INFORMATION REGARDING THE COPE SPEAKING EXAM

The COPE speaking exam is a paired format ex am, involving two students, an interlocutor who will ask the
questions and an assessor who will a llocate the grades. The exam has two parts and ai ms to test a candidates
ability to answer personal questions of a general nature, to produce extended speech, to listen carefully and
respond to what someone has said and to engage in a t wo way discussion on topics of a general nature.
The exam lasts approximately 15 minutes.

PART 1
In this part of the exam, the interlocutor will ask each candidate approximately 3 questions. These
will assess t he candidates ability to converse naturally in English and answer gener al questions
ranging from basic questions such as Tell me something about your family to more complex
questions such as If you could change places with anyone in the world, who would that person be?

PART 2
In this part of the exam, each candidate will talk for approximately 1 minute on a chosen topic. The
interlocutor will give each candidate a different card, containing 2 topics. A sample is provided
below:

Choose A or B and talk ab out it for approximately 1 minute. You may take notes and think about
your topic for 30 seconds before you start.

A Should experiments be done on animals? Why? /Why not?
B What effect do reality TV shows have on people today?


When the fir st candidate has finished speaking, the other candidate will either ask a question or
comment on what has been said. The interlocutor will then ask one follow-up question based on the
topic that was chosen. Both candidates are expected to take part in the follow-up discussion.
Examples of follow-up questions are provided below:

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR TOPIC A

Do you think animals should have rights?
Why do you think some people are cruel to animals?

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR TOPIC B

Would you take part in a reality show?
Do you think the media has gone too far in its efforts to attract more viewers?


The process is then repeated for the second candidate who is gi ven a different set of topics, chooses
one and talks for approximately 1 minute. When the second candidate has finished speaking, the
other candidate will either ask a question or comment on what has been said. The interlocutor will
ask a follow-up question related to the topic and both candidates are expected to talk together.




ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The candidates are assessed on their ability to:

use a wide range of grammar and vocabulary, both accurately and appropriately
expand their answers and produce relevant, coherent and meaningful speech
speak fluently without unnatural hesitation
interact naturally and use appropriate inte raction conventions to initiate and develop
interaction
use correct intonation and rhythm and pronounce individual sounds correctly so as to be
understood clearly