KET Speaking Examples

Evaluation

In the KET (Key English Test) Speaking exam, candidates are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively in spoken English. The evaluation criteria are consistent across all parts of the speaking test. Here's a breakdown of how students are evaluated for each part:

1. Pronunciation:

• Candidates are assessed on the clarity of their pronunciation.
• They should be easily understandable, even if they have a non-native accent.

2. Vocabulary and Grammar:

• The range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammatical structures used by the candidates are evaluated.
• Candidates should use appropriate vocabulary for the topic or task and construct sentences correctly.

3. Discourse Management:

• This refers to the candidate's ability to link ideas and sentences coherently.
• Candidates should be able to speak fluently, without excessive hesitation, and their responses should be relevant to the questions or topics.

4. Interactive Communication:

• This assesses the candidate's ability to interact with the examiner and the other candidate.
• Candidates should be able to initiate and maintain a conversation, respond to questions, and ask relevant questions.

5. Global Achievement:

• This is an overall assessment of the candidate's performance in the speaking test.
• It evaluates how well the candidate has performed across all parts of the test in terms of the criteria mentioned above.

For each part of the speaking test:

Part 1: Interview

• Candidates are evaluated on their ability to provide personal information and respond to questions about their daily life, routines, likes, and dislikes.
• The focus is on pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and discourse management.

Part 2: Describe a Picture and Interact

• Candidates are assessed on their ability to describe a picture in detail and interact with their partner by asking and answering questions about the pictures.
• The emphasis is on vocabulary, grammar, discourse management, and interactive communication.

Part 3: Conversation

• Candidates are evaluated on their ability to discuss a topic or situation with their partner.
• The focus is on interactive communication, vocabulary, grammar, discourse management, and the ability to express and justify opinions, agree or disagree, and make suggestions.

After the test, candidates receive a score for each of the criteria, and these scores are combined to give an overall grade for the speaking test. The scores are usually reported on a scale, and candidates need to achieve a certain score to pass the test.

Examples

Part 1: Interview

In this part, the examiner asks each candidate questions about their personal details, daily routines, likes and dislikes, etc.

Examples:

1. Examiner: Can you tell me your full name, please?
   Candidate: My name is Maria Fernandez.
2. Examiner: Where are you from?
   Candidate: I'm from Shenzhen, China.
3. Examiner: How old are you?
   Candidate: I'm 10 years old.
4. Examiner: What do you like to do in your free time?
   Candidate: I enjoy reading comic books.
5. Examiner: Do you have any siblings?
   Candidate: Yes, I have a younger brother.
6. Examiner: What's your favorite subject at school?
   Candidate: I love English class, because it helps me improve my English and understanding people from different cultures.
7. Examiner: What did you do last weekend?
   Candidate: I stayed at home reading books and playing minecraft.
8. Examiner: What's your favorite color?
   Candidate: I like blue the most.
9. Examiner: Do you have any pets?
   Candidate: No, I don't have any pets currently, but I've always wanted a dog or cat. They seem like such great companions.
10. Examiner: What do you want to be when you grow up?
    Candidate: I'd like to be a doctor. / I don't know yet, but I hope to find something I love.

Part 2: Describe a Picture and Interact

1. Picture Description:

A family having a picnic in a park. There's a blanket on the grass with food and drinks. Two children are playing with a ball nearby, and a couple is sitting on the blanket.

Candidate A: In my picture, there's a family enjoying a picnic in a park. Two children are playing with a ball, and a couple is sitting and relaxing on a blanket with some food.

Question: Do you often go for picnics?
Candidate B: Not often, but I like them. They're fun and relaxing.

2. Picture Description:

A busy marketplace with vendors selling fruits and vegetables. People are walking around, some are buying, and there's a colorful stall with many different fruits on display.

Candidate A: My picture shows a lively marketplace. There are many vendors, and one stall has a lot of colorful fruits. People are shopping and walking around.

Question: What's your favorite fruit?
Candidate B: I love strawberries. They're sweet and delicious.

3. Picture Description:

A beach scene with children building sandcastles. The sun is shining, and there are umbrellas and sunbathers. The sea looks calm with a few people swimming.

Candidate A: I see a sunny beach where children are building sandcastles. There are also people sunbathing and swimming in the sea.

Question: Do you like going to the beach?
Candidate B: Yes, I love the beach, especially swimming in the sea.

4. Picture Description:

A snowy mountain landscape with people skiing. There are pine trees covered in snow, and the sky is clear blue. A ski lift is taking people to the top.

Candidate A: There's a snowy mountain in my picture with people skiing. The trees are covered in snow, and there's a ski lift.

Question: Have you ever tried skiing?
Candidate B: No, but I'd love to try it someday.

5. Picture Description:

A library interior with students studying. There are bookshelves filled with books, and some students are reading at tables while others are using computers.

Candidate A: My picture has a library with students studying. Some are reading books, and others are on computers.

Question: Do you visit the library often?
Candidate B: Yes, I go there to read and study for my exams.

These examples provide a variety of scenarios and interactions that candidates might encounter in the KET Speaking Part 2.

Part 3: Conversation

Candidates are given a topic or situation to discuss together.

Examples:

1. Examiner: Discuss your favorite hobbies.
   Candidate A: I love playing the guitar.
   Candidate B: That's cool! I like painting.
2. Examiner: Talk about your weekend plans.
   Candidate A: I plan to visit my grandparents.
   Candidate B: I'm going to a friend's birthday party.
3. Examiner: Discuss your favorite foods.
   Candidate A: I love pizza.
   Candidate B: I'm a big fan of sushi.
4. Examiner: Talk about a place you'd like to visit.
   Candidate A: I'd love to visit Paris.
   Candidate B: I've always wanted to go to Japan.
5. Examiner: Discuss a book or movie you recently enjoyed.
   Candidate A: I read "The Little Prince" and loved it.
   Candidate B: I watched "Finding Nemo" again; it's my favorite.
6. Examiner: Talk about a sport you enjoy.
   Candidate A: I play badminton.
   Candidate B: I love watching football.
7. Examiner: Discuss an interesting place in your city.
   Candidate A: The city museum is fascinating.
   Candidate B: I love the botanical garden.
8. Examiner: Talk about a festival or holiday you celebrate.
   Candidate A: We celebrate Diwali with lights and sweets.
   Candidate B: We have a big family gathering for Christmas.
9. Examiner: Discuss your favorite season.
   Candidate A: I love spring when flowers bloom.
   Candidate B: Winter is my favorite; I love the snow.
10. Examiner: Talk about an interesting school project you did.
    Candidate A: I did a project on renewable energy.
    Candidate B: I researched the history of our city.