CAE Speaking Part 3: collaborative task
CAE Speaking Part 3 is the collaborative task: you and your partner discuss a question with five written prompts for two minutes, then have a minute to reach a decision. It is the part of the test built around interaction between the two of you.
- Time
- 4 min
- Discussion
- 2 min
- Decision
- 1 min
- Prompts
- 5
How CAE Speaking Part 3 works
Part 3 is a conversation between you and your partner. The interlocutor gives you a sheet with a question in the centre surrounded by five written prompts, and you have about 15 seconds to read it. You then discuss the question for 2 minutes. After that, the interlocutor asks a second, decision question and gives you 1 minute to agree on an answer, for example which two ideas would be most effective. For a group of three the timings are 3 minutes and 2 minutes.
You do not have to discuss all five prompts, and you do not have to agree in the end: failing to reach agreement is not penalised. What counts is how you talk together. Cambridge's focus for Part 3 is sustaining an interaction: exchanging ideas, expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, suggesting, speculating, evaluating and working towards a decision.
This is the part where the assessor sees most of your Interactive Communication: whether you start the discussion, respond to what your partner actually said, develop their ideas as well as your own, and move the conversation forward. Part 4 continues on the same topic, which is why candidates often prepare Parts 3 and 4 together.
CAE Speaking Part 3 example and sample discussion
An original task, followed by part of a strong discussion between two candidates and their one-minute decision.
Central question: How important are these things in helping people feel part of their local community?
Prompts: local shops and markets · sports clubs · neighbourhood social media groups · parks and green spaces · street festivals and events
Examiner: Talk to each other about how important these things are in helping people feel part of their local community.
A: Shall we start with local shops? I think they're underrated. If you buy your bread from the same place every morning, you end up chatting to people without even trying.
B: That's true, although fewer people seem to shop that way now. What about social media groups? In my area there's one where people lend each other tools and post about lost cats.
A: I can see the appeal, but don't you think it's a bit superficial? You might "know" hundreds of people online and never actually speak to any of them.
B: Fair point. I suppose it works best as a first step: you see an event advertised online, and then you actually go.
A: Which brings us to festivals. They're great fun, but they only happen once or twice a year, so I'm not sure they build lasting connections.
B: Whereas a sports club meets every week.
A: Exactly, and you're working towards something together, which makes it much easier to talk to strangers.
Examiner: Now you have about a minute to decide which two of these would make the biggest difference to someone who has just moved to a new area.
B: For someone new, I'd go for sports clubs and local shops. They're both regular, and both involve real conversations.
A: I'd definitely keep sports clubs, but I'd swap shops for parks. Not everyone can afford to join a club, and parks are free and open to everyone.
B: That's a good point about cost. I still think shops are more sociable, though. Shall we agree on sports clubs and leave the second one open?
A: Fine by me. Let's agree to differ on that one.
Show the answer and explanation
Why this discussion works
- It builds. Each turn responds to the previous one before adding something: That's true, although…, Fair point. I suppose…, Which brings us to….
- It develops ideas rather than listing them. The candidates cover four prompts, but each one is evaluated: why shops work, why social media is limited, why festivals are not enough.
- Disagreement is polite and productive. Don't you think it's a bit superficial? challenges the idea, not the person, and B's reply refines it instead of giving up.
- Time is shared fairly. Neither candidate dominates, and short turns (Whereas a sports club meets every week) show active listening.
- The decision is negotiated. They agree on one choice, justify their positions on the other, and close with let's agree to differ. Not agreeing is not penalised; negotiating well is rewarded.
How to do the CAE collaborative task
- 01
Use the 15 seconds to read the question and pick a prompt to start with. You do not need to plan all five; you will not cover them all, and you do not need to.
- 02
Start the conversation or invite your partner to start. Then make sure every turn does two things: respond to what was just said, then add something new.
- 03
Develop each point with a reason, an example or a consequence. Discussing three or four prompts in depth is better than mentioning all five in a sentence each.
- 04
Share the time. If your partner is quiet, ask a direct question (What's your view on that?). If they talk a lot, come in politely (Can I just add something there?).
- 05
Save your final choices for the decision question. In the decision minute, compare the options, negotiate, and either agree or explain clearly why you do not.
Mistakes that cost marks
Taking turns to give mini-speeches. Two monologues side by side are not a discussion. Respond to your partner every time.
Rushing through all five prompts. One sentence per prompt shows no development and leaves the assessor little to reward.
Agreeing with everything. Yes, I agree on its own adds nothing. Agree and extend, or disagree and explain.
Deciding too early. If you choose your answer in the first two minutes, you have nothing to negotiate in the decision minute. Also remember to talk to your partner, not to the examiners.
Phrases for discussing, negotiating and deciding
- Starting: Shall we start with…? · Where would you like to begin? · Let's look at… first.
- Inviting your partner: What do you reckon? · How do you feel about…? · Would you agree?
- Agreeing and building: That's a good point, and on top of that… · Exactly, and… · I'd go along with that, especially because…
- Disagreeing politely: I can see what you mean, but… · I'm not so sure about that… · Don't you think it's more a question of…?
- Moving on: Which brings us to… · Shall we move on to…? · What about…?
- Deciding: So, are we agreed that…? · If we had to choose two… · Let's go for… · Shall we agree to differ on that?
Practise Part 3 in full CAE Speaking tests
Each CAE Speaking test on this site has its own Part 3. You answer recorded examiner prompts on your own, so there is no partner, and your recording gets an expert evaluation.
- Test 1: ‘How might these factors affect whether a community project is worth maintaining?’
- Test 2: ‘How might these experiences help people move beyond their usual routines?’
- Test 3: ‘How might these approaches help a group use its members’ different strengths?’
- Test 4: ‘How might these features make a shared facility accessible and welcoming?’
- Test 5: ‘How might these experiences give people a sense of ownership of a shared place?’
- Test 6: ‘How might these factors make an experience memorable and useful afterwards?’
CAE Speaking Part 3: questions
How long is CAE Speaking Part 3?
About 4 minutes for a pair: 15 seconds to read the task, a 2-minute discussion and a 1-minute decision. For a group of three it is about 6 minutes.
Do we have to agree in CAE Speaking Part 3?
No. Failing to reach agreement is not penalised. The examiners are assessing how well you discuss and negotiate, not whether you end up agreeing.
Do we have to talk about all five prompts in C1 Speaking Part 3?
No. You can choose which prompts to discuss. Developing three or four of them properly is better than mentioning all five briefly.
How are CAE Speaking Part 3 and 4 connected?
Part 4 continues the topic of Part 3. The interlocutor asks broader, more abstract questions on the same theme, so ideas from your Part 3 discussion are often useful in Part 4.
Sources
- C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 74–75, 78, 83
- C1 Advanced exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
CambridgeMock is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Facts on this page are checked against the official documents above; the practice items and advice are our own.
Ready for C1 Advanced? Find out today
Take a free CAE mock test and get an estimated Cambridge English Scale score, with your marks part by part.