32 situations, and who you will be talking to
A situation is not a topic. It is a specific meeting: who is across the table, what you need to get done, what you will be judged on. The number under each one is how long the shortest conversation runs. In half of them the first 5 minutes are free.
All situations
The list
32 situations, grouped by the kind of conversation they are. An exam is in here with the rest: it is the same conversation with a clock over it.
29 situations shown
The shortest runs 5 min
Social
9 situations · from 5 min
A friend, on a call
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThey ask how your week was and then wait. The four seconds after the question are the whole exercise.5 peoplefrom 6 minA stranger at a party
B1 · workingB2 · confidentMusic, an accent, no syllabus, and the hardest part is leaving the conversation without ending it badly.1 personfrom 5 minJust talking
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentA flatmate at the stove, a friend from an online group, a traveller at the hostel. Nothing to decide, everything to say.4 peoplefrom 6 minLanguage exchange
A2 · basicB1 · workingHalf the hour is yours. A partner who waits for the word and never corrects it.3 peoplefrom 7 minMeeting someone new
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentA friend of a friend, a café, and nobody obliged to keep it going. The first two minutes are the whole thing.2 peoplefrom 6 minSmall talk with a colleague
B1 · workingB2 · confidentNothing to decide, five minutes, and somebody you will see every day for years. Talking about the work is the easy way out.1 personfrom 5 minSomeone from your courseA2 · basicB1 · workingA month in the same room, twice a week, and nothing said but hello. Today you are walking the same way.1 personfrom 6 minThe conference hallwayB1 · workingB2 · confidentNinety seconds between talks to say what you do in a way somebody will write down.1 personfrom 6 minYour partner's family
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedNobody is grading you, which is exactly why people avoid this one for years.1 personfrom 8 min
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThey ask how your week was and then wait. The four seconds after the question are the whole exercise.5 peoplefrom 6 minA stranger at a partyB1 · workingB2 · confidentMusic, an accent, no syllabus, and the hardest part is leaving the conversation without ending it badly.1 personfrom 5 minJust talkingA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentA flatmate at the stove, a friend from an online group, a traveller at the hostel. Nothing to decide, everything to say.4 peoplefrom 6 minLanguage exchangeA2 · basicB1 · workingHalf the hour is yours. A partner who waits for the word and never corrects it.3 peoplefrom 7 minMeeting someone newA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentA friend of a friend, a café, and nobody obliged to keep it going. The first two minutes are the whole thing.2 peoplefrom 6 minSmall talk with a colleagueB1 · workingB2 · confidentNothing to decide, five minutes, and somebody you will see every day for years. Talking about the work is the easy way out.1 personfrom 5 minSomeone from your courseA2 · basicB1 · workingA month in the same room, twice a week, and nothing said but hello. Today you are walking the same way.1 personfrom 6 minThe conference hallwayB1 · workingB2 · confidentNinety seconds between talks to say what you do in a way somebody will write down.1 personfrom 6 minYour partner's familyB2 · confidentC1 · advancedNobody is grading you, which is exactly why people avoid this one for years.1 personfrom 8 minEveryday life
11 situations · from 5 min
A guest complaining
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedCold, polite, and entirely certain she is going to get what she asked for.1 personfrom 8 minAt the doctor's
B1 · workingB2 · confidentDescribing a symptom to somebody with seven minutes and a queue, who needs it exactly.2 peoplefrom 6 minAt training
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentInstructions shouted once across a court, words you only hear in a gym, and the sentence that matters most: this hurts, or this is just hard.8 peoplefrom 6 minBehind the counter
A2 · basicB1 · workingAn order said once, at full speed, with two modifications and a queue.1 personfrom 5 minNeighbours
A2 · basicB1 · workingWarm, talkative, and impossible to escape without saying something.3 peoplefrom 6 minResidence papers
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedSeven minutes at a window with the one document you did not bring.1 personfrom 6 minThe landlord
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedA viewing where he is selling, and a phone call where he has heard it all before.2 peoplefrom 6 minTravelling
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThe desk, the hotel, the table: short, fast, full of numbers you hear once.5 peoplefrom 5 minYour child's coachA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentFive minutes after practice, the kids already in the car, and a question about minutes, money or a weekend away that has to be asked properly.6 peoplefrom 8 minYour child's school
B1 · workingB2 · confidentTen minutes with a teacher, and everything you did not ask is a year of their schooling.2 peoplefrom 8 minYour first shift
A2 · basicB1 · workingA manager explaining a till, once, while three other things need him.1 personfrom 5 min
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedCold, polite, and entirely certain she is going to get what she asked for.1 personfrom 8 minAt the doctor'sB1 · workingB2 · confidentDescribing a symptom to somebody with seven minutes and a queue, who needs it exactly.2 peoplefrom 6 minAt trainingA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentInstructions shouted once across a court, words you only hear in a gym, and the sentence that matters most: this hurts, or this is just hard.8 peoplefrom 6 minBehind the counterA2 · basicB1 · workingAn order said once, at full speed, with two modifications and a queue.1 personfrom 5 minNeighboursA2 · basicB1 · workingWarm, talkative, and impossible to escape without saying something.3 peoplefrom 6 minResidence papersB2 · confidentC1 · advancedSeven minutes at a window with the one document you did not bring.1 personfrom 6 minThe landlordB2 · confidentC1 · advancedA viewing where he is selling, and a phone call where he has heard it all before.2 peoplefrom 6 minTravellingA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThe desk, the hotel, the table: short, fast, full of numbers you hear once.5 peoplefrom 5 minYour child's coachA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentFive minutes after practice, the kids already in the car, and a question about minutes, money or a weekend away that has to be asked properly.6 peoplefrom 8 minYour child's schoolB1 · workingB2 · confidentTen minutes with a teacher, and everything you did not ask is a year of their schooling.2 peoplefrom 8 minYour first shiftA2 · basicB1 · workingA manager explaining a till, once, while three other things need him.1 personfrom 5 minWork
4 situations · from 10 min
Conflict with a colleague
B1 · workingB2 · confidentTwo teams, one deadline, and somebody who thinks this is your fault.1 personfrom 10 minHard feedback
A2 · basicB1 · workingYour manager has a specific example. What you say in the next ten seconds is the whole thing.1 personfrom 10 minSalary negotiation
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThe number, said once, without apologising for it or explaining it away.2 peoplefrom 10 minUnhappy client
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedHe rang you, he is already angry, and he will not let you finish a sentence.1 personfrom 10 min
B1 · workingB2 · confidentTwo teams, one deadline, and somebody who thinks this is your fault.1 personfrom 10 minHard feedbackA2 · basicB1 · workingYour manager has a specific example. What you say in the next ten seconds is the whole thing.1 personfrom 10 minSalary negotiationA2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentThe number, said once, without apologising for it or explaining it away.2 peoplefrom 10 minUnhappy clientB2 · confidentC1 · advancedHe rang you, he is already angry, and he will not let you finish a sentence.1 personfrom 10 minInterviews
5 situations · from 5 min
Behavioral round
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentC1 · advancedTell me about a time. Then: what did you actually do, and what would you do differently.3 peoplefrom 12 minFinal round
C1 · advancedNative paceA director with eleven minutes who interrupts, and means to.1 personfrom 15 minRecruiter screen
A2 · basicB1 · workingEight questions, twelve minutes, and a salary range you have to say out loud.1 personfrom 12 minTechnical deep-dive
B2 · confidentC1 · advancedTwenty minutes explaining a system out loud to somebody who has built one.1 personfrom 20 minVisa interview
B1 · workingB2 · confidentNinety seconds at a window, through glass, with a queue behind you.1 personfrom 5 min
A2 · basicB1 · workingB2 · confidentC1 · advancedTell me about a time. Then: what did you actually do, and what would you do differently.3 peoplefrom 12 minFinal roundC1 · advancedNative paceA director with eleven minutes who interrupts, and means to.1 personfrom 15 minRecruiter screenA2 · basicB1 · workingEight questions, twelve minutes, and a salary range you have to say out loud.1 personfrom 12 minTechnical deep-diveB2 · confidentC1 · advancedTwenty minutes explaining a system out loud to somebody who has built one.1 personfrom 20 minVisa interviewB1 · workingB2 · confidentNinety seconds at a window, through glass, with a queue behind you.1 personfrom 5 minSpeaking exams
You have a date for the exam. Rehearse the exam itself.
Every examiner here follows the official format and will not help you through it. Afterwards you get a score for each part, and under every score the words you actually said. See who is free now.
Where to start
You know what is coming. We will find the conversation.
Nobody starts by picking a difficulty level. People look for the conversation that is coming, or the one that went badly last week. Pick whichever of these is you.
Speaks first. Never switches language.
Picking this means
Recruiter screen · B2 · confident
7 people free right now · Most people run it three times.
See these peopleHave two free conversations in two different situations.
5 minutes each, and no card is asked for. Two people judging you by the same criteria usually agree about where the real gap is. That is the answer you came for.
All 32
- Recruiter screen
- Behavioral round
- Technical deep-dive
- Final round
- Visa interview
- Full speaking test
- The long turn
- Part one questions
- Salary negotiation
- Hard feedback
- Unhappy client
- Conflict with a colleague
- Behind the counter
- Your first shift
- A guest complaining
- Your child's school
- Neighbours
- At the doctor's
- The landlord
- Residence papers
- Travelling
- At training
- Your child's coach
- A friend, on a call
- Just talking
- Language exchange
- A stranger at a party
- Meeting someone new
- Someone from your course
- Small talk with a colleague
- The conference hallway
- Your partner's family