UK SELT Simulator

How to prepare for a B1 speaking test in two weeks

Published 14 September 2026

Two weeks is enough time to prepare properly for a B1 speaking test. Not to become fluent — that takes years. But to understand the exam, practise the specific things it tests, and walk in feeling ready. This plan works for Trinity GESE Grade 5 and LanguageCert ESOL SELT B1.

This assumes you have already booked your exam. If you have not, check the current approved providers at gov.uk before you book.

Before you start: know which exam you have

The two exams have different formats. Before you practise anything, confirm which one you are sitting. Steps below are labelled GESE or LC where they apply to only one exam. Steps with no label apply to both.

Week one: understand and build

Day 1 — Read what happens in your exam

Do not practise yet. First, read a clear walkthrough of your exam format. You need to know what happens in order, what the examiner does, and what you are expected to do.

GESE: The exam has two phases. In the Topic phase (up to 5 minutes), you discuss the topic you have prepared. In the Conversation (up to 5 minutes), the examiner picks two subject areas from a fixed list of six and you discuss those together. You must ask the examiner at least one question in each phase — this is a marked requirement, not optional.

LC: The exam has four parts. Part 1 is personal questions. Part 2 is two short role-plays — in the second one, the examiner says “You start.” and waits for you. Part 3 is a decision task where you and the examiner discuss options together. Part 4A is a listening task: the examiner reads a short text twice and you answer three questions. Part 4B is a long turn: you get 30 seconds to prepare, then speak alone for up to 1.5 minutes.

Day 2 — GESE: choose your topic. LC: practise listening

GESE: Choose your topic. It must be personal — your job, a hobby, a place you know well, your family life. It must not be one of the six Conversation subject areas (Festivals, Means of transport, Special occasions, Entertainment, Music, Recent personal experiences). Write five points about your topic — each one is a short sentence or phrase. Do not write a script. Sounding rehearsed is something the examiner specifically looks for and penalises.

LC: Listen to some spoken English today — a podcast, a radio programme, a short video. Do not test yourself. Just listen. The goal is to get used to following natural speech at a normal pace.

Day 3 — Practise talking about your topic (GESE) or Part 1 (LC)

GESE: Look at your five topic points. Pick one at random and talk about it out loud. Speak in linked sentences — not just one fact, but several ideas connected together. Then practise asking a question about your topic: something like “Have you ever tried this?” or “Do you enjoy that kind of thing?”

LC: Practise answering personal questions out loud. Part 1 topics include times of the year, food and drink, travel, and free time. Pick one and give your answer with a reason. Then imagine the examiner says “Why?” and add more.

If you are sitting LanguageCert, also practise spelling your family name letter by letter, out loud. It feels strange the first time and completely natural by the third.

Day 4 — The Conversation topics (GESE) or Part 2 (LC)

GESE: Look at the six Conversation subject areas. Talk about each one for a short while. You do not need to prepare scripts — the examiner will lead. What you need is enough vocabulary and ideas to respond naturally. Practise asking a question about each area: “Do you enjoy live music?” or “What kind of transport do you use most?”

LC: Practise starting a conversation. Think of three everyday situations — returning something to a shop, asking a colleague for help, asking a stranger for directions. For each one, say your opening sentence out loud. Just the opener. Starting is the specific thing being tested in Part 2B.

Day 5 — Topic phase (GESE) or Part 3 (LC)

GESE: Do a full Topic phase rehearsal. Put your topic form in front of you. Pick one of your five points at random — not the first one. Talk about it, then move to another. Try to cover at least four of your five points. Ask a question at some point. If you catch yourself reciting a memorised sentence, stop and say it again in different words.

LC: Practise Part 3. The real task gives you a decision sheet with pictured options and a shared goal. To practise, set up your own: choose a goal (“where should we go for a meal?” or “what gift should I buy?”) and talk through several options out loud, comparing them. Ask the imaginary other person what they think. Reaching a decision matters less than the conversation that gets there.

Day 6 — Listening practice

Listen to a short piece of spoken English. Then, from memory or from notes you took, answer three questions about it: what happened, who was involved, and why. This is the kind of listening that Part 4A tests in LanguageCert and that the Conversation in GESE draws on throughout.

Day 7 — Rest

Take a day off. Preparation works better with rest in it.

Week two: sharpen and simulate

Day 8 — Work on your weak area

By now you know which part feels harder. Use today to work on only that.

Common weak areas for GESE: forgetting to ask the examiner a question in each phase; covering fewer than four of the five topic points; giving short answers instead of linked turns.

Common weak areas for LanguageCert: freezing when the examiner says “You start.” in Part 2B; not taking notes during Part 4A and then missing the details; running out of things to say in the Part 4B long turn.

Day 9 — The Conversation (GESE) or the long turn (LC)

GESE: Pick two of the six Conversation subject areas. For each one, talk out loud for a short while — give information, share an opinion, and ask a question. Do both areas one after the other.

LC: Practise the long turn. Pick a topic you know well — your neighbourhood, your job, something you enjoy. Take 30 seconds to write a few notes. Then speak continuously for 1.5 minutes without stopping. Use your notes if you need them. The goal is to keep going without long silences.

Day 10 — Half-exam mock

Simulate half your exam out loud. Time yourself.

GESE: Do the Topic phase in full. Put your form down, pick points in no particular order, cover at least four, and ask at least one question. The phase runs for up to 5 minutes.

LC: Do Parts 1 and 2 back to back. Answer personal questions, spell your name, then do a role-play where you go first.

Day 11 — Full exam mock

Do your whole exam from start to finish.

GESE: Topic phase (up to 5 minutes), then Conversation on two subject areas (up to 5 minutes). Ask at least one question in each phase. Time yourself — the total is 10 minutes.

LC: All four parts in order: Part 1 personal questions, Part 2 role-plays, Part 3 decision task, Part 4A listening, Part 4B long turn. For Part 4B, take 30 seconds to prepare, then speak for up to 1.5 minutes. The total exam runs 11 to 13 minutes.

GESE note: On exam day, you must bring your topic form. If you arrive without it, the Topic phase is voided and the overall result is a fail. Make it part of your routine to always have it.

Day 12 — Fix the one thing that went wrong

In the Day 11 mock, something probably did not go well. Name the one thing. Practise only that today. Do not try to fix everything.

Day 13 — Light review

GESE: Read through your topic form. Check that each point is something you can talk about naturally and that your topic is not one of the six Conversation subject areas.

Confirm your exam time and where the test centre is. Check what you need to bring — official ID for both exams, your topic form if you are sitting GESE. Confirm the details with your test centre.

Day 14 — Rest

The exam is a conversation. You cannot cram for a conversation the night before. Rest, and trust the work you have done.

What the examiner is looking for

In both exams, the examiner is checking whether you can communicate — not whether you are perfect. Can you be understood? Can you keep a conversation going? Do you complete the task?

A foreign accent is not a fault. Occasional grammar mistakes while still communicating clearly are normal at B1. Asking “Sorry, could you repeat that?” once or twice is not a problem.

What does affect your result: giving very short answers instead of full ones, needing constant support to keep the conversation going, and — for GESE — forgetting to ask the examiner a question in each phase.

Want to practise with an AI examiner?

UK SELT Simulator runs spoken mock sessions in both formats — GESE Grade 5 (Topic phase, then Conversation) and LanguageCert SELT B1 (all four parts in order) — with an AI examiner and a short report after each session. See how it works.

UK SELT Simulator is independent practice software. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by UKVI, the Home Office, Trinity College London or LanguageCert.

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