How Cambridge Speaking is marked, in one paragraph
Cambridge Speaking at B1 Preliminary, B2 First and C1 Advanced is marked by two examiners on a 0 to 5 band scale, and you are marked on your own performance, never against your partner. The assessor, who does not speak, marks four analytical criteria: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication. At C1 Advanced grammar and vocabulary are split into Grammatical Resource and Lexical Resource, so there are five. The interlocutor, who runs the test, gives one Global Achievement mark. Per Cambridge's guide The Cambridge English Scale explained, the marks are then weighted, half marks are allowed, and the total becomes a Cambridge English Scale score for Speaking, which is averaged with your other papers. At B2 First an overall 160 is the bottom of Grade C and 180 the bottom of Grade A; at C1 Advanced the same steps are 180 and 200; at B1 Preliminary 140 and 160 (official results page). The thing most candidates misunderstand: Band 3, not Band 5, is the standard each exam is built around, and nobody loses marks for an accent while they stay easy to understand.
- Assessor: four analytical criteria at B1 and B2, five at C1. Interlocutor: one Global Achievement mark.
- Every mark is on a 0 to 5 scale; Bands 2 and 4 share features of the bands either side; examiners "may award half marks".
- Assessment covers "performance across all parts of the test", not part by part.
- Speaking totals after weighting: 30 marks at B1 Preliminary, 60 at B2 First, 75 at C1 Advanced. Global Achievement is a third of each total (our arithmetic from the guide).
- Speaking is an equal share of the overall result: one of five scores at B2 and C1 (with Use of English), one of four at B1.
Two examiners, two kinds of mark
The B2 First and C1 Advanced handbooks describe the split in one sentence each: the interlocutor "conducts the test and gives a global assessment of each candidate's performance", and the assessor "does not take any part in the interaction but focuses solely on listening to, and making an assessment of, each candidate's oral proficiency". The B1 information for candidates says it more simply: "Together, the interlocutor and the assessor decide how well you performed."
| Interlocutor | Assessor | |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Reads the scripted frame, hands you the booklets, keeps time, uses back-up prompts | Sits apart, listens, never joins the conversation |
| What they mark | Global Achievement, on the global scale | The analytical criteria, on the analytical scales |
| Where they are | In the room, or "online, examining remotely" (official format pages) | In the room |
| Weight of their marks (Scale guide) | One third of the Speaking total | Two thirds of the Speaking total |
Four details from the official pages that candidates rarely know:
- Examiners are checked every year. Per the handbooks, Team Leaders manage quality; examiners attend an annual certification meeting, mark sample Speaking tests online, "complete standardisation of assessment for all relevant levels each year" and "are regularly monitored during live testing sessions".
- Marks may go into a phone. The format pages say "Examiners may use their mobile phones for entering marks using an app." An examiner looking at a phone is not ignoring you.
- You get no hint on the day. At the end, candidates "are thanked for attending. They are given no indication of the level of their achievement." A neutral face from the interlocutor means nothing.
- Every prompt is visible. The glossary defines prompting as "instances when the interlocutor repeats, or uses a backup prompt or gesture in order to get the candidate to respond", and the Interactive Communication bands are written around how much "prompting and support" you need.
The four criteria in plain English
Each criterion below has the definition from the glossary printed in the B1, B2 and C1 handbooks, the question the assessor is asking (from Cambridge's own candidate guidance in the B1 examiner comments), and what moves the mark. The "what moves it" notes are TalkDrill's.
1. Grammar and Vocabulary (Grammatical Resource and Lexical Resource at C1)
The glossary defines grammatical control as "the ability to consistently use grammar accurately and appropriately to convey intended meaning", and complex forms as "noun clauses, relative and adverb clauses, subordination, passive forms, infinitives, verb patterns, modal forms and tense contrasts". Range is "the variety of words and grammatical forms a candidate uses". For vocabulary the key word is appropriacy: words that "fit the context of the given task". Cambridge's own example of an inappropriate word is "I'm very sensible to noise", where the word should be sensitive. That is the false friend Spanish, Italian and Portuguese speakers bring from sensible, sensibile and sensível, which is why our Romance-language page exists.
The assessor's question (official B1 guidance): "Are you using a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary? Are you using these structures and vocabulary correctly?" What moves it: attempting complex forms. The glossary says plainly that "false starts, incomplete utterances, ellipsis and reformulation" are "not penalised" where communication is achieved, so a correction mid-sentence costs nothing, and playing safe with simple sentences caps you at the lower bands.
2. Discourse Management
Coherence is "a clear and logical stretch of speech which can be easily followed by a listener"; cohesion is speech that is "unified and structurally organised". The glossary counts more as cohesion than most candidates expect: linkers such as "therefore" and "on the other hand", but also related vocabulary, pronouns that refer back ("The one on the right ...") and spoken discourse markers: "you know, you see, actually, basically, I mean, well, anyway, like". Relevance means "related to the task and not about something completely different". Repetition is "repeating the same idea instead of introducing new ideas".
The assessor's question: "Are you using both long and short answers, depending on the task? Is everything you say relevant to the task?" What moves it: filling the long turn. In Cambridge's B2 First examiner comments, a candidate whose Part 2 lasted "only 36 seconds rather than a full minute" received 3.5 for Discourse Management.
3. Pronunciation
The glossary defines intelligible as "a contribution which can generally be understood by a non-EFL/ESOL specialist, even if the speaker has a strong or unfamiliar accent". Phonological features are "individual sounds, word and sentence stress and intonation", with the example that sentence stress changes meaning: "WHY is that one important? versus Why is THAT one important?" The B1 candidate guidance: "You don't need to have an English accent, but it is important to be clear."
What moves it: stress and intonation more than individual sounds. At B2 the step from Band 3 to Band 5 is the word "generally" disappearing ("intonation is generally appropriate" becomes "intonation is appropriate"). Our word stress guide and intonation patterns guide cover both. For first-language habits (final consonants for Vietnamese speakers, an added vowel before "s" plus a consonant for Spanish speakers), see the Turkish and Vietnamese page and the Romance-language page.
4. Interactive Communication
The glossary defines development of the interaction as "saying more than the minimum" in response to the task or to the other speaker, or "proactively involving the other candidate with a suggestion or question", with the examples "What about bringing a camera for the holiday?" and "Why's that?". Initiating is "starting a new turn by introducing a new idea"; responding is "replying or reacting". It also credits supporting: "providing a word they are looking for during a discussion activity, or helping them develop an idea".
The assessor's question: "Are you listening to the other candidate and answering in a way that makes sense? Are you able to add ideas to the discussion and help keep it going with your partner?" What moves it: building on your partner's point instead of starting your own. In Cambridge's B2 sample, a fluent candidate received 4 for Interactive Communication, and the examiners' comment on it notes that in Part 3 he "does not develop his partner's point, but chooses to move on to another point instead".
Global Achievement: the interlocutor's mark
Global Achievement is a single mark for your whole performance on a separate, shorter scale. The candidate guidance in the B1 examiner comments explains it: "This is about your general performance. How well can you communicate about the topics you are given? Are you using language which is right for the level?" The descriptors below are quoted from the three handbooks, lightly shortened.
| Exam | Band 3 | Band 5 |
|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | Handles communication in everyday situations, despite hesitation. Constructs longer utterances but cannot use complex language except in well-rehearsed utterances. | Handles communication on familiar topics, despite some hesitation. Organises extended discourse but occasionally produces utterances that lack coherence, and some inaccuracies occur. |
| B2 First | Handles communication on familiar topics, despite some hesitation. Organises extended discourse but occasionally produces utterances that lack coherence, and some inaccuracies occur. | Handles communication on a range of familiar topics, with very little hesitation. Uses accurate and appropriate linguistic resources; extended discourse that is generally coherent. |
| C1 Advanced | Handles communication on a range of familiar and unfamiliar topics, with very little hesitation. Accurate and appropriate resources; discourse that is generally coherent. | Handles communication on a wide range of topics, including unfamiliar and abstract ones, with very little hesitation. Expresses complex ideas; discourse that is coherent and easy to follow. |
Read the table diagonally. B1's Band 5 is word for word B2's Band 3, and B2's Band 5 is C1's Band 3 apart from two words, "and unfamiliar". Global Achievement matters more than its single line on the mark sheet suggests: with the weights in the Scale guide, one band of Global Achievement is worth four marks at B2 First, the same as two bands on any one analytical criterion.
One ladder, three exams: how the bands climb
Each handbook says its exam's scales are "extracted from the overall Speaking scales", one table that runs from A1 to C2. That is why the same descriptor appears at different bands in different exams. The two tables below are built from the three handbooks' scales; the descriptors are quoted, the layout is ours.
Interactive Communication
| Descriptor (handbooks) | B1 Preliminary | B2 First | C1 Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintains simple exchanges, despite some difficulty. Requires prompting and support. | Band 1 | ||
| Initiates and responds appropriately. Keeps the interaction going with very little prompting and support. | Band 3 | Band 1 | |
| Initiates and responds appropriately. Maintains and develops the interaction and negotiates towards an outcome with very little support. | Band 5 | Band 3 | Band 1 |
| Initiates and responds appropriately, linking contributions to those of other speakers. Maintains and develops the interaction and negotiates towards an outcome. | Band 5 | Band 3 | |
| Interacts with ease, linking contributions to those of other speakers. Widens the scope of the interaction and negotiates towards an outcome. | Band 5 |
Pronunciation
| Descriptor (handbooks) | B1 Preliminary | B2 First | C1 Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is mostly intelligible, despite limited control of phonological features. | Band 1 | ||
| Is mostly intelligible, and has some control of phonological features at both utterance and word levels. | Band 3 | Band 1 | |
| Is intelligible. Intonation is generally appropriate. Sentence and word stress is generally accurately placed. Individual sounds are generally articulated clearly. | Band 5 | Band 3 | Band 1 |
| Is intelligible. Intonation is appropriate. Sentence and word stress is accurately placed. Individual sounds are articulated clearly. | Band 5 | Band 3 | |
| Is intelligible. Phonological features are used effectively to convey and enhance meaning. | Band 5 |
Two practical consequences. First, the move from one exam to the next is two bands: a Band 5 performance at B2 First is described in the same words as a Band 3 at C1 Advanced, which matches the Scale, where a B2 First Grade A (180 to 190) is reported at C1 and C1 Advanced Grade C starts at 180. Second, if you are choosing between B2 First and C1 Advanced, mark a recording of yourself against the B2 First Band 5 row. If it fits, you are working at the C1 standard. If it does not, the B2 First page is the right one: B2 First Speaking, C1 Advanced Speaking, B1 Preliminary Speaking.
From band marks to a Scale score
Cambridge's handbooks stop at the bands. The arithmetic is in a separate official guide for teachers, The Cambridge English Scale explained: a guide to converting practice test scores, printed in November 2023 and linked from the official Cambridge English Scale page. It sets out how each level weights the marks and where practice-test totals sit on the Scale.
| Exam | Assessor's marks | Interlocutor's Global Achievement | Speaking total | Practice-test totals on the Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | 4 criteria, 0 to 5 each, counted once (20) | 0 to 5, doubled (10) | 30 | 7 = 102 (lowest reported), 12 = 120 (A2), 18 = 140 (B1), 27 = 160 (B2) |
| B2 First | 4 criteria, 0 to 5 each, doubled (40) | 0 to 5, multiplied by four (20) | 60 | 14 = 122 (lowest reported), 24 = 140 (B1), 36 = 160 (B2), 54 = 180 (C1) |
| C1 Advanced | 5 criteria, 0 to 5 each, doubled (50) | 0 to 5, multiplied by five (25) | 75 | 17 = 142 (lowest reported), 30 = 160 (B2), 45 = 180 (C1), 66 = 200 (C2) |
The guide is careful about what this is. The tables "only apply when using official Cambridge English practice tests"; they "should not be used to try to predict precise scores in the live exam, but can be a useful diagnostic tool". Scores "close to CEFR boundaries need to be reviewed carefully", which it defines as about three Scale points either side, for example 157 to 163 for B2. And the overall score is the skill scores added together and divided by five at B2 and C1, or by four at B1, "rounding to the nearest whole number", with "no requirement to achieve a minimum score in each paper".
What the arithmetic tells you (our reading)
- Band 3 is the target. Band 3 on every criterion gives 18 of 30, 36 of 60 and 45 of 75: exactly the totals the guide places at 140, 160 and 180, the bottom of each exam's target level.
- The level above is about 4.5. An average of 4.5 gives 27 of 30 and 54 of 60, the totals placed at B2 and C1. At C1 the 200 line, 66 of 75, is an average of 4.4.
- Global Achievement is a third. 10 of 30, 20 of 60, 25 of 75. Half a band of Global Achievement is worth 1 mark at B1, 2 at B2 and 2.5 at C1; half a band from the assessor is worth 0.5, 1 and 1.
A worked example (TalkDrill, invented marks)
A B2 First candidate on a practice test: Grammar and Vocabulary 3, Discourse Management 3.5, Pronunciation 4, Interactive Communication 2.5, Global Achievement 3. The assessor's marks add to 13, doubled to 26; Global Achievement 3 times four is 12; the total is 38 of 60, just above the 36 the guide places at 160, so close to the B2 boundary. Raising Interactive Communication from 2.5 to 4, by asking questions back and building on the partner's points in Part 3, adds 3 marks. Raising Global Achievement by one band adds 4. Neither needs new grammar.
The Cambridge English Scale, as Cambridge states it
The official Cambridge English Scale page says the Scale "is used to report results for our qualifications and tests", that its scores "are also consistent across the different exams, making it easy to compare results and understand progress from one level to the next", and that it "has been designed to complement" the CEFR. Candidates receive "a score for each skill (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking) plus Use of English in certain exams" and an overall score. The page's full-range diagram runs from 80 at the bottom to 230 at the top, and notes that "IELTS and young learners are mapped to, but do not report on the Cambridge English Scale". For IELTS or CEFR equivalents, use the official score converter on that page; we have not reprinted its values.
Per the official results page, each exam reports only a slice of the Scale:
| Exam | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | Level below | Reported, no certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | 160 to 170 (states B2) | 153 to 159 (B1) | 140 to 152 (B1) | 120 to 139 (A2) | 102 to 119 |
| B2 First | 180 to 190 (states C1) | 173 to 179 (B2) | 160 to 172 (B2) | 140 to 159 (B1) | 122 to 139 |
| C1 Advanced | 200 to 210 (states C2) | 193 to 199 (C1) | 180 to 192 (C1) | 160 to 179 (B2) | 142 to 159 |
The questions this answers
- "Is 160 a pass in FCE?" 160 is the bottom of Grade C, the lowest score that gets the B2 First certificate at B2. Between 140 and 159 you still receive a certificate, at B1.
- "What is a 180 in B2 First?" The bottom of Grade A; the certificate states C1. On C1 Advanced, 180 is the bottom of Grade C. Same Scale point, same level, different grade, which is what "consistent across the different exams" means.
- "Is CAE 200 a C2?" 200 to 210 is C1 Advanced Grade A, and the certificate states C2.
- "Why can't B2 First give me 195?" Each exam reports a fixed slice. B2 First stops at 190 and C1 Advanced at 210; to be measured higher you sit the higher exam.
Results timings and certificates are on our results and certificates page.
Six official candidates and their marks
Cambridge publishes Speaking test videos with written examiner comments and marks. Three of them, one per level, show how the criteria work on real performances. The marks are Cambridge's; the totals are our arithmetic with the guide's weighting, and Cambridge gives no Scale score for these videos.
| Candidate (exam) | Grammar and Vocabulary | Discourse Management | Pronunciation | Interactive Communication | Global Achievement | Our total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenza (B1) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 26.5 of 30 |
| Mohammed (B1) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 25.5 of 30 |
| Natalia (B2) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 46 of 60 |
| Enzo (B2) | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 49 of 60 |
| Teresa (C1) | 3.5 grammatical, 4 lexical | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 59 of 75 |
| Antonio (C1) | 4.5 grammatical, 4.5 lexical | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 66.5 of 75 |
Sources: Kenza and Mohammed, Natalia and Enzo, Teresa and Antonio.
Five lessons from the comments
- Nobody scored a 5. Cambridge's chosen examples sit at 3.5 to 4.5. Band 5 describes the level above the exam, not a perfect candidate.
- Errors and high marks live together. Kenza received 4.5 for Grammar and Vocabulary while saying "it's permit us to achieve our objectives". The examiners call her language "mostly accurate".
- A short long turn costs Discourse Management. Natalia's Part 2 ran "only 36 seconds rather than a full minute"; her Discourse Management mark was 3.5.
- Interaction separates candidates of similar level. Mohammed out-scored Kenza on Interactive Communication, and the examiners note that he "actively keeps the interaction going"; Antonio "widens the scope of interaction", while Teresa's "development of ideas is mainly of her own points".
- An imperfect rhythm can still earn 4.5. Antonio's speech "can sometimes seem a little staccato", and when "his rhythm slows down, he finds it difficult to maintain appropriate features of connected speech". His Pronunciation mark was still 4.5.
Mark yourself: a self-score sheet and a practice route
Record a full mock (12, 14 or 15 minutes, depending on the exam) and listen three times, once per column. The sheet is ours; the bands it points to are the handbooks'.
| Listen for | Criterion | Band 3 if ... | Band 5 if ... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time your Part 2. Count linkers. Note any idea you said twice. | Discourse Management | You fill the minute with some hesitation; ideas are relevant | You fill it easily; ideas are organised, with a range of linkers and markers |
| Count questions to your partner and replies that use their idea. | Interactive Communication | You respond and keep it going with little prompting | You link to your partner's points and move the discussion towards a decision |
| Write down three errors and three complex forms. | Grammar and Vocabulary | Simple forms are controlled; you attempt some complex ones | Complex forms appear and mostly work; vocabulary fits each topic |
| Mark every word with the wrong stress; check your falls and rises. | Pronunciation | Easy to follow, with some slips in stress or sounds | Stress and intonation help the listener; sounds are clear |
| One overall impression: did you handle the topics? | Global Achievement | You coped, with hesitation | You coped easily, at length and coherently |
Then apply the weighting from the table above and compare your total with the guide's practice-test points. Remember the guide's warning: it is a readiness check, not a forecast.
- Interactive Communication first. It is the hardest criterion to practise alone, because it needs a second person. Our paired practice bank gives you timed Part 3 tasks with an AI partner, and the group discussion mode trains turn-taking with more than one voice.
- Discourse Management second. One-minute long turns, timed, three times a week; the phrase banks on our Part 2 page and Part 3 page give you the linkers.
- Global Achievement by doing full mocks. It is judged across the whole test, so practise the whole test. Our AI interview practice handles the Part 1 and Part 4 questions with follow-ups.
- Grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation from your own recordings. Fix the three errors you wrote down, not a grammar book's list.
The Cambridge English hub has the dates block for every exam and the links to each level's Speaking page.