Speaking Success: Trinity GESE Grade 7

Intermediate stage · CEFR B2.1 — the tasks, themes and language of Grade 7, practised by Philo and Sophia.

•Grade 7, at a glance

Intermediate stageCEFR B2.115 minutesOne-to-one with the examiner

1. Topic discussion

up to 5 min

2. Interactive task

up to 4 min

3. Conversation

up to 5 min

At the Intermediate stage you lead. You introduce and discuss your own topic (with brief notes or a mind map), then take control of an interactive task from a short prompt, and finally discuss two subject areas chosen by the examiner.

1What you need to do (communicative skills)

Topic: lead the discussion of your own topic, in extended turns, and handle questions and interruptions
Interactive task: take control, ask for information, make comments, and invite the examiner’s opinion
Conversation: share responsibility for keeping the conversation going

2Themes and topics (subject areas)

Conversation subject areas (the examiner chooses two)

Topics

Education
National customs
Village and city life
National and local produce and products
Early memories
Pollution and recycling

Your own topic must not be taken from this list: choose something personal, which you know well and enjoy talking about.

3Language functions and grammar (what the examiner listens for)

Functions

Giving advice; advantages and disadvantages
Making suggestions
Describing past habits
Possibility and uncertainty
Asking for more information and opinions
Agreeing and disagreeing

Grammar and language

Second conditional
Simple passive
used to
Relative clauses
should, ought to, could, you’d better
may, might, I’m not sure; because of, due to
Showing interest: Really? Oh dear! Did you?; fillers: well…, um…

Worked example — the Interactive task

Examiner(Interactive prompt) My nephew wants to leave school and work on a ship. His parents are very worried.

PhiloOh dear! How old is he?

ExaminerHe’s sixteen.

PhiloHmm, that’s young. Has he got any experience of the sea?

ExaminerNot really, but he loves boats.

PhiloWell, if I were his parents, I’d suggest a compromise: he could work on a ship in the summer and finish school first. What do you think they’d say to that?

Tips for Grade 7

Topic: no topic form now: bring brief notes or a mind map, and you lead.
In the Interactive task, the examiner says very little: you must ask, comment and suggest. If you stop, the task stops.
Use the second conditional and should / could to advise.

•How Grade 7 is assessed

The examiner gives a letter grade for each phase, for task fulfilment: how well you use the communicative skills, functions, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of this grade and all the grades before it, with good fluency.

A · Distinction

An excellent performance.

B · Merit

A good performance.

C · Pass

A satisfactory performance.

D · Fail

Not yet satisfactory: the report shows what to work on.

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Based on Trinity College London’s GESE specifications (from January 2026). Always check trinitycollege.com/GESE for the current version.