You and your partner discuss a written question and five short prompts, then negotiate an actual joint conclusion. At C1, "discuss" means weighing the extent of something, not just picking a favorite.
You and your partner get a written discussion question together with five short prompts, and you discuss it before reaching a decision — you don't have to use every prompt. At C1, the question usually asks about the extent to which something helps or harms — not simply which option you personally prefer — and the final decision needs to be a genuinely negotiated, nuanced conclusion.
The discussion card looks like this — a question plus five short written prompts, not pictures:
Some people think technology has improved communication between generations, and other people disagree. Here are some things to think about:
Task: discuss the extent to which each helps or harms family communication, then agree on which represents the biggest risk.
Weak: A: "I like the video calls one." B: "I like the learning-apps one." (Two separate preferences, no engagement with "extent," no negotiated decision.)
Strong: A: "For me, everyone being on their own phone is the clearest risk — on balance, it shows technology replacing communication rather than enabling it." B: "That's fair, though I'd argue the risk there is more about habit than the technology itself. Building on that, though, maybe the bigger long-term risk is actually the learning-apps one, if it becomes the only way generations interact." A: "That's a good point, and arguably it's more insidious because it looks like connection while still being quite shallow. Shall we say that one, then, since it's the risk most likely to go unnoticed?" B: "Agreed."
Each clip is two candidates discussing the prompts described in the transcript. Listen, then decide which of the four criteria is the exchange's biggest problem.
This isn't machine-scored. With a partner (or thinking through both sides yourself), discuss the card below, engaging with the extent question, then agree on a joint answer before the timer runs out.
Here's a discussion card like the one you'd see in the real test. Discuss it with a partner, then decide together.
Some people think companies are doing enough to reduce their environmental impact, and other people disagree. Here are some things to think about:
Now decide together which of these approaches would have the biggest long-term impact.
Complete the timed practice above to unlock the self-check and model answers.
This self-check is a reflection tool, not a score. Speaking is assessed by a person against these four criteria across the whole test, not per answer.
A: I'd argue the solar panels have the biggest long-term impact, simply because they keep generating a benefit for decades with no ongoing effort required. B: On balance I agree, though I'd say the packaging change might actually scale faster, since it can be adopted across an entire supply chain almost immediately, whereas panels require real capital investment upfront. A: That's a fair distinction — maybe it's less about which is bigger and more about timeframe: packaging for quick, wide-reaching change, and solar for slower but deeper impact. B: Exactly, so could we say those two together, for that reason? A: Agreed, that covers both the short and long term.
A: I like the solar panels one. B: I like the recycling one. A: The tree planting is nice too. B: The packaging one is good for the environment. A: Okay, let's say solar panels then.