Part 4 of the CAE speaking exam is the longest and most challenging part. Most people report they had most of the trouble during this section while taking the CAE exam. The reason is that you are not given any new topic. You have to continue the discussion you left in the 3rd section of the exam and elaborate your views further in CAE Speaking Part 4. People taking exams are mostly non-native and are not used to this type of discussion. They fail because they don’t have enough practice. You shouldn’t worry about failure because we are writing this article to help you pass the exam with the best score. Keep reading the article to get more details.
Introduction to C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking Exam Part 4
This part of the exam is very much linked to the previous part. You have to continue the discussion you had in the previous part. You and your partner are required to go into more detail about the topics, express your views, and either agree or disagree with one another. The examiner also asks you questions about the topics you are discussing. You have to answer his questions correctly.
The questions asked by the examiner are usually of three types. He may ask a question relevant to the topic in part three from one candidate and ask the other candidate to add to the answer further. He may ask the other candidate to evaluate the answer of the first candidate. Rarely the examiner asks two different questions from each candidate. These questions are relevant to the topics in part 3 but can be quite different from one another.
This part of the exam aims to evaluate your ability to express and justify your opinions. The 4th part of the CAE Speaking exam is less structured than the other parts, and you have more freedom to answer the questions in your way. But indeed, there are some guidelines to be followed.
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Tips for scoring better on C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking Part 4
People fear this section of the exam a lot. However, if you follow the following tips, you can easily ace this part of the exam.
Tip 1: Talk to your partner, not the examiner
The most significant mistake people make during this section is that they must talk to the examiner. You are not required to talk to the examiner. The interlocutor gives you the questions. You have to answer them, engage your partner in your answers, and ask his views about the questions. You can agree or disagree with your partner. You are allowed to comment on your partner’s answers. Keep this thing in mind that you have to talk to your partner.
Tip 2: Ask your partner questions
Keep your partner engaged by asking questions, which is especially important in CAE Speaking Part 4. Experts say you should ask a lot of questions. Ask his views on your answer. Ask him what he thinks about different topics. When he answers, interrupts politely by asking, “Can I add something?” Express your views about his answer. Agree or disagree with his answer. He will reply to you, and your discussion will carry on.
Tip 3: Give complete answers
Give complete and detailed answers to the examiner. A simple yes or no will not be enough. Explain your answer to the examiner. You can include examples and expand your answer. You can also give references to support your answer. While answering the examiner, you can invite your partner to share his views. This will allow you to show your English speaking skills in a broader aspect. You can use more vocabulary words and phrases in the answer. The examiner will give you a better score for this.
Tip 4: Stay relevant to the topic
Your answer and your discussion with your partner should be all relevant to the question asked by the examiner in CAE Speaking Part 4. If the examiner asks you sports-related questions, he wants to hear vocabulary related to sports and games. In this theme, you can also add vocabulary related to fitness. But using words related to the finance environment or business will be very irrelevant. Using irrelevant words leaves a wrong impression on the examiner, and he may even fail you.
Tip 5: Use delaying tactics
During your exam, you will reach a point when you do not know what to say. Your mind will blank out. In that case, you should not stop talking. You can use delaying tactics to stall the time and prolong the discussion. You can use phrases such as well, now let me see, let me think, oh! That was a great question, etc.
The examiners are conscious of these tactics, but using them is better than stopping talking. The more time you waste sitting silently, the greater your chances of failing. Always remember, sitting quietly is the biggest crime. It is, in fact, treason.
Tip 6: Common mistakes to avoid
The examiner sitting there is not that cruel to fail all the students. The students fail because of their own mistakes. Most students make mistakes because they are confused and very much nervous, especially those taking the exam for the first time. You should be confident during the whole exam process. Always believe in yourself and your English skills.
Avoid interrupting too much. Keep in mind that your partner is also being evaluated along with you. You can interrupt him but remember to give him enough time to speak out his view. Don’t interrupt him in between his answers.
You should not use non-verbal means of communication. If you agree with your partner’s ideas, don’t only nod but use words such as exactly, sure, etc. Nodding and using non-verbal means result in a bad score.
This is all about the fourth part of the speaking part of the CAE exam. After this, your exam is over. Your performance in this part will significantly affect your overall score on the exam. However, if you follow our expert tips, we hope you will perform well and get a much better score.
Hopefully, this article on the CAE’s speaking part 4 was informative and helpful. To learn more about studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students.
