TOEFL iBT — Speaking

All four tests deliver their speaking section on a computer with a microphone, strict per-task timing and no human examiner in the room; responses are scored by automated systems, with human raters also involved for TOEFL, Duolingo and CELPIP. PTE Academic's speaking tasks are read aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, retell lecture and answer short question, with Pearson adding respond to a situation and summarise group discussion to the speaking and writing section in 2025; each item is scored on content, oral fluency and pronunciation and the section reports on the 10 to 90 scale. TOEFL iBT speaking has long run four tasks in about sixteen minutes, one independent opinion task and three integrated tasks built on a campus conversation or an academic lecture, scored 0 to 30; ETS has announced a redesigned, shorter TOEFL for 2026, so candidates should check the current task list on the ETS site. The Duolingo English Test is adaptive and mixes read aloud, listen then speak, speak about the photo and a longer speaking sample into a roughly one-hour test scored 10 to 160. CELPIP General speaking has eight tasks in fifteen to twenty minutes, from giving advice to describing an unusual situation, and reports levels 1 to 12. The ExamPilot mock compresses this into twelve minutes with one examiner who runs a mic check, three or four timed tasks of the task type you choose, then two or three independent prompts in your test's style, and scores you on pronunciation, oral fluency, content and accuracy, and vocabulary and grammar.

1. 1

   Independent task

   When preparing for an important exam, would you rather revise on your own or with classmates? Explain your choice with specific details and examples.

   What a strong answer covers

   State your choice in the first sentence, give two clear reasons, and support at least one with a specific personal example within about forty-five seconds. Use transitions like for instance and another reason is. Avoid sitting on the fence, running out of time before the example, or a memorised template that sounds unnatural.

2. 2

   Independent task

   Do you agree or disagree: university students should be required to take courses outside their major field of study? Give reasons and examples.

   What a strong answer covers

   Take a clear position, give two reasons with a specific example such as a course that helped your career thinking, and wrap up briefly. Manage time to finish your point. Avoid vague answers or listing reasons without development.

3. 3

   Integrated campus task

   The university plans to close the campus library on Sundays to save money. The woman in the conversation disagrees. State her opinion and explain her reasons.

   What a strong answer covers

   Summarise the announcement briefly, state the woman's opinion clearly, and explain both reasons she gives with details from the conversation. Use reporting language like she argues that. Avoid giving your own opinion or spending too long on the announcement.

4. 4

   Integrated academic task

   Using the example from the lecture, explain the concept of social loafing described in the reading.

   What a strong answer covers

   Define the concept briefly from the reading, then explain the lecturer's example in detail and how it illustrates the concept. Organise your answer and use your notes. Avoid copying the reading word for word or missing the example.

5. 5

   Integrated lecture task

   Using points and examples from the lecture, explain two ways that desert plants conserve water.

   What a strong answer covers

   Introduce the topic, explain each method with the lecturer's examples, and connect them clearly. Speak fluently with clear pronunciation. Avoid listing words from notes without full sentences or running out of time before the second point.

6. 6

   Independent task

   Is it more valuable to keep a small circle of very close friends or to know a large number of people casually? Explain which you think is better and why.

   What a strong answer covers

   Pick one side in the first sentence, give two reasons, and support one with a specific personal example, such as a friend who helped during a hard semester, within forty-five seconds. Use transitions to keep it organised. Avoid hesitating to choose, giving only general statements, or running out of time mid-example.

7. 7

   Integrated campus task

   A student proposes that the university should offer free bicycles for students. The man in the conversation supports the idea. Explain his reasons.

   What a strong answer covers

   Summarise the proposal in one sentence, state that the man supports it, then explain both of his reasons with the details he gives, such as crowded buses and parking costs. Use reporting phrases like he points out that. Avoid adding your own view, skipping a reason or spending most of the time on the proposal.

8. 8

   Integrated academic task

   Reading: a short passage defines the decoy effect in pricing. Lecture: the professor describes a cinema that added a medium popcorn size. Using the lecture, explain the decoy effect.

   What a strong answer covers

   Define the concept briefly in your own words from the reading, then spend most of the time on the professor's popcorn example, explaining how the added option shifted choices and why that illustrates the concept. Speak from short notes, not full sentences. Avoid copying the reading word for word or skipping the example.

9. 9

   Personal response

   Talk about a time when you had to adapt to a big change. What happened, and what did you learn?

   What a strong answer covers

   Give an organised answer: the change, such as moving to a new city or school, what made it difficult, what you did to adapt, and what you learned, using accurate past tenses and natural pace. Include one concrete detail. Avoid general statements with no real event or running out of time before the reflection.

• English