LanguageCert General Speaking
In short
LanguageCert General Speaking takes about 12 minutes, just you and an examiner who joins by video. You answer everyday questions, act out two short everyday or work situations, read a passage aloud, and give a one-to-two-minute talk on a topic after 30 seconds' thinking time. Five criteria are marked; Task Fulfilment counts twice.
General Speaking is about getting things done in English: asking your manager for time off, sorting out a problem with a booking, chatting with a colleague. The role plays in Part 2 are the heart of it, and they're where most marks are won or lost.
Your examiner (LanguageCert calls them the interlocutor) talks to you by video from another location, and everything is recorded for marking. LanguageCert is clear that no opinion is wrong: what earns marks is how well you use English to deal with each situation.
Format, part by part
About 12 minutes. Roughly 2–3 minutes for Part 1, 2 for Part 2, 3–4 for Part 3 and 4 for Part 4.
Part 1: Interview (2–3 minutes)
It opens with the basics: your name, spelt out, and your home country. Next come up to five short questions, each from a different everyday area like travel, clothes, music, food or holidays.
How to approach it: Avoid one-word answers. Say what you think and add a detail from your own life.
Part 2: Two role plays (about 2 minutes)
You act out two short scenes from daily life or work: a chat with a colleague, a visit to your doctor, a request to your boss, a question at a railway information desk. In scene one the examiner speaks first. In scene two, it's up to you to open.
How to approach it: When it's your turn to start, open clearly: say who you are, if needed, and what you want. Then respond to what the examiner says rather than following a script.
Part 3: Read aloud, then answer (3–4 minutes)
A passage of roughly 80 words appears on screen. After 20 seconds of silent reading you read it out, and the examiner follows up with a question or two on the subject.
How to approach it: Read at a steady pace and pause at full stops. Answers to the follow-up questions can draw on your own experience.
Part 4: Short talk (about 4 minutes)
You're given a topic, such as why people enjoy a hobby or a problem you once solved. Half a minute to jot notes, then a talk of one to two minutes, followed by a few questions from the examiner.
How to approach it: Thirty seconds is short: note three words, one for each point you'll make. LanguageCert says you can invent a story if it helps; it doesn't need to be true.
How it differs from LanguageCert Academic Speaking
- Part 4 is a topic with no chart, 30 seconds to prepare and one to two minutes to talk. Academic gives a visual to interpret, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes.
- Role plays are everyday and work situations. Academic uses tutors, classmates and university services.
- General takes about 12 minutes, Academic about 14.
- The opening questions and the read-aloud work the same way in both exams.
Taking the other one? Read the LanguageCert Academic Speaking guide
How it’s scored
Examiners give 0–8 for each of five criteria. Because Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect is counted twice, the total is out of 48, and each of the four parts matters equally.
Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect (×2)
Did you deal with each situation and make yourself understood? In the role plays, it's judged on whether you achieved what the card asked for.
Coherence
Can the listener follow how one idea leads to the next?
Accuracy and Range of Grammar
Varied sentence patterns, mostly correct, that suit what you're saying.
Accuracy and Range of Vocabulary
Choosing words that fit, and sounding as formal or casual as the person in front of you expects.
Pronunciation, Intonation and Fluency
Clear sounds, stress in the right places, and speech that keeps moving.
Model answer: Part 2 role play
Our own role play in the Part 2 format, the one you start. The examiner plays your manager.
The task
You need to leave work two hours early tomorrow for a hospital appointment. Ask your manager. You start.
A strong exchange
You: Hi Alex, have you got a minute? I've got a hospital appointment tomorrow afternoon. Would it be OK if I left at three instead of five? Manager: Tomorrow? That's quite short notice. We've got the client meeting at four. You: I know, I'm sorry. They only gave me the slot this morning. I could prepare the meeting notes tonight, and Priya's already agreed to cover the call. Would that work?
Why
- It starts straight away, as the card says, and states the request clearly in the first turn.
- The register is right for a manager: polite ('Would it be OK...') without being stiff.
- When the manager pushes back, the answer responds to that problem and offers a solution. That's the Communicative Effect half of the double-weighted criterion.
Common mistakes that cost marks
Dry or one-word answers
LanguageCert's tips warn against 'dry' answers by name. A bare 'yes' or 'Paris' can't show the examiner much, and it pulls down the double-weighted first criterion as well as Coherence.
Rehearsed answers
Memorised answers sound unnatural and often miss the actual question. LanguageCert advises against rehearsed speech.
Not starting the second role play
If the card says you begin and you wait for the examiner, the scene stalls and Task Fulfilment suffers. Open with a greeting and your request.
Talking to your boss like a friend
Register is marked under Vocabulary. 'Hey, can I bail early tomorrow?' works with a friend, not with a manager.
Going silent while you think
Use a filler such as 'Let me think...' or 'That's a good question'. It keeps the flow going, which is part of the Fluency score.
On the day
- Your examiner is on a video link, and role-play cards and reading passages are shown on your screen. Everything is recorded.
- Didn't catch a question? Ask to hear it again. The examiner isn't allowed to rephrase or translate it for you.
- You can make notes on paper during the Part 4 preparation.
- Your official result comes 5 working days after the exam.
Try a practice task
A real practice task in the exam’s format. Sign up to answer it live with the AI examiner and get feedback on every criterion.
How shopping has changed
The examiner will give you a topic. You have 30 seconds to prepare and may make notes. Then talk for one to two minutes, and answer the examiner's follow-up questions.
FAQ
How long is LanguageCert General Speaking?
Around 12 minutes for all four parts, just you and the examiner on a video link.
How many role plays are in LanguageCert General Speaking?
Usually two short scenes: the examiner speaks first in one, you speak first in the other. If time allows, there may be a third.
How long do I prepare for the Part 4 talk?
30 seconds, and you can make notes. Then you talk for one to two minutes.
Does my answer have to be true?
No. LanguageCert says you can imagine a situation or story. You're marked on your English, not on the facts.
Can the examiner explain a question I don't understand?
They can repeat it, but not paraphrase or translate it.
Related guides
Practise it: LanguageCert Speaking practice test with a live AI examiner
Practise LanguageCert General Speaking
Have a short interview with the live examiner and see it marked. No account needed.
Sources
Checked against LanguageCert’s own handbooks and exam pages in October 2026.