C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking Practice Tests
10 C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking practice tests in the real format, timed like the exam, with answers when you finish. About 15 minutes: interview, a long turn, a collaborative task and discussion.
C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking Practice Test 1 with Answers
A free, interactive C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking practice test with answers, about 15 minutes.
TopicsScience & discoveryTravel & cultureWork & ambition
This C1 Advanced (CAE) Practice Test 1 has 1 paper — Speaking. Choose a paper below to start; your browser will load the interactive version automatically.
Speaking
Speaking Part 1 — Interview
The examiner asks you general questions about yourself. Answer fully and give reasons.
- Tell us something about the place where you grew up. Has it changed much since you were a child? Example: I grew up in a fairly quiet suburb where everyone knew their neighbours, and in many ways it was an ideal place to be a child. It has changed enormously since then, though — whole streets of new flats have gone up, and the little family-run shops have largely given way to chains, which I can't help feeling is a loss.
- How do you usually spend your free time, and has that changed in recent years? Example: These days I tend to spend most of my free time outdoors, hiking or cycling at weekends, whereas a few years ago I'd happily have stayed in playing video games for hours on end. The main reason for the change is that I started a fairly desk-bound job, so I now crave fresh air and movement once the working day is over.
- Do you prefer planning things in advance or being spontaneous? Why? Example: On the whole I'd describe myself as a planner. I feel far more relaxed when I know roughly what's coming, and I hate the stress of leaving things to the last minute. That said, some of my best memories come from spur-of-the-moment decisions, so I do try to leave a little room for spontaneity rather than scheduling every last detail.
- What kind of work or study would you like to do in the future? Example: In the long term I'm hoping to move into environmental research, mainly because I've always been fascinated by the natural world and I'd like to feel my work was making some sort of difference. It would also allow me to combine fieldwork with data analysis, which suits me far better than sitting at a desk all day.
Speaking Part 2 — Long turn (three pictures, compare two)
Look at the three photographs. They show people spending their free time in different ways. Compare TWO of the photographs and answer the questions: Why might the people have chosen to spend their free time in these ways? How might they be feeling? Speak on your own for about a minute. Then answer a short question about your partner's photographs (about 30 seconds).
- In this part of the test, I'm going to give each of you three pictures. I'd like you to talk about two of them on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question briefly about your partner's pictures. Here are your pictures. They show people spending their free time in different ways. I'd like you to compare two of the pictures, and say why the people might have chosen to spend their free time in these ways, and how they might be feeling. All right? Example: I'll talk about the woman reading in the park and the young people playing volleyball on the beach. Both photos show people making the most of a sunny day, but they've chosen almost opposite ways of doing it. The woman has probably come to the park on her own precisely because she wants some peace — perhaps she has a demanding job or a noisy household, and an hour with a book under a tree is her way of switching off. She looks completely absorbed, so I'd imagine she's feeling calm and rather content. The volleyball players, on the other hand, seem to be looking for the exact opposite: company, noise and a bit of competition. They might spend all week sitting at desks, so throwing themselves around in the sand is a way of burning off energy. Judging by their faces, they're feeling exhilarated, and probably quite competitive too. So although they're all relaxing, for one person that means stillness, while for the others it means activity.
- Which of these ways of spending free time would you find the most relaxing? Why? Example: Personally, I'd go for the reading. I spend most of my day surrounded by people, so an hour in the shade with a good novel sounds like bliss. Volleyball would be fun, but I'd probably spend the whole game worrying about letting my team down!
Speaking Part 3 — Collaborative task
Here are some ideas a town could use to attract more visitors, and a question for you to discuss. Talk to each other for about two minutes about how effective these ideas would be in attracting more visitors to the town. Then you have about a minute to decide which TWO ideas would attract the most visitors.
- Now I'd like you to talk about something together for about two minutes. Here are some ideas a town could use to attract more visitors and a question for you to discuss. Talk to each other about how effective these ideas — opening a new museum, holding an annual festival, improving transport links, building a sports stadium and restoring the old town centre — would be in attracting more visitors to the town. Example: There are several options to weigh up here. An annual festival could bring in huge crowds, but only for one weekend a year, whereas better transport links would help all year round — though on their own they don't give anyone a reason to come. A new museum might appeal to visitors interested in culture, but it would be expensive to run and there's no guarantee it would be any good. A sports stadium would certainly attract fans on match days, although it costs a fortune and could sit empty for most of the week. Restoring the old town centre, on the other hand, would make the whole place more attractive and benefit residents as well as tourists.
- Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which TWO ideas would attract the most visitors. Example: On balance, I'd suggest restoring the old town centre and improving transport links, because together they make the town both worth visiting and easy to reach, and their benefits last all year rather than for a single weekend or a handful of matches.
Speaking Part 4 — Discussion
The examiner asks broader questions related to the Part 3 topic. Give your opinions and reasons.
- Some people say tourism does more harm than good to small towns. What do you think? Example: There's certainly a case on both sides. Tourism brings welcome money and jobs to small towns that might otherwise struggle, and it can help preserve local crafts and traditions. On the other hand, it tends to push up house prices and can turn a genuine community into something of a theme park. On balance I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, provided the town manages visitor numbers sensibly rather than chasing growth at any cost.
- Is it better for a town to attract a few wealthy visitors or many ordinary ones? Why? Example: I'd argue that attracting many ordinary visitors is generally healthier for a town. A larger number of modest spenders tends to support a wider range of everyday businesses, from cafes to bus services, whereas a handful of wealthy tourists might only sustain a few luxury outlets that ordinary residents can't afford. A broad base of visitors also feels less likely to price local people out of their own town.
- How might tourism change in the next twenty years? Example: I suspect tourism will look quite different in twenty years. Concerns about the environment will probably mean far less casual long-haul flying, with more people holidaying closer to home or travelling by train. Technology is likely to play a bigger role too, from virtual previews of destinations to apps that spread visitors out and ease the overcrowding that blights so many popular spots today.
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About the C1 Adv Speaking paper
About 15 minutes: interview, a long turn, a collaborative task and discussion.
How C1 Adv is scored
The real C1 Advanced (CAE) is reported on the Cambridge English Scale, and a grade of A, B or C is a pass. On 7ESL each auto-marked paper gives an instant practice score in shields and XP; writing and speaking show model answers so you can self-assess.
Other C1 Adv papers
C1 Advanced (CAE) Reading and Use of English practice tests · C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing practice tests · C1 Advanced (CAE) Listening practice tests. Or sit a full C1 Adv practice test.
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