FCE Speaking Part 1 (B2 First Exam) + Practice questions

This is the second of four videos about the speaking test of the FCE exam (now called the B2 First exam).
FCE speaking part 1 is a Q&A – a question and answer session with the examiner. To get a good mark, candidates need to avoid one word responses and extend their answers.

In this video we show you some different ways you can make your answers longer to get a good mark, and we also give you some typical FCE speaking questions that you can use to practice with.

Click here to see an overview of the FCE speaking exam (also known as the B2 First exam)

FCE exam – FCE speaking part 1

What do you need to know about the B2 First speaking test, and what do you need to do in the exam to get a good mark?
In this series of videos we’re going to show you what to do and what not to do to get a good mark.
I’m Vicki.
And I’m Craig. And we’re going to talk about Part one of the exam in this video.
Part one lasts two minutes and it’s a question and answer section.
Let’s jump straight in.

Well, first of all we’d like to know something about you. Vicki. Do you like cooking?
Oh yes, I love it. I like trying new recipes that I find on the internet and I’m interested in Chinese food. I made some dumplings last week and they came out great.
Thank you, thank you, Vicki. Jay. Do you often use the internet?
No.
Why not?
Because no one ever answers my emails.
Thank you Jay. Vicki. Do you like going to parties?
I do and I love having parties too. We often invite friends over and then sometimes we play party games. We had one last week …
Thank, thank you Vicki. Jay. What did you do on your last birthday?
Hmmm. Oh, the laundry.
Why?
Because my clothes were dirty.
Thank you.

Who do you think gave the best answers, Jay or Vicki?
I hope you said Vicki!
Vicki’s answers were better because she gave long answers,
I didn’t just say ‘yes’, ‘no’ or one word. I extended my answer and made it longer. Remember the examiners don’t know your level of English. You have to show it to them.
But how can you extend your answers? A lot of students find this hard so here are three ideas to help. First one: give an example.

Vicki, do you like cooking?
I love cooking. For example I made some Chinese dumplings last week.

A second idea. Give a reason and say why.

Jay, what did you do on your last birthday?
Nothing much. I don’t like birthdays because they remind me of my age.

And a third idea, use ‘but’ and ‘although’ to contrast one idea with another.

Do you like cooking, Vicki?
Yes. I like cooking sometimes but not every day.
Thank you. Jay, tell me about your best friend.
Oh, I don’t have a best friend. Although I have a dog. He has bad breath.

Jay’s answer was better there. His ideas were strange, but that doesn’t matter. He extended his answer.
And it doesn’t matter if your answer is true or not. The important thing is to speak.
The examiners mark the quality of your English, not the quality of your ideas.
OK. Now how can you prepare for Part one when you don’t know what questions the examiner will ask?
We’re going to help you. We’ll give you some examples of topics you can expect and you can use these example questions to practice.
You’ll need to listen, pause the video and give your answers. Don’t forget to extend your answers, so make them longer.

Do you prefer to study alone or with friends?
Would you prefer to work for a big company or a small company?
What do you enjoy doing with your friends?
Tell us about your family home.
Do you enjoy playing computer games in your free time?
Is there a sport of hobby you enjoy doing?
Do you enjoy going to the cinema?
Do you prefer paper books or digital books?
What kind of music do you enjoy?
Do you enjoy going to the theatre?
Which part of the day do you enjoy most?
What do you usually do at weekends?
Did you go anywhere interesting last weekend?
Do you have any plans for the summer?
Are you going to go on holiday this year?
Do you enjoy long journeys?

One more thing before we stop. Did you notice the tenses in those questions? A lot were asking about the present but some were about the past and some were about the future.
This means that when you answer, you have to be careful to use the right tense. And sometimes the questions might be conditionals too. For example:

Vicki, which country would you most like to visit in the future?
Oh, Egypt. I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt to see the pyramids.
Thank you. Jay, if you could learn a new skill, what would you choose to do?
I’d like to learn morse code.
Why?
I’d like to communicate with aliens.

So you’ve got to listen hard to the questions and then use the right tense in your reply.
Great so that’s Part one of the speaking exam.
Make sure you’re subscribed to this channel so you don’t miss the video on Part two.
And share this video with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it.

Click here to see an overview of the FCE speaking exam (also known as the B2 First exam)