APTIS Speaking Part 1 & 2

APTIS Speaking

Part 1 & 2

What is the Aptis speaking test like?

The Aptis Speaking component tests your ability to communicate in English in real-life situations.

It takes about 12 minutes and it is divided into four sections. Your responses will be recorded and marked by our examiners.

Part 1: Sentence comprehension

You will be asked three questions about yourself and your interests. You are expected to speak for 30 seconds for each question.

Part 2: Describe, express opinion and provide reasons and explanations

You will be asked to describe a photograph, then answer two questions on the topic of the photograph. The questions will ask you to talk about your own experience of the topic and to comment on some more general aspect of the topic. In this part you are expected to speak for 45 seconds for each response.

Multiple Choice

In part 1, you will be asked three questions about yourself and your interests

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

In part 1, you are expected to speak for ____ seconds for each question.

Multiple Choice

In part 2, you will be asked to describe a graph.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

In part 2, you will answer ____ questions on the topic of the photograph. How many questions do you have to answer?

Multiple Choice

The questions will ask you to talk about your own experience of the topic and to comment on some more general aspect of the topic.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

In part 2, you are expected to speak for ____ seconds for each response.

• 40

• 35

• 55

• 45

Part 3: Describe, compare and provide reasons and explanations

You will be asked to describe two photographs, then answer two questions on the topic of the photographs. The questions will ask you to compare some aspect of the topic and to express an opinion on or speculate about the topic. Again, you are expected to speak for 45 seconds for each response.

Part 4: Discuss personal experience and opinion on an abstract topic

You will be asked three questions on a single topic and given one minute to prepare an answer. You can take brief notes and use these to help structure your answer. You are expected to talk for two minutes.

Multiple Choice

In part 3, you will be asked to describe three photographs, then answer two questions on the topic of the photographs.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

In part 3, the questions will ask you to compare some aspect of the topic and to express an opinion on or speculate about the topic.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

In part 3, you are expected to speak for _____ seconds for each response.

Multiple Choice

In part 4, you will be asked three questions on a single topic and given 2 minutes to prepare an answer.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

You can't take brief notes and use these to help structure your answer.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

In part 4, you are expected to talk for ____ minutes.

Example of a typical answer:

Please tell me about your hobbies and interest? (30 seconds)

I enjoy reading  books in my free time. I especially enjoy non-fiction books. I’m also interested in politics. I love watching debates on TV and trying to mimic the speakers.  I love (verb + ing ) listening to K-pop music. I make time to play with my kids on the weekend, and when I can, I usually watch TV, in particular, the news. When I have the chance I make my own t-shirts and clothes on my old sewing machine. One of my other interests is camping . I prefer outdoor activities and spend a lot of time gardening. I’m growing cucumbers this year. 

Example of a speaking structure:

In my free time I like______________.

It is______________, because____________.

I also like to____________, and___________.

I think is fun_________, because_________.

(Conclusion)That’s why free time is important to me

Expanding on a topic.

When I am________________ , I feel___________.

I wish I could ______________ all day, and I even forget about everything else.

I enjoy doing____________ with my friend (friends), because ________________.

Best Practices:

• If you feel nervous: begin by repeating/ reading the question. ” What is your village,town or city like? It is …….

•  If you need time to think, say:  Let me see…  or  Hmm.. I would probably say..

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Subject + is/are + verb in ING 

When talking about what people are doing or wearing in a photo we must use the present continuous. It is also important to speculate about what the subjects of the picture might be doing using expressions like:

It seems as if…

They might/may/could be …

It makes me think of …

I think …

A typical example of this could be the picture on the right.

1) Describe the picture.

2) Do you often have to work in a team in work or university?

3) Why is teamwork important?

1) Describe the picture.

In this photo, I can see a group of people sitting around a table. In the background, there is a large window and the room is bright. There are posters on the wall behind them. They seem to be working on something together.  In the middle of the table, there is a model of something which they are pointing to and discussing. Maybe it’s a building. They might be doing a project together for a university class. Maybe they are engineering students and they are doing a project on town planning.

2) Do you often have to work in a team in work or university?

​

When I was at university, I often had to give presentations with other students. We would be given a project to discuss and research and would have to present it together in front of the rest of our class. I enjoyed working with my classmates on these projects as it gave me a different perspective on the topic. However, I also got very nervous having to speak in front of so many people. I used to practise as much as I could beforehand to feel more relaxed about it.

2) Why is teamwork important?

​

Teamwork is very important, not only in university but also in the working world. As I mentioned before, having more than one person working on a project allows for more input and different points of view to be considered. Being able to work in a team is beneficial as it reduces the workload for everyone involved and means projects can be finished more efficiently.

Another example:

1) Describe the picture.

2) Do you play any sport?

3) Tell me about a popular sport in your country.

1) Describe the picture.

​

In this picture I can see two young girls who are playing football outdoor. It may be a football field because the ground is full of grass. In the background there are some trees and two white columns that can be the entrance to the field.

In the middle of the picture there are these two girls, who are wearing different football suits, so they are players from different teams. In the picture they are trying to kick the ball at the same time. Maybe they are playing a school championship or a female league where they live.

2) Do you play any sport?

​

I don’t play any sport, since I’m very busy and I have no time to do it. When I was at school I used to play basketball with my friends and we took part in the yearly championship in our region, which we won several times. We were an excellent team, but when we grew up we splitted up and we have never played together again. I love watching basketball matches on TV, that reminds me of my old times when I was a really good basketball player.

3) Tell me about a popular sport in your country.

​

The most popular sport in my country is football. It is played by eleven players on each team and they play in different positions in the field: goalkeeper, defense, midfield, … . They must kick the ball and try to score on the rival’s goal. It lasts 90 minutes and the most popular football teams in Spain and all over the world are Real Madrid and Betis. Professional football players earn a lot of money and they are like celebrities.

Audio Response

30 seconds to answer each question

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Audio Response

30 seconds to answer each question

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Audio Response

40 seconds to answer each question

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