Academic SELT Speaking
Approximately 14 minutes across personal questions, academic role plays, read aloud with follow-ups and a prepared academic presentation.
Choose first, then prepare the right test
Start with the route's required skills and CEFR level. Four-skill Academic and General tests and the two-skill A1-A2-B1 suite are not interchangeable.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Speaking is conducted by an interlocutor in four parts and moves from short answers to interaction, reading aloud and sustained presentation.
Exam cue: Answer directly, then extend with one relevant detail.
Concept 2
Role plays require both responding and initiating appropriately in academic-related scenarios.
Exam cue: Identify the communicative goal before responding or initiating a role play.
Concept 3
The presentation uses one minute of preparation and up to two minutes of delivery followed by questions.
Exam cue: Use preparation time to plan a clear opening, two main points and a close.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Waiting for the interlocutor when the role play requires initiation.
Guardrail: Use a 15-second safety pause before finalizing your action.
Reading aloud quickly at the cost of phrasing and intelligibility.
Guardrail: Use a 15-second safety pause before finalizing your action.
Memorising a presentation that does not address the stimulus.
Guardrail: Use a 15-second safety pause before finalizing your action.
Memory anchors
Four Parts
Academic Speaking moves through questions, role play, read aloud and presentation.
Initiate
Some role plays require you to start the interaction.
Read Meaning
Phrase the read-aloud text by meaning, not word by word.
One Minute
Use the preparation minute to organise the presentation.
Two Minutes
Develop the presentation for up to two minutes.
Follow-ups
Support presentation answers with reasons and academic context.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
What is Pass Harbor?
Completely free exam prep for 247 UK exams.
- Practice questions
- Flashcards
- Study guides
- Mock exams
- No registration
- No paywall
- Start instantly
“No more expensive exam prep. Quality study tools should be accessible to everyone.”