Top tips for the Oxford Test of English Speaking Part 3 – monologue

The Oxford Test of English is an assessment designed to measure English proficiency. There are different types of tests depending on your learning context. 

• The Oxford Test of English, which caters to learners aged 16+, and assesses the ability to understand and communicate across CEFR levels A2, B1 and B2
• The Oxford Test of English for Schools tailored for learners aged 12-16
• The Oxford Test of English Advanced for those at a B2–C1 level, primarily for academic and professional purposes. 

In this blog, we’ll be focusing on speaking part 3 in the Oxford Test of English. 

What is the Oxford Test of English?

The Oxford Test of English is a comprehensive, adaptive online English test which covers speaking, listening, reading and writing modules in approximately two hours. These modules can be taken in combination or separately. Results are delivered promptly afterwards, and show the candidate’s CEFR level and scores for each module, with certificates issued by the University of Oxford.

Skill	Time	What?
Speaking	15 minutes	Part 1: Interview – Candidates answer questions about themselves, their lives and their opinions. Part 2: Voicemail – Candidates listen to a recording and then record a voicemail message in response. Part 3: Monologue – Based on a photo prompt, candidates have 30 seconds to prepare and then speak for one minute about the photo, giving descriptions, expressing opinions or speculating. Part 4: Follow-up Questions – Candidates answer questions related to the topic of the photo used in Part 3.
Listening	Approx 30 minutes	Conversation, monologues, multiple-choice questions (with picture options for some questions), note completion, matching speakers to statements and multiple-choice questions based on longer conversations or monologues.
Reading	35 minutes	Multiple-choice questions based on short texts, multiple matching (linking information or features across several short texts), gap-fill tasks in texts and multiple-choice questions based on longer texts.
Writing	45 minutes	Task 1: Email – Candidates write an email based on given prompts. Task 2: Essay, Article or Review – Candidates choose one of these types of texts to write, again based on given prompts.

To find out more about what to expect when you take the Oxford Test of English, click here. 

Top tips for Speaking Part 3

In the speaking part of the Oxford Test of English, you need to navigate through everyday situations and questions, including an interview, voicemail, monologue and follow-up questions. You’re challenged to organise and sustain extended discourse on a given topic. You’re often required to describe, compare and contrast, speculate and suggest, based on photo prompts. It’s important to structure your monologue so you feel comfortable and confident during this part of the test. 

Structuring your monologue

Imagine this is your task in the Oxford Test of English, Speaking Part 3.

1. Understand the task. You’re given 30 seconds to prepare and one minute to speak. It’s crucial to quickly grasp the photo prompt and what it requires you to talk about – in this case, the advantages and disadvantages of living in these two kinds of homes.
2. Plan with precision: In the brief preparation time, you could note down a simple outline of your talk. Identify your main points and think about one or two supporting ideas for each. This will help you deliver a coherent and focused response. 
3. Create a clear structure: Organise your monologue into a clear beginning, middle and end. Start with a brief introduction to what you will talk about, followed by the main body where you discuss your key points and conclude with a summary or a final thought. With this example, you could start by introducing the two homes you’ve chosen, then go on to describe their advantages and disadvantages, followed by a summary. 
4. Use connectors: Use connectors and transitional phrases to structure your talk effectively and guide the listener through your ideas. For example, The first advantage of living in a mobile home is the freedom to move around when and where you want. However, not having a base might be difficult because … 

Delivering your monologue

1. Speak confidently: Even if you feel nervous, try to speak clearly and at a steady pace. Remember, the assessors are interested in your ability to communicate ideas, not just your language accuracy.
2. Be descriptive and detailed: When describing photo prompts, be as vivid and detailed as you can. This will make your monologue more engaging and demonstrate your command of the language.
3. Balance fluency and complexity: While it’s important to speak fluently, also try to incorporate a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary. This shows the assessors the breadth of your language skills. However, don’t memorise structures before the test!
4. Practice makes perfect: Before the test, practise giving one-minute monologues on various topics. Use a timer to get comfortable speaking within the time limit.

Part 3 of the Oxford Test of English Speaking module offers you the opportunity to showcase your English language abilities and to show how you organise your thoughts and communicate your ideas. By preparing thoroughly, structuring your response clearly and practising regularly, you can approach this part of the test with confidence.

For more Oxford Test of English speaking tips, read this blog. 

Activity

Choose if the answers are True (T) or False (F). 

1. The whole test is an hour. 
2. The Speaking test is 35 minutes. 
3. Speaking Part 3 requires you to speak about photos. 
4. In Speaking Part 3, you should start by introducing your ideas, state the main points, then summarise. 
5. You should memorise important expressions to use in the Speaking test. 
6. You have 30 seconds to prepare before you start speaking. 

Answers

1. F – the test is approximately 2 hours. 
2. F – the Speaking test is 15 minutes. 
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. T

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Billie Jago is an ELT writer and teacher trainer, specialising in digital & assessments. She is the founder of the professional development podcast ELTcpd and co-founder of the digital ELT content agency, otterelt.