CAE Speaking Part 2

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 playing different types of games. Please compare two of the pictures and say why might people have chosen to play these games and what could be the appeal of each game?

• Why might people have chosen to play these games?
• What could the appeal of each game be?

Candidate A: I’d like to talk about the top right and the bottom pictures. They both take place indoors and two players are engaged in each one, however the nature of these games is quite different. The videogame from the bottom photo doesn’t require much effort and that’s why they might have decided to play it. However, the other picture, where a couple of kids are playing a board game, might need certain commitment, as such games usually take time to get into.

Both games might be interesting for their own reasons. The board game probably helps develop your imagination, since the pieces are meant to represent various objects, while the videogame attracts its players by the visual and audio component. Therefore, both can be engaging, ultimately depending on what the players are after.

Short-turn question: Who is more likely to benefit from playing these games?

Candidate B: I’d say it’s the guys playing basketball in the street. Not only are they likely to develop their physique and minds, but also make new social connections by meeting all kinds of new people on the sports ground. It’s definitely a great way to spend your free time in the most beneficial way of the three.

Examiner: Here are the pictures. They show people learning in different environments. Please compare two of the pictures and say what are the advantages of learning in each of these ways and why people might have chosen to learn like that?

• What are the advantages of learning in each of these ways?
• Why people might have chosen to learn like that?

Candidate B: Let’s talk about the two pictures at the top then. The left one shows a regular class with a teacher and a number of students in a classroom – the teacher seems to be in the middle of explaining something and one of the kids is raising his hand. The good thing about learning in that way is that you can always ask the teacher to clarify, which is not so easy with the other situation. There, we can see one guy at home sitting in front of a computer, probably with his mom. Needless to say, his mother is not very likely to know every single school subject as good as the teacher of that respective field.

Speaking about the reasons they might have to choose to learn like that, I believe that home-schooling is a popular choice with people who have to commute very long distances to the place of study. Another possible reason is when the kid in question doesn’t get on well with their classmates. As for the more conventional classroom education, it is usually not a choice, but a compulsory way the things are. That’s how the vast majority of children seem to get their education nowadays.

Short-turn question: In which picture the learning is going to be most effective?

Candidate A: That’s a tough question.. probably the ordinary approach with a teacher will prove to be most fruitful. Even though it is hard to teach every single person in class effectively and the teacher often have to adjust to the lowest common denominator, it is still a very good idea to have an experienced and knowledgeable person guide you through subjects.

Click to download this CAE Speaking Part 2 Worksheet in PDF. Don’t forget to switch to landscape mode when printing!

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 engaged in creative activities. I’d like you compare two of the pictures and say why people might have chosen to do these activities and what challenges might they face while doing them, alright?

• Why people might have chosen to do these creative activities?
• What challenges might they be facing?

Candidate A: I’ll be talking about the top right picture and the bottom one. While the bottom photo shows us a rather straightforward process of carving a pumpkin into a Halloween decoration, the other photo takes us to a workshop where some serious designing and manufacturing is taking place. It’s hard to say whether the man from this picture does it for a job or as an extravagant hobby, but in any case he is very likely to have a plethora difficulties to overcome while doing it. I’m not totally convinced that the same could be said about the art of making a Halloween lantern, not to the same extent, anyway. However, even such a simple endeavour could get complicated. One can be said for sure – the person in the bottom picture is doing it for fun, rather than as a way to earn money.

Short-turn question: Which person is more likely to have the activity as their hobby?

Candidate B: Uhm, probably the young lady from the top right picture? She is clearly enjoying it, judging by her smile. I could be mistaken though – enjoying one’s job is not so uncommon, after all! But yeah, I think it’s the girl doing illustrating, drawing a sketch.

Examiner: Here are the pictures. They show people listening to music in different ways. Please compare two of the pictures and say why people might have decided to listen to the music in this particular way and what are the disadvantages of listening to the music in these ways, okay?

• Why people might have decided to listen to music in these particular ways?
• What are the disadvantages of listening to music in these ways?

Candidate B: I’ll talk about the two pictures at the top. The left one shows a live concert and clearly people go to these to experience their favourite artist’s music in a different way, to see them, maybe even to meet fellow fans. The right picture shows a rather different approach to your favourite tunes – they say that vinyl records provide a very unique experience, they almost take you back in time. So feeling sentimental and nostalgic could be the reasons to listen to the music this way.

As far as the potential challenges are concerned – you have to stand in a long line if you want to get to a live concert. It might sound silly, but it can be really loud out there too, I mean, way too loud! And with the vinyl records – supposedly, they can’t be played indefinitely as the track wear out and the sound quality suffers from that. Maybe that is what makes them so special, cherishing every single playback and all.

Short-turn question: In which picture the music is most important for people?

Candidate A: The guy in the bottom picture probably relies on music to brighten up his commute to work or school. It is likely to improve his quality of life, making his journey more tolerable, taking his mind off the boredom of transit.

Click to download this CAE Speaking Part 2 Worksheet in PDF. Don’t forget to switch to landscape mode when printing!

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, where you can see people taking part in various competitions. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say how important it might be to win in the competition and what difficulties they might have.

• How important might it be to win in the competition?
• What difficulties the people might be having?

Candidate A: The left picture shows us a team of professional sledge riders, judging by their uniform they represent their country at some major sporting event, so winning it is likely to be their top priority. Meanwhile, the runners in the picture on the right look like amateurs, although it is hard to say. If it is the case, then simply participating and finishing a marathon is a great achievement, so emerging victorious is probably on the top of their priority list.

People in both pictures the competitors are sure to face certain challenges. The sledge-riding team should work together to safely navigate their vehicle to the finish line and do it in the shortest possible time, so loss of control and subsequent crash are not unlikely. Contrastingly, the runners from the other picture might experience such things as exhaustion, dehydration, muscle cramps and all other kinds of physical conditions that could possibly prevent them from finishing the run.

Short-turn question: who is likely to enjoy their victory most?

Candidate B: All of them would be stoked to win of course! But if I had to choose one photo, I’d go with the guys from the national team – after all, prestige of their whole country is at stake, so should they win this one they are almost guaranteed to be absolutely ecstatic. Needless to say, it will also be a memory they are likely to remember fondly for their entire lives.

Examiner: Here are your pictures, where you can see people who have found themselves in difficult situations. Compare two of the pictures and say what might the difficulty be and how important it might be to deal with the difficulties quickly.

• What might the difficulty be?
• How important it is to deal with the difficulty quickly?

Candidate B: The lady in the bottom picture looks very concerned, it could be a patient she has to break news to about their diagnosis, or a problem she is unable to resolve. The guy repairing his bike in the top picture, on the contrary, doesn’t seem to be troubled by his predicament – after all, it’s probably just a punctured tyre that can be fixed in no time. Although both people are facing a difficult situation, only one of them looks like they’re doing something to make things better.

Speaking of the importance of addressing the issue quickly, both pictures seem to show stark difference in this aspect. The time factor in the bottom picture might be critical – it is possible that the patient has to be operated on as soon as possible or maybe they have to be administered some medicine that is currently unavailable. On the opposite side things is the matter of repairing the bike, which hardly needs to be hurried. Haste makes waste, as they say.

Short-turn question: whose problems seem to be least serious?

Candidate A: I’d say it’s the guy in the top right picture – he’s just staring at a computer screen, probably unable to beat some videogame. But you know, it might be something more serious – like reading a worrying e-mail from a friend or a similarly alarming message. I have probably jumped to a conclusion. To be fair, I can’t be sure.
Click to download this CAE Speaking Part 2 Worksheet in PDF. Don’t forget to switch to landscape mode when printing!

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 at work. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say what might be the challenges that people face while working and whether they enjoy what they do.

• What might be the challenges that the people have to face while working?
• Do they enjoy what they do?

Candidate A: Both of the top pictures display people performing their duties, however the tasks that they have to deal with and the associated challenges are drastically different. While the firefighters put their lives at risk almost everyday because they have to work in extremely dangerous environments, the seamstress working with sewing machines face a challenge of different kind. Because of the natural repetitiveness of this type of work, they are likely to grow bored and even disillusioned with their job. 

Whether people shown in both pictures actually enjoy what they do can only be guessed. They might not enjoy it and carry on doing it to put the food on the table, or they may be in love with what they do, it is very hard to tell from either of the photos.

Examiner: which picture shows work that is most beneficial to society?

Candidate B: I’m tempted to say it’s the firemen’s job, but to be honest the job of a tailor is as, if not more, important. I mean, if it wasn’t for these ladies, we wouldn’t have any clothes to wear, we’d all freeze to death! But in all seriousness, the importance of such seemingly mundane occupations shouldn’t be underestimated.

Examiner: Here are your pictures, in which you can see people celebrating something. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say what might they be celebrating and how they might be feeling.

• What might the people be celebrating?
• How might they be feeling?

Candidate B: The group of grown-ups in the bottom picture, just like the younger people in the top right photo, seem to be overjoyed by something. It seems to be quite clear that the team from the top-right photograph have just won something, probably the match or even the whole championship. They must be feeling fantastic in this moment – they say that winning a sporting competition is one of the greater joys one can experience.

The bottom photo however is not as straightforward – they look like they are reading some very positive news, maybe something to do with their jobs. One thing is sure though – they are elated, overfilled with positive emotions.

Examiner: in which situation the feeling of happiness is going to last the longest?

Candidate B: I would say that it’s the bottom picture. The cause for being happy is sure to have a more long-lasting effect on their careers, and consequently, their lives. It might help them to become more comfortable financially, and they are likely to remember this moment with great fondness.

Click to download this CAE Speaking Part 2 Worksheet in PDF. Don’t forget to switch to landscape mode when printing!

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?

Click to download this CAE Speaking Part 2 Worksheet in PDF. Don’t forget to switch to landscape mode when printing!