4 tasks

Duration: 17 minutes

Topics/situations: general and academic 

Independent Task (just speaking)

1. Choice

Preparation: 15 seconds

Response: 45 seconds

Choosing between two situations or opinions and explaining your choice.

E.g. Some people think it is very important to have social interactions with neighbors. Others feel it is not important for neighbors to know each other. Which do you agree with, and why?

Integrated Tasks (reading/listening + speaking)

Reading, listening + speaking

2. A campus situation topic: Fit and Explain

Preparation: 30 seconds

Response: 60 seconds

Stages

  • Reading (75–100 words) about a campus-related issue.
  • Listening (60–80 seconds, 150–180 words) on the issue in the reading passage.
  • Speaking – summarizing the speaker’s opinion within the context of the reading passage.

3. An academic course topic: General/ Specific

Preparation: 30 seconds

Response: 60 seconds

Stages

  • Reading (75–100 words) – a broad definition of a term, process, or idea from an academic subject.
  • Listening (60–90 seconds; 150–220 words) – an excerpt from a lecture providing examples and details to illustrate the term, process, or idea from the reading passage.
  • Speaking – combining and conveying important information from the reading passage and the lecture excerpt.

Listening + speaking

4. Academic Course Topic: Summary

Preparation: 20 seconds

Response: 60 seconds

Stages

  • Listening (90–120 seconds; 230–280 words) – an excerpt from a lecture that explains a term or concept and gives concrete examples to illustrate that term or concept.
  • Speaking – summarizing the lecture showing an understanding of the relationship between the examples and the overall topic.

Detailed review of tasks

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4