CAE Speaking Part 2 sample questions with answers. If you want to print them or save in PDF, click the red icon at the bottom of this page.
Examiner: Here are your pictures, they show people taking a break. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say why people might need to take a break in this situation and how they might be feeling.
- Why people might need to take a break in these situations?
- How they might be feeling?
Candidate A: In the left picture we can see a man who seems to have just finished his workout routine in a gym. However, the bottom picture depicts a woman who seems to be simply relaxing on her afternoon stroll around the lake. While the man clearly looks exhausted, the woman is unlikely to feel tired – she doesn’t seem to be dressed for any sports activity.
I believe that the man needs to catch his breath if he plans to continue his exercising. Without a breather, he might not be able to carry on with his working out. The lady in the park on the other hand might need this pause to reflect on things, to contemplate her next move calmly. The reasons for her to take a break is clearly not to have a rest, but rather to ponder about something on her mind.
Short-turn question: in which picture do people deserve taking a break most?
Candidate B: I would say that it is the guy with his dog in the top right picture. They seem so far away from civilisation, they must have been walking for miles and miles, surely their feet (and paws!) are quite sore by now. They definitely need this short break in order to have enough strength to make it back wherever they came from.
Examiner: Here are your pictures, they show people travelling somewhere. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say why people might have chosen to travel that way and how important it is for them to be on time.
- Why people might have chosen to travel that way?
- How important it is for them to be on time?
Candidate B: The girl in the top right picture is balancing on a rail – she’s apparently in no hurry at all. In fact, I’m not sure if she even has any particular destination in mind, she seems to be roaming aimlessly. Contrastingly, the group of three from the bottom photo are more likely to have a set route, but I’m not sure if it is crucial for them to get there by a certain point in time. The journey, as they say, is often more important that the destination.
In both cases the people are travelling on foot, likely because they seek to become more fit or to experience their travel in a more immediate way. Or maybe they didn’t feel like buying a bus or train ticket, but that’s unlikely. I’m pretty sure it was a conscious choice, rather than one made out of necessity.
Examiner: which journey the people might find most enjoyable?
Candidate A: Oh, I guess it’s the one in the bottom picture. Even though I can’t make out their facial expressions in the dark, they are probably having the time of their lives – traversing miles and miles in the great out-of-doors – what could possibly be more enjoyable?
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