B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking – Practice Test 1 — Part 1 – Interview
2–3 minutes. Read the examiner's questions and answer every one out loud — record yourself if you can. Then check the model answers and try the questions below.
The examiner's script
Interlocutor: Good morning. Can I have your mark sheets, please? I'm the interlocutor and this is my colleague, the assessor.
To Candidate A: What's your name? Where do you live? Thank you.
To Candidate B: And what's your name? Where do you live? Thank you.
To B: Do you work or are you a student? (Back-up: What do you do? What do you study?)
To A: And do you work or are you a student?
The interlocutor then asks one or two of these:
- How do you get to work or school every day?
- What did you do last weekend?
- Do you think English will be useful for you in the future? Why?
- Tell us about the people you live with.
Model answers
- Where do you live? — "I live in a small town near the coast, about an hour from the capital. I've lived there all my life."
- Do you work or are you a student? — "I'm a student. I'm studying business at college, and I'm in my final year."
- How do you get to school every day? — "I usually go by bus because it's cheap, but when the weather is nice I ride my bike — it takes about twenty minutes."
- Will English be useful for you in the future? — "Yes, definitely. I'd like to work in tourism, so I'll need English to talk to visitors from all over the world."
Useful language
- Adding detail: because…, for example…, such as…
- Talking about routines: I usually…, most days…, from time to time…
- Future plans: I'd like to…, I'm hoping to…, In the future, I want to…
11. The examiner asks: "Do you work or are you a student?" Which is the best answer?
22. The examiner asks: "How do you get to school every day?" Which answer is best?
33. In Part 1, who do you talk to?
44. You don't understand a question. What is the best thing to do?
55. The examiner asks: "Will English be useful for you in the future?" Which is best?