Cambridge IGCSE ESL

IGCSE ESL Speaking Test

Ten to fifteen minutes with your own teacher, recorded from start to finish. Two of the five stages are not assessed at all, which surprises most candidates.

The speaking test is conducted and marked by your own teacher, recorded in full, and moderated by Cambridge. It carries 40 marks. For syllabuses 0510 and 0993 those marks are reported separately on your certificate, graded 1 (high) to 5 (low), and do not affect your written grade. For 0511 and 0991 they count towards the overall grade.

The five stages

From the Cambridge 0510 syllabus for examinations in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The whole test runs 10-15 minutes and is recorded from the introduction onwards.
Stage	Approximate length	Assessed?	What happens
Introduction	About 1 minute	Not assessed	The teacher starts the recording and states the names, the candidate number and the date.
Warm-up	About 1-2 minutes	Not assessed	A short settling conversation using set questions.
Part 1: Interview	About 2-3 minutes	Assessed	The teacher introduces the topic and asks questions about it.
Part 2: Short talk	About 3-4 minutes, including 1 minute to prepare	Assessed	You read an assessment card, prepare for up to a minute, then talk on your own about the topic.
Part 3: Discussion	About 3-4 minutes	Assessed	A discussion of the same topic, led by the teacher's questions.

Two things worth knowing before the day

You may not make written notes during the preparation minute. The card stays with you until the end of the short talk, so use the minute to decide on two or three points and to fix an opening sentence in your head, not to draft.

Dictionaries may not be used, and the test is conducted entirely in English. The warm-up is genuinely there to settle you: nothing you say in it is marked.

What the marks are actually for

The speaking assessment objectives cover four things: communicating a range of ideas, facts and opinions; showing control of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures; developing responses and keeping the conversation going; and controlling pronunciation and intonation.

Development is the one that decides most marks

A short answer is rarely wrong. It is simply not enough to show what you can do. The single most useful habit is to answer, then extend without being asked.

Weak: Yes, I like sport.
Better: Yes, I like sport - mainly badminton. I started because my sister played, and now I go three evenings a week. It is the only part of the day when I am not thinking about school.
The second answer is the same opinion. What earns the marks is the reason, the history and the personal detail attached to it.

Pronunciation is about being followed, not about an accent

The objective is control of pronunciation and intonation, not sounding like a particular country. Speaking a little more slowly than feels natural, and letting your voice rise and fall rather than staying flat, does more for this mark than any individual sound.

Phrases that buy you thinking time

That is an interesting question.: Buys two seconds and sounds engaged rather than stalling.; Example: Use it once, not four times.
I had not thought about it that way before, but...: Signals that you are about to develop an idea rather than repeat one.; Example: Useful in Part 3, where the teacher may challenge you.
It depends, really.: Opens a balanced answer, which shows range.; Example: It depends, really. At home I would say yes, but at school it is different because...
Sorry, do you mean ... ?: Asking for clarification is not a loss of marks. Maintaining communication is one of the objectives.; Example: Far better than answering a question you did not understand.

Original RCF practice cards

Five practice topics written by RCF English in the style of the assessment cards. They are not Cambridge cards. Give yourself one minute to prepare and then speak for three minutes without stopping.

Learning outside the classroom. Talk about something useful you have learned that was not taught at school - who taught you, how, and whether school could teach it.
Living in a city or in a village. Talk about where you would choose to live at twenty-five years old, and what you would miss about the other.
Mobile telephones at school. Talk about whether students should be able to keep their telephones with them during the school day.
A meal you remember. Talk about a meal that mattered - what it was, who was there, and why you still remember it.
Doing one thing well. Talk about whether it is better to be good at many things or excellent at one.

On the day

Do this

Answer, then add a reason, then add an example. Three sentences, every time.
Use the preparation minute to choose two points and an opening sentence.
Ask for a question to be repeated if you did not follow it.
Let your voice move. A flat delivery makes good English sound uncertain.
Keep going in Part 2 even if you run out of your planned points - describe, compare, or say what you would change.

Avoid this

Do not recite a memorised speech. The discussion in Part 3 will expose it immediately.
Do not answer yes or no and wait.
Do not apologise for your English. It uses up assessed time.
Do not try to use difficult vocabulary you are unsure of at the expense of being understood.
Do not treat the warm-up as the test - and do not treat it as unimportant either, because it settles your voice.

Questions about the speaking test

How long is the IGCSE ESL speaking test?

Approximately 10 to 15 minutes in total, from the beginning of the introduction to the end of Part 3, and the whole of it is recorded. Within that, the assessed parts are the interview, the short talk and the discussion.

What topics come up in the IGCSE speaking test?

Cambridge supplies the assessment cards, and your teacher selects one for you, so the exact topics are not published in advance. They are everyday, general topics that any candidate can discuss from experience - school life, free time, technology, food, travel, work and study choices, and questions about how things could be improved. You are never expected to have specialist knowledge.

Does the speaking test affect my IGCSE grade?

It depends on your syllabus code. For 0510 and 0993, the Speaking Endorsement versions, the mark is reported separately on the certificate as a grade from 1 to 5 and does not contribute to the grade for the written components. For 0511 and 0991, the Count-in Speaking versions, it does count towards the overall grade.

Can I take notes during the preparation minute?

No. The syllabus states that candidates are not allowed to make any written notes during the preparation time for the short talk. You keep the card itself until the end of the talk, so plan in your head and use the card as your prompt.

Who marks the speaking test?

Your own teacher or examiner conducts and marks it, using the notes and criteria Cambridge supplies with the assessment cards. Cambridge International then externally moderates a sample of the recordings, which is why every test must be recorded in full.