What the Linguaskill Speaking questions look like, part by part

Linguaskill Speaking is taken on a computer with a headset. The questions appear on screen and through the headphones. Your answers are recorded. Cambridge says the recordings are marked by human examiners and auto-marking technology, which it calls hybrid marking.

What questions are in the Linguaskill Speaking test?

The test has five parts after a warm-up. Each one asks for a different kind of speech. Cambridge publishes the task of each part and two of the times.

Many guides still describe an interview of eight questions followed by sentences to read aloud. The current Cambridge page lists neither, so treat those guides as older. Cambridge also does not publish preparation times for each part. We do not give any as official.

Our page on the Linguaskill exam format shows how Speaking fits with the other three modules.

What happens in the warm-up and how do the timers work?

The warm-up is three simple questions that are not marked, so use them to check your microphone and your voice. Cambridge’s advice for candidates says these answers are not recorded. You do not need to fill the time.

On every later question you see two bars. The orange bar is your thinking time and the green bar is the time you have left to speak. Wait for the beep before you start.

The same advice sheet suggests a few habits for the whole test.

• Use the pencil and paper to note what you want to say.
• Keep the microphone at the same distance from your mouth.
• Avoid touching the microphone part of the headset.
• Keep your voice at one volume.
• Speak for all the time you have.

If you are cut off before you finish, you are not penalised for that.

How do you answer Part 1, the presentation?

Part 1 gives you a topic with three bullet points and about one minute to talk. Cambridge’s advice is to give different reasons and examples, to keep to the topic and to plan during the thinking time.

Here is an example we wrote.

Talk about a skill you would like to learn.

• What is the skill?
• Why do you want to learn it?
• How could you learn it?

A good answer gives each bullet its own short section. One possible answer, which we wrote, runs about one minute.

I’d really like to learn to cook properly. At the moment I only make pasta and eggs, so I want a few dishes I can be proud of. The main reason is that I eat out far too often, which is expensive. If I could cook well, I would also invite friends round more. To learn, I’d start with an online course because I can pause the video and repeat the steps. After that I’d ask my aunt, who is a wonderful cook, to teach me her family recipes. I think in six months I could cook a full meal for six people.

Notice the order. The answer opens with the skill, then gives a reason with a consequence and ends with a plan. It also uses a conditional (‘if I could cook well, I would’) without forcing it.

How do you answer Part 2, the summary and the three questions?

Part 2 has two sections about the same topic. In 2.1 you hear an audio extract from a meeting or tutorial with four key points, then you have 40 seconds to sum them up for a colleague or classmate who missed it. In 2.2 that person asks you three follow-up questions and you give your opinion.

Cambridge’s advice for 2.1 is to take notes while you listen and to finish before the time is up. Put the ideas in your own words and do not try to repeat the whole recording.

Here is an extract we wrote, shortened for this page.

A university tutor explains a plan for a campus bike-sharing scheme. Students will pay a small monthly fee. Bikes will be left at six stations around the campus. The first stations will open in March. The scheme will be reviewed after one year.

A summary of about 40 seconds could sound like this.

The tutor talked about a new bike-sharing scheme for the campus. Students will pay a small monthly fee to use the bikes. There will be six stations. The first ones open in March. After a year they will look at how it went and decide whether to continue.

The advice sheet also says each section is marked separately. A weak summary does not lower your 2.2 score.

For 2.2 Cambridge suggests using comparisons and conditionals to give opinions. Example questions on the bike scheme could be these.

1. Do you think many students would use the bikes?
2. What problems could a scheme like this have?
3. Would you prefer a bus service instead? Why?

A short model reply to the third question is ‘I would prefer bikes, because they are cheaper than buses and quicker over short distances. A bus might be better in bad weather, though, so I would keep both options’.

How do you answer Part 3, the recommendation?

In Part 3 you read a text message from a friend or colleague, look at some information and recommend the best option for them. Cambridge’s advice is to check the criteria in the message first. The information may not match them exactly, so you can use speculative language such as ‘it might be’ or ‘that should be’.

You are also not expected to use everything on the screen. Choose the details that support your recommendation.

Here is an example we wrote.

Message from Sam, ‘I need a laptop for travelling for work. It must be light. The battery has to last a whole day. I don’t want to spend more than 700 pounds.’ Information on screen (three laptops): A, 1.1 kg, 12 hours of battery, 650 pounds. B, 1.8 kg, 16 hours of battery, 590 pounds. C, 1.2 kg, 9 hours of battery, 480 pounds.

A short answer might go like this.

I’d recommend laptop A. It matches all three of your needs, Sam. It’s the lightest, so it will be easy to carry on trips. The battery should last a full working day. At 650 pounds it’s under your limit. Laptop B has the longest battery but it’s heavier. Laptop C might not last all day with only nine hours.

Name the person, say the choice in the first sentence and refuse the other options with a reason.

How do you answer Part 4, the argument?

Part 4 shows a statement and asks you to give both sides and then your conclusion. Cambridge’s advice is to plan arguments with examples, to link them in a clear order and to watch the time so you reach the conclusion.

Here is an example we wrote.

‘Everyone should learn a second language at school.’

A simple plan has three moves.

A closing line could be ‘On balance I agree, because learning a language also trains the memory, so the time is not lost’. Linking words such as ‘on the one hand’ and ‘however’ make the order easy to follow.

Can you get the real Linguaskill Speaking questions?

No. Cambridge does not publish the questions of the live test. You cannot know which topics you will get. It does offer a Speaking sample test and an advice PDF, which show the screens and the task types. Our guide to the Linguaskill sample test says what the sample gives you and what it leaves out.

Be careful with websites that sell lists of ‘real questions’. They cannot come from the exam, so use them only as topics to talk about.

How can you practise the Linguaskill Speaking test out loud?

The official sample test shows you the screens and the task types. Our Speaking practice follows the five parts in order. It has a preparation countdown and records you so you can listen back. It also transcribes what you say and gives written feedback on it.

Because the feedback works from the transcript, it does not score your pronunciation or fluency. Its criteria are ours, not Cambridge’s marking scheme. Any score it shows is an estimate. Our material is written for the General version of the test. The format is the same for Linguaskill Business, but the topics are about work.

Try this routine over a week.

1. Do one part a day, using the thinking time to write three or four notes.
2. Listen to the recording and count the times you stop or repeat a word.
3. Say the same answer again, this time linking your ideas with a different word each time.

When you feel ready, sit the full practice test to hear all five parts one after the other.

Sources

• Cambridge English, Linguaskill, Exam format and task types, https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-exam/exam-formats-and-task-types/, consulted on 25 October 2026.
• Cambridge English, Linguaskill Speaking, ‘Technical’ advice for the candidate (test advice, Parts 1 to 4), https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/700775-linguaskill-speaking-candidate-advice.pdf, consulted on 25 October 2026.
• Cambridge English, Linguaskill, How results are presented, https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-exam/how-results-are-presented/, consulted on 25 October 2026.