Part 2 is the intimidating one — a two-minute unbroken monologue from a cue card, with only one minute to prepare. Students freeze, under-talk, or rush. This guide is the template I use with every student to make the two minutes feel ample instead of endless.
What Part 2 is actually testing
The examiner marks four bands: Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Nothing on that list is “impressive content.” You do not need a remarkable anecdote. You need connected speech for two minutes.
One-minute prep — the PPF jot
During the minute of prep time, write three lines on your paper. One keyword per third. That’s the entire plan.
- Past
- First met → school, year 9, maths teacher Ms Tan.
- Present
- Still text → advice on uni + first job.
- Future
- Visit next year → want to teach like she did.
Quick check · which third does it go in?
- 1
Cue card · ‘Describe a person who influenced you’
You want to mention that you still text this person for advice. Which third does that fit?
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.
- 2
Cue card · ‘A book you’d recommend’
“I think I’d give it to my younger cousin next year, because…” — which third?
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.
Worked example — “Describe a person who influenced you”
Using the keywords above, the answer flows like this. Each block is roughly 40 seconds at a natural pace — totalling around 120 seconds, hitting the two-minute target.
The person I’d like to talk about is Ms Tan, who was my maths teacher in year nine. I first met her about eight years ago, when I transferred to a new school and was really struggling with algebra. She stayed after class almost every day for a month to work through problems with me, and that completely changed how I thought about studying.
Now, even though I finished high school five years ago, we still message every few weeks. I ask her for advice when I’m making big decisions — which university to pick, whether to take my first job offer. She’s incredibly direct, and that’s something I really value.
I’m actually planning to visit her next year, when I go back to Melbourne for Christmas. And I think, long-term, she’s part of why I’ve started thinking about teaching myself — I’d like to give someone else what she gave me.
Phrases that buy you time
When you need a second to think — which is allowed and natural — reach for one of these instead of “um”. They’re the natural discourse markers of fluent English speakers, and they add to your fluency score rather than docking it.
- “That’s a good question, actually — let me think.”
- Buys 2 seconds, sounds engaged, no examiner ever flags it as rehearsed.
- “I suppose what I’d say is…”
- Hedge + soft opener. Useful for opinion sections and Part 3.
- “Now that I think about it…”
- Buys time without overtly saying you need it. Pairs well with a slight pause.
- “To give you a concrete example…”
- Sets up a specific anecdote. Examiners reward concrete over abstract.
What to avoid — the three openers that lose marks
Memorised — costs you marks
- “In this ever-changing modern world…”
- “It goes without saying that…”
- “The person I am going to talk about today is named…”
Natural — banks marks
- “The person I’d like to talk about is…”
- “So, the place I want to describe is…”
- “There’s actually a really specific moment I keep coming back to…”
Time-buying phrase or rehearsed?
Which phrase will buy you two seconds without docking your score?
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.
Next step
Record yourself answering three cue cards using PPF. Listen back with the clock running. You’re aiming to fill two minutes without noticeable silence — not to say something remarkable. Submit the recording for mock grading to get specific feedback on which of the four criteria are costing you marks.