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Trinity B1 test tips: GESE Grade 5

GESE Grade 5 has two parts of up to five minutes each, and the examiner gives a letter for each one. The topic phase is the part you control, so it is where preparation pays most. It is also where candidates most often go wrong, by learning a speech by heart. This page explains how to prepare both parts properly.

Length
10 minutes
Level
CEFR B1
Parts
Topic and conversation
You must ask
2 questions

Ready to try it? Free GESE Grade 5 practice test: hear the examiner's questions, answer out loud and compare with example answers.

What to do in each part

  1. Part 1

    Topic phase

    up to 5 minutes

    You bring a topic form with the title of your topic and five discussion points. Trinity says the examiner asks about at least four of them, in no particular order, and that you must ask the examiner at least one question about the topic.

    • Choose something you know well and care about: your job, a hobby, your home town, a person. Trinity says the topic should be personal.
    • Do not choose one of the six conversation subject areas. Trinity says the topic should not be taken directly from that list.
    • Write each point as a short phrase. Trinity says points such as "Introduction" or "What I did next" are not allowed, because the examiner asks about them in any order.
    • Do not write a script. Trinity says recitation has a negative effect on the mark for this phase.
    • For each point, prepare what you would say and two questions the examiner might ask.
    • Build the grade's language into your points: something from the past with "have", a plan with "will", a preference and a reason.
    • You may bring a photo or an object to help. Trinity allows suitable pictures and objects.

    Good discussion points for a topic about a job

    • What I do every day
    • Why I chose this job
    • The people I work with
    • A difficult day
    • My plans for the future
  2. Part 2

    Conversation phase

    up to 5 minutes

    The examiner chooses two of six subject areas: festivals, means of transport, special occasions, entertainment, music and recent personal experiences. Trinity says you must be ready for all six, and that you must ask the examiner at least one question here too.

    • Prepare something to say about all six areas. You will not know which two you get.
    • Give a reason with every opinion: "I prefer the train because I can read."
    • Use "have" for experience: "I've been to London twice." Use "will" for the future: "I think I'll visit my sister."
    • Say how long: "for three years", "since January". Stating duration is one of the functions for the grade.
    • Use quantity words: a lot of, not many, not much, a few.
    • Ask your question when the subject changes: "What kind of music do you like?"

    Sentences that show Grade 5 language

    • I've never been to a concert.
    • I'd rather watch a film at home.
    • I've lived here for three years.
    • I think more people will use electric cars.
    • There isn't much traffic in the evening.

Common mistakes

  • Learning the topic as a speech. The examiner will interrupt and ask about your points out of order. Know your ideas, not a script.
  • Arriving without a topic form. Trinity says the topic phase cannot take place without it, and that failing to prepare a topic results in a fail for the whole exam.
  • Forgetting to ask questions. You must ask at least one about your topic and at least one in the conversation.
  • Preparing only two or three subject areas. The examiner chooses, not you. Prepare all six.
  • Giving opinions without reasons. Giving reasons is one of the functions the examiner listens for.
  • Staying in the present tense. Show the past with "have" and the future with "will", or you are showing Grade 3 language.

A one-week study plan

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

Day 1
Read this page. Choose your topic and write five discussion points as short phrases.
Day 2
Talk about each point for one minute, without notes. Record yourself if you can.
Day 3
Write two questions the examiner might ask about each point, and answer them aloud. Choose your own question for the examiner.
Day 4
Do practice test 1: festivals and means of transport.
Day 5
Do practice test 2: special occasions and entertainment.
Day 6
Do practice test 3: music and recent personal experiences.
Day 7
A full ten minutes with a friend as the examiner: five on your topic, with the points in a different order, and five on two subject areas they choose.

Questions

How is GESE Grade 5 marked?
The examiner gives a letter, A, B, C or D, for the topic phase and another for the conversation phase. Trinity says the combination of the two gives the overall result.
Can someone else write my topic form?
Yes. Trinity says the form can be written by another person, because writing is not being tested, but the content must come from you.
Will I need B2 instead of B1?
For settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, most routes need B2. Applications before that date, and citizenship applications, need B1. Check GOV.UK for your route.
Will the examiner help me if I do not understand?
At the lower grades, yes. Trinity's guidance says the examiner speaks slowly and clearly, gives you time to answer, and repeats or rephrases when needed.
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 playing the examiner if you can. Our practice tests read each question to you and show an example answer.

More Trinity GESE help

Official sources

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to Trinity College London. Where this page says what Trinity expects, it is taken from Trinity's GESE specifications, read on 10 October 2026. The rest of the advice is our own.