Four dimensions, eight recordings
You speak to the computer and it records you. There is no examiner in the room, so your answer has to carry everything the listener needs.
The marked speaking sample uses four labels. Two are Content/Coherence and Vocabulary. The other two are Listenability and Task Fulfillment.
The four speaking dimensions
Content and coherence asks whether you answered the task and developed your reasons in an order a listener can follow.
Vocabulary asks whether your words fit the situation. Everyday words used well are enough when they are exact.
Listenability covers pace and pronunciation. It also covers pauses and the signposts that mark a new idea. A listener should hear where one idea ends and the next begins.
Task fulfillment asks whether you did the specific thing the task wanted, such as giving advice, making a prediction or describing a scene.
What a strong recording sounds like
Answer in the first sentence. For an advice task, say "I think you should take the apartment near the harbour" before you explain why.
Then give two reasons that come from the prompt instead of general knowledge. Add one concrete detail, such as a bus ride of an hour each way, so the reason sounds like it belongs to this person.
Finish before the recording stops. A clear last line earns more than a sentence that gets cut in half. The speaking tasks guide gives a shape for each of the eight tasks.
Where marks slip away
A memorised answer that misses the question scores badly, even when the grammar is clean. The marker can hear that the content does not fit.
Long silences cost more than a short pause. If a word goes, describe the idea in simpler words and keep talking.
Running past the time limit also costs you. Practise with the speaking timer and the real prep and speaking times, then listen back to one recording and change one thing. When you have a practice result, the CLB calculator shows which skill sits furthest from your target.
Questions about speaking marks
Is speaking an interview?
No. You speak to the computer and it records you. There is no examiner in the room.
What if I run out of time mid-sentence?
The recording stops. Finishing a little early with a clear last line is safer than a half-finished idea.
Should I memorise an answer?
Use a loose shape instead of a word-for-word script. A memorised answer often misses the task in front of you.
Official pages to check
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
Record one answer and listen back
The timer uses the real prep and speaking times, so you can hear where you slow down.
Try a speaking task