Speaking Part 3-1

Don't settle for 3-star performance in
Part 3 of the
Speaking Test.
Our tips will help you relax!
Part 3 Overview
In part 3 you given a spider web with five keywords linking to a
question. It looks like this:
You get about 15 seconds to read everything, then you have to

discuss it with your partner for 2 minutes. When the 2 minutes
is over, the examiner will stop you and he will ask another
question. You discuss that question for another minute.
1. Interaction diagram
You speak to your partner, and listen to what they say.
2. About the 2015 changes

In 2015 Cambridge changed the First exam. They changed the
name and they made some improvements to different parts of
the test.
In the old version of Speaking part 3, candidates had 3 minutes

to discuss the 5 topics AND say which was the most important.
This led to a lot of messy conversations where students started
by deciding what the most important thing was and talking
nonsense for 2 and a half minutes.
The new version is better - you have 2 minutes to explore the 5

topics, and THEN another minute to decide which is most
important or the best.
3. Collaborative task
This part of the exam is called the Collaborative Task. To
collaborate means to work as a team. Imagine you had a
discussion with a friend or work colleague in your own language
- you wouldn't talk for two minutes while the other person said
nothing (at least I hope you wouldn't) and you would listen to
what the other person said and be interested in it (at least I
hope you would).
So - treat your partner like an EQUAL - give them equal chance

to speak and be prepared to agree and disagree with them in a
respectful way.
Have you ever played chess with a clock? You make your move,
hit the button, your clock stops ticking and your partner's clock
starts. It would be very useful to have one of these clocks while
practicing this part of the exam. At the end you should both
have spoken about the same amount of time. (Of course 5 or 10
seconds difference is no big deal.)
Another way to think of it is like a tennis practice - you hit the

ball to your partner with the goal of playing for as long as
possible.
You will get a good grade if you ask questions and react to what
the other student says.
You will get a bad grade if you are selfish, don't listen, or try to
monopolise the conversation.
4. What if my partner is shy or aggressive?
There's normally no need to worry about this.
First, you can find a speaking test partner and register for the
exam together. Then you will know who your speaking test
partner will be. Problem solved.
Second, if you do end up with an aggressive speaking partner,

you will have lots of time in parts 1, 2, and 4 to show your
speaking skills. In part 3, try your best to politely interrupt and
to be sociable - the examiners will notice and you will gain
points while the other student is losing them.
If your partner is too shy, just give them opportunities to talk as

normal, wait a few seconds for an answer, then answer them
yourself if needed. You know - exactly what you would do in
your own language.
5. I can't talk about 5 points in detail in 2

minutes!
True! And you don't have to. In fact, you probably shouldn't. it's
much better to have a really good, deep conversation about
three of the topics than to race through and mention five. The
good discussions in my classes tend to hit 3 or 4 topics.
6. Help! We don't agree about anything!

it doesn't matter - it's all about opinions. There are no right or
wrong answers, only good or bad discussions. If you disagree,
explain why. Try to persuade your partner that your way is
right. But also, when your partner says something good, react.
'Oh, that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that.'
Cambridge are only interested in the quality of the discussion

and the quality of your language (your grammar and
vocabulary). You won't lose points if you say something crazy
like:
“We shouldn’t build new parks because tourists hate green spaces.
We should build more concrete buildings if we want to attract
more tourists.”
In fact, those sentences are relevant to the task (providing
parks is one of the 5 topics) and there's some good vocabulary.
7. What's the best way to do it?

 LISTEN to your partner. Don't just wait for your turn to
speak. Be interested in what they are saying and politely
agree or disagree. If you disagree, try to persuade them to
change their idea, but don't spend too long doing that.
 Refer back to things you already said.
 Say a couple of sentences then ask a question. Never
answer your own questions!
 Try to look at your speaking partner more than the paper.
 Some students turn their chair a little bit - towards the
other student. This helps them to remember who they
should talk to.
8. What are some useful phrases I should

learn?
Maybe this helpful article will come in handy?
FCE SPEAKING TEST PART 3 USEFUL PHRASES (WITH

EXAMPLES)
Useful phrases for part 3 of the FCE Speaking test, with examples of how to use
them.
Useful Phrases for Speaking
Part 3
Would you like a list of phrases you can use in the speaking exam? You would? Then you're in luck!
I've split the phrases into different sections, and at the bottom of the page is an example
conversation which uses some of the phrases in a natural way.
Getting Started
Which one shall we start with?
What do you think, Bob?
Bob, I think you know a lot about [topic]. What's your opinion on it?
Moving to the Next Item

Shall we move onto [topic] now?
So what about [topic]?
I wonder if we can compare [current topic] to [new topic]?
What about this one? [pointing to topic]
What do you think about this idea?
How do you feel about that one?
We're running out of time, so let's move on.
We still need to discuss [topic].
Ah, that connects with the next topic.
[Topic] is pretty similar to the last one - maybe we can skip it for now?
Ending Your Turn

What do you think?
Don't you agree?
Do you have anything to say about that?
Do you have anything to add to that?
Did I forget anything?
Interrupting
Sorry to interrupt but...
Just a second...
Agreeing
Right.
Good point.
I fully agree.
I was just thinking that!
I was just going to say that!
That's just what I was thinking.
I couldn't agree more.
You're totally right.
Disagreeing (with reasons)

Maybe, but what about...?
I think it would be better to...
I'm not so keen on that.
I don't really agree with you there.
Weeeeeell maybe, but...
Yeah, but, the thing is...
The problem with what you said is...
For one thing...[reason 1] And for another... [reason 2]
Reaching a Decision
Well, I think it's definitely not [topic]
We can eliminate [topic] right away. Don't you think?
So then, what do you think is the best one?
I guess you think we should choose [topic]?
Are we both in favour of [topic]?
Okay, so we agree.
I don't think we're going to agree on this!
Let's agree to disagree!
Example Collaborative Task
This example was taken from Ready for First, which you can
read about on our FCE Books and Apps page.
If the image is too small, it says:
What problems might arise in these relationships?
 Brothers and sisters

 Boyfriends and girlfriends
 Flatmates
 Parents and teenagers
 Work colleagues
Let's listen to students Anna (A) and Barbara (B).
A- Which one shall we start with?

B- I'll talk about brothers and sisters first. Um... one of the
problems I had with my sister is that she spends hours in the
bathroom.
A- Oh, I know that one!
B- It's not like a big problem but it was a bit annoying.
A- I totally agree - in my case it was my brother who took these
really long baths and made a total mess.
B- Are there any other problems in that relationship?

A- Maybe about money when their parents die. A lot of families fall out over that topic, sadly. But
that's depressing. Shall we move on?
B- Sure!
A- Actually, maybe boyfriends have the same problem with their girlfriends. You know, taking so
much time in the bathroom.
B- Sorry to interrupt but I think that's a bit of a stereotype. It's not really true in my opinion.
A- I have to disagree with you. Honestly, my girlfriend just disappears into the bathroom for hours.
Sometimes I hear the hairdryer.
B- Well, maybe. But I think money can be a big problem in relationships. Some men hate it when
their girlfriend has a higher salary. It depends on the culture and background a little bit, but I've
seen it quite a few times. And they argue about who should pay for bills and such things.
A- That connects with the next topic - flatmates. It's always tricky to decide who should pay which
bills. And who should do which chores, too.
B- That's just what I was thinking. And it's true for brothers and sisters and boyfriends and
girlfriends, too. Everyone argues about money and chores!
A- I feel like parents and teenagers is exactly the same... so let's skip it for now and talk about
work colleagues?
B- Great idea.
9. Got any more tips?

 Don't introduce the task. There's really no point saying 'So,
Bob, today we have to talk about attracting more tourists
to our town.' Everyone in the room knows what the task is!
Repeating it is just a waste of time.
 In part 1, don't talk about what the most important or best
thing is. That is normally the question for part 2. If you
look at the example question at the top of this page, it
says 'Why would these ideas attract more tourists to the
town?' Not 'what's the best way to attract more tourists'.
It's a very important difference! Always focus on what the
question says.
 If your speaking partner is talking about the wrong thing,
bring them back to the task. Say, 'that's very interesting
but we should talk about why more tourists would come'.
10. What about the second part?

Everything we said about the first part (2 minutes) applies to
the second part (1 minute). You have to take turns, respond to
your partner, agree and disagree, and so on.
The only difference is the task. It's normally something like 'now
decide which of the 5 topics is the most important'.
DON'T start by saying what you think is the most important!
This may seem crazy at first, but look:
- I think providing parks will bring the most tourists because

they will have a place to relax, especially in Summer.
- I totally agree.
END CONVERSATION
There's another 45 seconds left! What are you going to discuss?

Nothing useful, that's for sure!
How about this:
- I think the answer definitely isn't putting up security cameras.

It might make some people feel safer but mostly it's just ugly
and maybe people will think the city isn't so safe if there is such
a need for cameras. What do you think?
- I totally agree. I think tourists don't want the NSA watching

everything they do.
[Great! Now we have 40 seconds left.]
- I think building a nightclub would bring some tourists but

would put off some others.
- Yes, especially older ones. The best solution has to be
something that's right for teenagers, their parents, and the
elderly. Right?
- Absolutely.
- So I think maybe providing parks will bring the most tourists

because they will have a place to relax, especially in Summer.
- And as you said, it's something for people of all ages.
You see how starting with something that isn't the best leads to
a better conversation?
https://www.fceexamtips.com/articles/fce-speaking-test-part-3-useful-phrases-with-examples

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Don't settle for 3-star performance in

You get about 15 seconds to read everything, then you have to

2. About the 2015 changes

In the old version of Speaking part 3, candidates had 3 minutes

The new version is better - you have 2 minutes to explore the 5

So - treat your partner like an EQUAL - give them equal chance

Another way to think of it is like a tennis practice - you hit the

Second, if you do end up with an aggressive speaking partner,

If your partner is too shy, just give them opportunities to talk as

5. I can't talk about 5 points in detail in 2

6. Help! We don't agree about anything!

Cambridge are only interested in the quality of the discussion

7. What's the best way to do it?

8. What are some useful phrases I should

FCE SPEAKING TEST PART 3 USEFUL PHRASES (WITH

Moving to the Next Item

Ending Your Turn

Disagreeing (with reasons)

Example Collaborative Task

If the image is too small, it says:

What problems might arise in these relationships?

 Brothers and sisters

Let's listen to students Anna (A) and Barbara (B).

A- Which one shall we start with?

B- Are there any other problems in that relationship?

9. Got any more tips?

10. What about the second part?

DON'T start by saying what you think is the most important!

This may seem crazy at first, but look:

- I think providing parks will bring the most tourists because

There's another 45 seconds left! What are you going to discuss?

How about this:

- I think the answer definitely isn't putting up security cameras.

- I totally agree. I think tourists don't want the NSA watching

[Great! Now we have 40 seconds left.]

- I think building a nightclub would bring some tourists but

- So I think maybe providing parks will bring the most tourists

- And as you said, it's something for people of all ages.

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