LanguageCert B1 test tips: Speaking and Listening

What to do in each part

1. The start: your name and country

   a few seconds

   Before Part 1, the examiner checks your name, asks you to spell your family name and asks where you are from. LanguageCert says nothing needs to be written down.

   • Practise spelling your family name aloud with the English letter names until it is automatic. A, E, I, G, J, H, R and Y are the letters people most often say wrongly.
   • For double letters, say "double": "double L".
   • Answer "Where are you from?" with the country and, if you like, the city: "I'm from Pakistan, from Lahore."

   Useful language

   • My family name is Khan. K, H, A, N.
   • That's double S.
   • I'm from Nigeria, from Lagos.

2. Part 1: Questions about you

   1½ to 2½ minutes

   The examiner names a topic and asks one question from each of four topics. LanguageCert's handbook says that at B1 you express opinions and ideas as well as personal information.

   • Give an opinion and a reason, then an example: "I think so, because... For example..."
   • Answer in two or three sentences. One sentence is usually too short at B1.
   • Use the present perfect for experience: "I've lived here for six years."

   Useful language

   • In my opinion...
   • I'd say that...
   • It depends. On the one hand..., but...
   • For example, last year I...

3. Part 2: Role plays

   1½ to 2 minutes

   Two situations, such as a colleague who looks stressed, or being late to meet a friend. The examiner starts the first; you start the second.

   • Respond to the feeling as well as the words: "Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that."
   • Give advice with "Why don't you...?" or "You could...".
   • When you start, apologise or explain first, then ask: "Sorry to bother you, but could you...?"

   Useful language

   • Sorry to bother you, but...
   • Would you mind...?
   • Why don't you...?
   • That's a good idea.
   • I'm afraid...

4. Part 3: Discuss and decide

   about 2½ minutes

   The examiner describes a situation and gives you some ideas, such as presents to buy or places to visit. You discuss them together. LanguageCert says the language you use matters most, not finishing the task, but you should move towards a decision.

   • Talk about two or three ideas properly instead of all of them quickly.
   • Give an advantage and a disadvantage: "It's practical, but it's not very personal."
   • Ask the examiner's opinion, and suggest a decision near the end: "So, shall we...?"

   Useful language

   • What do you think about...?
   • That's true, but...
   • I'm not sure. How about...?
   • So, shall we choose...?
   • Let's go with...

5. Part 4a: Listen and answer

   about 3 minutes

   The examiner reads a talk of about a minute two times. You can make notes. Then you answer three questions out loud.

   • Read the questions before the talk and predict the kind of answer each needs.
   • The talk often mentions something similar but wrong before the right answer. Listen to the whole sentence.
   • Answer with the key information in a short sentence.

   Answer like this

   • Because a friend lost his job.
   • A cooking class.
   • Their flat was too small.

6. Part 4b: Your talk

   2½ to 3 minutes, with questions

   You get a topic, such as "an exciting experience", 30 seconds to make notes, and then talk for up to one and a half minutes. The examiner then asks follow-up questions.

   • Plan five notes: what, when, where, what happened, how you felt and why.
   • A minute and a half is roughly 150 to 200 words. Time yourself until it feels comfortable.
   • Use past tenses to tell the story and finish with why it mattered.

   Topics to prepare

   • An important day in your life
   • A person who has helped you
   • Your favourite place to eat
   • A difficult decision
   • A trip you enjoyed

Common mistakes

• Thinking grammar is all that matters. LanguageCert's handbook marks five things: listening and responding (worth a third of the marks), interaction and task, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation and fluency. Understanding the examiner and answering what was asked is the biggest single part.
• Staying silent when you don't understand. Ask: "Sorry, could you say that again, please?" A short request to repeat is much better than silence or a guess at a different question.
• Agreeing with everything in Part 3. A discussion needs some disagreement and reasons. "I'm not sure, because..." is polite and shows B1 language.
• Learning a talk by heart. The topic will not be exactly the one you learned. Prepare ideas and phrases for common topics instead of whole scripts.
• One-sentence answers in Part 1. At B1, add a reason or an example to every answer.

A study plan

About thirty minutes a day. Always practise out loud, not in your head.

Week 1

Part 1: answer all sixteen questions in our practice test 1 out loud, each with a reason and an example. Practise spelling your family name.

Week 2

Part 2 and Part 3 from both practice tests. Act them out with a friend, then swap roles.

Week 3

Part 4: prepare five 90-second talks on the topics above and time them. Do Part 4a from both tests.

Week 4

Two full practice tests a week with a friend as the examiner. Note what you found hard and practise that part.

Questions

What is the pass mark?

60 out of 100. In LanguageCert's handbook the raw marks are out of 30 and 18 is a pass, which is the same 60 per cent.

Can I make notes?

Yes, in Part 4. You make notes while the examiner reads the talk, and you have 30 seconds to make notes before your own talk. The notes are not marked.

Do I need a British accent?

No. You need to be understood. Speak clearly, at a steady speed, in your own accent.

Can I prepare without a teacher?

Yes. Practise out loud every day, with a friend or family member as the examiner if you can. Our practice tests read the examiner's words to you and show example answers.

Is B1 still enough for settlement?

For British citizenship, yes. For settlement (indefinite leave to remain), the Immigration Rules raise the level on most routes to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. Check GOV.UK for your own route before you book.

Official sources

• LanguageCert: A1 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: A2 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: B1 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: International ESOL (Speaking & Listening) qualification handbook
• GOV.UK: Prove your English with a secure English language test (SELT)

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to LanguageCert or PeopleCert. Format checked against LanguageCert's SELT pages, practice papers and handbook on 14 October 2026; every practice question, situation, talk and example answer here is our own.