The Cambridge B2 First (FCE) speaking test is a challenge to prepare students for in a classroom context. It's a paired exam - two candidates and two examiners - that tests four different speaking skills across four distinct parts. Each part requires different language strategies, different preparation approaches, and different levels of confidence.
The problem most teachers face is that one-to-one mock test practice doesn't scale. In a class of 20, running full one-to-one mock tests gives each student approximately eight minutes of practice per lesson. Meanwhile, their classmates wait. With a structured pair-based approach, every student can practice all four parts simultaneously.
YapYapGo is a classroom speaking practice tool for ESL and EFL teachers. While it's built primarily for ESL/EFL conversation practice, the structured pair formats and timing tools it provides apply directly to FCE preparation. Here's how to run classroom practice for each part of the exam.Understanding the four parts
Part 1 (Interview, 2 minutes total): The examiner asks each candidate questions about themselves - their lives, experiences, opinions on familiar topics. Candidates take turns answering. The focus is on fluency and ability to talk about personal topics naturally. Part 2 (Long turn, approximately 1 minute each): Each candidate speaks for about one minute, comparing two photographs and answering a question about them. They must also briefly comment on their partner's photos. The focus is on speculating, comparing, and sustaining a solo turn. Part 3 (Collaborative task, approximately 2 minutes): Both candidates discuss a set of five pictures or prompts together, reaching a consensus or making a decision. The focus is on interactive communication - negotiating, inviting your partner's opinion, agreeing and disagreeing. Part 4 (Discussion, approximately 4 minutes): The examiner leads a broader discussion related to the Part 3 topic. Both candidates take part. The focus is on expressing and justifying opinions on more abstract questions.Classroom practice for each part
Part 1 practice (5 minutes per round)
Run as a pair activity. Student A is the "examiner" and asks questions from a list you prepare; Student B answers naturally. Then swap.
The question list should include the classic Part 1 categories: home and family, work and studies, interests and hobbies, daily routines, travel, future plans. Limit to 4-5 questions per round.
The key skill to practise: extending answers naturally. Students who say "Yes, I enjoy cooking" and stop will lose marks. Students who say "Yes, I really enjoy cooking - it's something I find quite relaxing after work. My favourite thing to make is..." demonstrate the fluency the examiner is looking for.
Drill the extension formula: Direct answer + reason/feeling + specific detail or example. Practice until it's automatic.Tool tip: YapYapGo's Free Conversation mode provides exactly the kind of personal question prompts that Part 1 requires. The question bank tracks what each class has discussed so you get variety across sessions. A classroom countdown timer keeps each candidate's turn to the right length.
Part 2 practice (6 minutes per round)
This requires actual pictures. Collect 20-30 sets of two thematically linked photos (from ELT resource sites, Cambridge practice tests, or stock images with a consistent theme).
The one-minute talk format:- Candidate A speaks for one minute about their two photos without interruption (use a timer)
- Candidate B has 20 seconds to comment briefly on whether they'd prefer either situation
- Candidate B then speaks for one minute about their two photos
- Candidate A comments briefly
The key language to practise:
- Opening: "In these photos, I can see... Both pictures show..."
- Comparing: "In the first photo... whereas in the second photo..."
- Speculating: "They look as if they might be... I imagine they're probably..."
- Concluding: "Overall, I think the first photo shows [answer to the question]..."
Run this activity with a speech timer set to exactly 60 seconds with a traffic-light display. Students learn to pace themselves to fill - not overshoot - one minute.
Part 3 practice (5-7 minutes per round)
Create simple collaborative task prompts: a central question and five photographs or options (one central image with five surrounding items in a mind-map format works well).
Example: "A school is planning a 'Healthy Living Week.' Here are five activities they could include. Discuss which activities would be most popular with students."
Students discuss together, giving opinions, asking for their partner's view, agreeing and disagreeing, until they reach a consensus or identify the two most important options.
Key language to build in:
Inviting your partner: "What do you think about...?" "Do you agree?" "How do you feel about...?" Building on their view: "Yes, and I'd also say that..." "That's a good point. I think..." Politely disagreeing: "I see what you mean, but..." "I'm not sure about that because..." Moving the discussion forward: "Shall we move on to...?" "What about this one?"Part 4 practice (5-7 minutes)
The teacher or student "examiner" leads a broader discussion on the Part 3 theme. Part 4 questions are more abstract than Part 3: "Do you think schools today do enough to encourage healthy lifestyles?" "How important is it for young people to be active?"
Run this as a whole-class activity after Part 3 pair practice, with you asking questions and two or three pairs sharing their views with structured turn-taking.
Key skill: developing opinions with reasons and examples. Not "Yes, I think it's important" but "Yes, I think it's important - research shows that physically active students actually perform better academically, and I think schools don't always take that link seriously enough."
The full mock test in class
To run a full mock test with a class of 20:
- Form 10 pairs
- Each pair works through all four parts simultaneously
- You rotate between pairs, spending 90 seconds observing each
- Assessment: use the Cambridge band descriptors (available publicly) with the four criteria: grammar and vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation, interactive communication
Total time: approximately 25-30 minutes. Every student gets full exam practice simultaneously. A random student picker is useful for selecting which pair demonstrates each part for whole-class feedback afterwards.
For more on exam-format pair practice, see our post on running a full IELTS speaking mock test in a class of 30. The classroom scaling principles are identical across exam contexts.
Sources:
- Cambridge Assessment English. B2 First Speaking Test Format. - Official examiner guidance on assessment criteria and task descriptions.
- Luoma, S. (2004). Assessing Speaking. Cambridge University Press. - Assessment criteria for paired speaking tasks.
- Nation, I.S.P. & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. Routledge. - Exam preparation within a broader communicative framework.