Speaking exams

The whole GCSE speaking test, task by task, at Foundation and Higher. Pupils speak to an AI voice on a phone or laptop, and each task is marked against the board's own mark scheme. The marks are a guide, not an exam mark: you read what each pupil said and can change any mark.

AQA

AQA 8652 French · 8692 Spanish, Paper 2 Speaking

• Task 1: Role-play (10 marks). A card in English, five tasks with a friend (an AI voice), one of them a question to ask. Foundation: All five in the present. Higher: One task in another time frame.
• Task 2: Reading aloud (15 marks). Read a short text aloud, scored word by word, then four questions on its topic. Foundation: At least 35 words. Higher: At least 50 words.
• Task 3: Photo card (25 marks). Talk about two photos, saying at least one thing about each, then a conversation on the theme. Foundation: Eight conversation questions. Higher: Ten conversation questions.

Pearson Edexcel

Pearson Edexcel 1FR1 French · 1SP1 Spanish, Paper 1 Speaking · 7–9 minutes (Foundation) or 10–12 (Higher), after 15 minutes' preparation

• Task 1: Read aloud (12 marks). Read a short text aloud, scored word by word, then two questions on it. Foundation: About 35 words · 1½–2 minutes. Higher: About 50 words · 2–2½ minutes.
• Task 2: Role play (10 marks). A card in English; the teacher (an AI voice) plays a role and speaks first. Five prompts. Foundation: One question to ask · 1–1½ minutes. Higher: Two questions to ask · 1–1½ minutes.
• Task 3: Picture task (28 marks). Choose one of two pictures and describe it, answer two questions on it, then a conversation. Foundation: Conversation 3–3½ minutes. Higher: Conversation 5–5½ minutes.

How it works

1. 1. Set it for a class, or play it in the lesson Choose a unit; each card is written from that unit's language in the board's format. Set one task or the whole test as homework.
2. 2. Pupils speak to an AI voice The voice plays the teacher. What pupils say is turned into text, and a reading is scored word by word; the recordings are never kept.
3. 3. Marked against the mark scheme An AI marks each task with the board's own grids. You see the marks, the reasons and what was said, and can change any of it.

• Every task follows the board's sample assessment materials: the order, the instructions, the timings and the marks.
• Speech-to-text can't hear pronunciation in answers, and may tidy small slips; only the read-aloud text is scored for pronunciation.
• In the exam the conversation follows on from what the pupil says; here its questions are set in advance.
• Not produced or endorsed by AQA or Pearson. Photos from Unsplash.