and attending seminars. Thank you for listening to my summary of this interesting group discussion task.”
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How long do you have to summarize the discussion?
Single answer
Which of these should be in your notes? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
True or False: You should list every single point each speaker made.
True / False
Which opening style is best?
Single answer
Why mention where speakers agree or disagree?
Single answer
Read & hear a situation — respond as if you're talking to the people involved (40 sec).
You are doing a group project for a class. The other members of your group have asked you to prepare the slides for the presentation. You are willing to do the slides but need them to give you all the information that you have to include before the weekend. What would you say to them?
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Opener: "Hi everyone…" / "Hello professor…" / "Excuse me…". Confirm what you'll do: "I'm happy to / I can definitely ___." Make the request with the exact detail: "To do that, I'll need ___ by ___." Close with a check or call to action: "Could you send it to me by Friday — does that work?"
Friend / classmate: "Hey…", "Hi everyone…". Colleague / teammate: "Hi team…", "Hi all…". Professor / manager: "Hello Professor ___", "Hi ___, I hope you're well." Stranger / customer service: "Excuse me…", "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but…".
Soft (favour): "Would you mind…", "Could you possibly…". Standard (normal task): "Could you please…", "Can you make sure…". Strong / time-sensitive: "I need you to…", "Please send this by Friday so I can ___." Being too soft for a deadline-driven task loses marks.
❌ Summarising the situation in 3rd person ("The situation is about a person who…") → use first person, talk to them. ❌ Copying the prompt word-for-word → paraphrase and personalise. ❌ Changing the detail ("Saturday" vs "before the weekend") → keep the exact deadline. ❌ Pre-memorised intros ("Thank you so much to explain the situation…") → scored very low. ❌ Adding opinions ("I think this is unfair…") → not asked for, don't add.
“Hi everyone! I'm happy to create the slides for this presentation we're giving. To be successful though, I'll need you to each send me all the information and content you've gathered for our group project before this coming weekend so I'll have enough time to complete the slides. Please send the information to my email by end of day this Friday — does that work for everyone?”
“Hi everyone. So for this presentation, I can definitely create the slides as long you each provide me with the information that I can put into the slides. Can you make sure you send me the information by Saturday latest?”
“Hello, I am doing a group project for my class. I have been asked to prepare slides for the presentation and I am willing to do the slides but you need to give me all the information that you have before this weekend. Thank you.”
“The situation is about a person and that person is doing a group project for class. They are doing some slides and they want all the information from their teammates so they can do the slides. They want the information before the weekend.”
“Thank you so much to explain the situation that I have in this response. In this task I will explain the situation at length and provide some polite language to respond to the situation. I want to start by saying that this response is about doing a group project for the class. I want to also say that it's about slides for a presentation and it's also about giving you all the information before the weekend. Overall the situation is very informative and interesting.”
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What person should you speak in?
Single answer
Which of these are common content errors? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
True or False: You should give your opinion on whether the situation is reasonable.
True / False
Why use contractions like 'I'll' and 'they'll'?
Single answer
If you have a strong request, what tone should you use?
Single answer