Speaking Success: A Guide to the B1 Preliminary (PET)

Speaking Success: A Guide to the B1 Preliminary (PET)

The exam's structure, and all four parts of the Speaking test — practised by Philo and Sophia.

•The Speaking test, at a glance

The B1 Preliminary (formerly PET) Speaking test lasts 10–12 minutes and is taken in pairs, with two examiners present: the Interlocutor, who talks to you and runs the test, and the silent Assessor, who only listens and grades. It has four distinct parts, each testing something slightly different:

1. Interview
2–3 min
2. Long Turn
~1 min each
3. Collaborative Task
2–3 min
4. Discussion
~4 min

Speaking is one of four skills tested across the whole B1 Preliminary exam (alongside Reading, Writing and Listening) — but the rest of this guide is about Speaking's own four parts, below.

1Interview (2–3 minutes)

The examiner asks each candidate personal questions — first a fixed opening (name, where you're from), then a few more varied questions about hobbies, work, or daily life. This part is about you, talking naturally — not a memorised speech.

ExaminerPhilo, where are you from?
PhiloI'm from Alexandria. I work at the Great Library, cataloguing scrolls.
ExaminerSophia, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
SophiaI enjoy teaching, and I read whenever I have a spare hour — usually more than I should admit.

Tip

Don't prepare a paragraph and recite it — a fully memorised answer sounds unnatural and can actually cost you marks. Prepare ideas, not sentences.

2Individual Long Turn (about 1 minute each)

Each candidate receives a different photograph and describes it alone, with no help or interruption from their partner. The goal isn't to guess a hidden story — it's to describe clearly what you can see, and speculate sensibly about what you can't be sure of.

General introduction

  • "This picture shows…"
  • "In this picture I can see…"

Place

  • "They're in a kitchen / at a market."
  • "I can see a street / a field."

People's age

  • "She's about 40 years old."
  • "He's a young child / a teenager."

People's clothes

  • "She's wearing a blue jumper."
  • "They're wearing casual clothes."

People's actions

  • "He's sitting at a table."
  • "They're having dinner."

People's roles

  • "He's probably a shop assistant."
  • "She seems to be a guide."

Feelings

  • "You can tell they're enjoying themselves."
  • "He looks a bit nervous."

Paraphrasing an unknown word

  • "It's something you fry food in." (a pan)
  • "It's a container for flowers." (a vase)

Making guesses

  • "It might be summer, because…"
  • "This could be in the countryside, because…"

Position

  • "In the middle of the picture…"
  • "In the background / foreground…"
  • "In the top left corner… / bottom right corner…"

Remember

  • Talk in full sentences — don't just list items you can see.
  • Organise your description; don't describe the same thing twice.
  • Start with a general idea before moving to details.
  • Give reasons for your guesses, based on what's in the picture.
  • Mention the situation, not just the objects — and add a brief personal reaction.
  • Listen quietly while your partner describes their photo. Don't help or comment.

Worked example — Philo describes a kitchen scene

A family making a salad in a kitchen
Family making a salad
Philo In this picture, I can see a family in a kitchen. In the middle, a woman is making a salad, and a man is standing next to her, talking to her while he holds a glass of wine. I think they're a couple, probably in their thirties. There's a young girl, maybe three or four years old, standing beside the counter — she seems to be reaching for a plate. In the background there are some white cupboards, and there's a window next to them, with the blinds half open. I think it's the evening, because the man is holding a drink and everyone looks relaxed. They all seem happy — the woman is smiling as she cooks, and the little girl looks curious about what's in the bowls.

Worked example — Sophia describes a family photo

A family kneeling together in a pumpkin field
A family in a pumpkin field
Sophia This picture shows a family of four in a pumpkin field. In the middle of the picture, the parents are kneeling down with their two daughters, and everyone is smiling at the camera. The father is wearing a red checked shirt, and the younger girl is wearing a similar pattern — maybe it's a family tradition. In the background, I can see other people walking between the rows of pumpkins, so I think this is a public farm, probably in autumn, because of all the pumpkins around them. They all look very happy — you can tell it's a special family outing, not just an ordinary day.

3Collaborative Task (2–3 minutes)

The examiner describes a situation and asks a specific question — for example, "Talk together about the different things he could do, and decide which would be best." That question is what the discussion has to actually answer; the pictures are just prompts for exploring it. You then talk to each other — not to the examiner — and try to reach that decision together. It's not strictly necessary to reach agreement, but you must show you're trying to.

Starting

  • "Shall I start?"
  • "Let's start with this one."

Making suggestions

  • "How about…?"
  • "We could…"
  • "Why don't we…?"

Giving an opinion

  • "I think… because…"
  • "In my opinion…"
  • "Personally, I think…"

Asking your partner

  • "What do you think?"
  • "Do you agree?"
  • "…, don't you think?"

Agreeing

  • "Yes, I agree."
  • "That's a good point."
  • "I think so too."

Disagreeing (politely)

  • "I'm not sure I agree, because…"
  • "That's true, but…"
  • "I see your point, but…"

Preferences

  • "I'd rather… than…"
  • "I'd prefer to…"

Concluding

  • "So, shall we choose this one?"
  • "It looks like we've agreed on…"

Remember

  • Focus on the picture the examiner describes — the others around it are just ideas to talk about, not things to describe.
  • Start talking right away; don't waste time restating the background.
  • It helps to briefly echo the question in your first turn — "So we need to decide what he'd enjoy most" — so the conversation stays anchored to what you're actually being asked.
  • Give reasons for your opinions, and give your partner room to speak — don't dominate.
  • Try to end each turn with a question, to keep the conversation moving.
  • You don't have to talk about every option — it's fine to cover two or three in depth and briefly explain why you're leaving the rest out.

Worked example — planning a free afternoon in Alexandria

Picture prompt sheet: a friend has one free afternoon in the city, with five options — harbour, library, theatre, market, gardens
SophiaShall I start? So, we need to decide what he'd enjoy most on his one free afternoon. I think visiting the harbour would be lovely — it's relaxing, and you can watch the ships. What do you think?
PhiloI see your point, but if it's only one afternoon, I think the Library would be more memorable. There's always something new to find.
SophiaThat's true, but not everyone enjoys scrolls as much as you do. What about the theatre? There's usually a play in the afternoon.
PhiloActually, I agree — a play is easier to enjoy without any preparation, and it's something you can talk about afterwards. Shall we recommend that?
SophiaYes, let's do that. The theatre it is.

4Discussion (about 4 minutes)

The examiner asks follow-up questions related to Part 3's topic, sometimes to one candidate, sometimes to both — a more open, natural conversation than a strict task.

ExaminerDo you think it's important to have free time?
PhiloI think so — even someone who loves their work needs a change of scene sometimes.
SophiaI completely agree. In my opinion, free time is when you actually notice what a city looks like.

•How Speaking Is Scored

Examiners assess five things, and it helps to know what they're each listening for:

Grammar & Vocabulary

Accurate everyday grammar and vocabulary relevant to the task.

Discourse Management

Organising what you say clearly, using basic connectors.

Pronunciation

Being easy to understand — not accent-free, just clear.

Interactive Communication

Responding, asking questions, agreeing and disagreeing naturally.

Global Achievement

An overall impression of how comfortable and communicative you were.

Trivium Home School — Philo & Sophia