Advanced CAE Speaking Part 2 Pictures

When you get to C1 level, describing a picture for Cambridge Advanced CAE Speaking Part 2 seems like it should be an easy task. However, the reality is that you have to do more than just describe pictures. In CAE Speaking Part 2 you have to compare two pictures (out of a choice of three), answer two questions about the pictures, and do all of that in one minute! Also, if you want to score extra points, you have to remember to organise your ideas, use high-level vocabulary, pronounce everything correctly and speak with complex grammar.

The pictures to compare for CAE Speaking Part 2, also known as the Long Turn, will always include people engaged in some type of activity. The questions about the pictures attempt to design a complex situation for candidates to discuss. In addition, abstract concepts such as relationships between people and the subjects’ feelings are quite likely to come up at this level.

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Contents

Advanced (CAE) Speaking Part 2 Topics

For the CAE speaking exam, you will come across a wide variety of topics. Almost anything is possible, but expect Cambridge to favour topics like education, work or leisure, which are reasonably accessible for all candidates. Keep in mind that these exams are created for a global audience, so whatever the topic is, it will be generic enough to be usable in any exam environment whether it’s in South America, Europe or Asia.

Here’s a list of topics that come up at Cambridge C1 Advanced level and are possible as CAE Speaking Part 2 pictures.

environmental issues
time
daily life
places and buildings
free time activities
hobbies
competition
family and friends
education
sports and leisure
shopping
health and fitness
transport
work and jobs
entertainment and media
fashion
society
culture and local customs
food and drink
technology and the Internet
relations with other people
challenge
obligations
the natural world
science and technology
communication
social interaction
weather
money
travel and holidays
feelings and emotions
house and home

It’s important to practise a lot for this part of the exam. Sometimes the pictures you get are slightly odd, so the more practice you have beforehand, the better prepared you’ll be to tackle even the most bizarre topics. We’ve got a series of eight CAE Speaking Part 2 tasks below for you to get started.

Advanced (CAE) Speaking Part 2 Example

In part 2 of the Advanced CAE Speaking Exam you will be asked to choose two photographs from a selection of three and to answer two questions about those photographs. You have one minute to complete the task. Your partner will then be asked a question about the topic of your pictures. This should be a short answer (approximately 30 seconds). The process is then repeated with the other candidate.

Here is an example of an Advanced CAE Speaking Part 2 test.

In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you three pictures. I’d like you to talk about two of them on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question briefly about your partner’s pictures.

(Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your pictures. They show people spending time alone in different situations.

I’d like you to compare two of the pictures, and say why the people might want to be alone in these situations, and how they might be feeling.

All right?

……………………………………………………

Thank you.

(Candidate B), do you enjoy spending time alone? …… (Why? / Why not?)

……………………………………………………

Thank you. (Can I have the booklet, please?)

Now, (Candidate B), here are your pictures. They show people in risky situations.

I’d like you to compare two of the pictures, and say why the people might be in risky situations, and how they might deal with the risk involved.

All right?

……………………………………………………

Thank you.

(Candidate A), do you think you are a risk-taker? …… (Why? / Why not?)

……………………………………………………

Thank you. (Can I have the booklet, please?)

During the test, the examiner won’t speak, but they could encourage you to speak more using gesture if you finish too early. Don’t stop speaking until the examiner stops you by saying “Thank you”. You don’t want to find yourself waiting awkwardly while the examiner counts down the seconds.

The Materials

Practise with these Advanced Speaking Part 2 pictures. Either use them from the website or download the CAE speaking pdf to practise, print or display.

In class, you can split the students into groups of three with two candidates and an examiner. The examiner should introduce the task, keep time and make notes about good vocabulary or grammar the candidates use. Rotate the pictures, rinse and repeat. Meanwhile, the teacher can be noting down errors for a post-task correction stage.

EXAM PART: Speaking

EXAM SKILLS: Comparing and contrasting, discourse management, using a range of appropriate vocabulary

TIME: 5-10 minutes per set of pictures + feedback