Study guide
MET Speaking
Five short tasks: describe, tell, give an opinion, weigh up, persuade.
- 10 minutes
- 5 tasks
Overview
The Speaking test takes about 10 minutes. The first three tasks share one theme and a picture; you have 60 seconds for each. The last two tasks are longer situations with 90 seconds each.
In the real test you start speaking straight after the task is given, so practise organising your answer quickly. Only what you say before the time ends counts.
Task 1 Describe a picture
Practise this task →Describe a busy black-and-white picture of an everyday place for 60 seconds.
How to approach it
- Start with one sentence about the whole scene: where it is and what is happening in general.
- Then move around the picture in order — left to right, or front to back — so you do not repeat yourself.
- Describe people with actions (-ing verbs) and use place words: in the foreground, next to, behind, on the right.
- Look for small stories: someone in a hurry, a dog causing trouble, a sign you can read. Say what might happen next.
Task 2 Personal experience
Practise this task →Tell a short story from your own life connected to the picture’s theme (60 seconds).
How to approach it
- Answer who, where, when, what happened and how you felt.
- Use past tenses consistently and link events with first, then, after that, in the end.
- One experience told with detail is better than three mentioned quickly.
- If you have no real experience, a believable invented one is fine — it is a language test, not a memory test.
Task 3 Personal opinion
Practise this task →Give and support your opinion on a question linked to the same theme (60 seconds).
How to approach it
- Say your choice in the first sentence. Do not wait until the end.
- Give two reasons, each with a short example from your life or society.
- You can admit one point on the other side, then explain why you still hold your view.
- Finish with one sentence that repeats your position in new words.
Task 4 Advantages and disadvantages
Practise this task →Someone you know is considering a plan. Explain its advantages and disadvantages (90 seconds).
How to approach it
- Cover both sides — spend roughly equal time on each.
- For every point, say why it matters: the consequence is what makes the answer developed.
- Useful frames: One clear benefit is…, On the other hand…, The biggest risk would be…
- You may finish with what you would advise, but the task is mainly to weigh both sides.
Task 5 Persuade an authority figure
Practise this task →Speak to a person in authority about a proposal and try to convince them (90 seconds).
How to approach it
- Speak to the listener directly and politely: "I understand your concern, but I believe…"
- Choose a side quickly and stay with it. Build two or three strong reasons.
- Think about what the authority figure cares about — cost, safety, reputation — and use it.
- End with a clear request or recommendation.
What raters look for
Each response is rated on these areas. Here is what they mean in practice and how to push your score up.
Task Completion
You answer what was asked, keep going for most of the time and add relevant details and examples.
To improve: Practise with a timer until you can speak for the full time without running out of ideas.
Language Resources
The range and accuracy of your grammar and vocabulary — including more complex sentences.
To improve: Learn a few flexible structures for each task (If I had to choose…, What surprised me was…) and use them naturally.
Intelligibility / Delivery
How easy you are to understand: pronunciation, stress, rhythm, pace and pauses.
To improve: Record yourself and listen back. Aim for a steady pace; short pauses between ideas are fine, long silences are not.
Common mistakes
- Stopping after 20–30 seconds because you "finished" the idea.
- Listing things in the picture without describing what people are doing.
- Giving an opinion with no reasons, or reasons with no examples.
- Speaking very fast to sound fluent — it usually makes pronunciation less clear.
- Starting over again and again after a small mistake. Correct it quickly and carry on.
A study routine that works
- Every day, answer one task out loud with a timer and record it. Listen once for ideas and once for pronunciation.
- Describe a photo from the news or your phone for one minute before you go to bed.
- Keep a list of stories from your life (a trip, a mistake, an achievement, a problem you solved) that can fit many Task 2 questions.
- Practise Task 5 with a friend playing the principal, manager or council member who disagrees with you.
Model answers
- Task 1: describe the train stationStrong answer (around B2)
- Task 2: a trip by train or busStrong answer (around B2)
- Task 3: car or public transportStrong answer (around B2)
- Task 4: moving outside the cityStrong answer (around B2–C1)
- Task 5: a fee for driving into the city centreStrong answer (around B2–C1)