The individual task rewards a topic you genuinely have something to say about. You shape it into a clear talk, then a discussion tests whether you can think on your feet. We do not write or rehearse exam scripts, as that is not allowed and it does not help.
These tasks build the real skills: choosing well, structuring a talk, and developing a point when questioned. Talk one through with a teacher in a lesson.
1Choosing your topic well is half the individual task. Take three broad areas you know something about, for example a hobby, an issue in your community, and something you have changed your mind about. For each, write one sentence saying what you would actually argue or explore.
Then test each against three questions: Do I know enough to speak for the time the task allows without notes? Is there an angle, not just a description? Is there room for someone to disagree in the discussion?
Choose the strongest and write two sentences justifying it. We do not prepare exam scripts; this builds the judgement you will use on the day.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A good topic is narrow, arguable and yours. 'Music' is too broad; 'why my town should keep its Saturday market' is speakable and open to challenge. Reject topics you would only describe, and topics with no counter-view, because the discussion will stall.
Pick the one where you have a real opinion and a story to tell. An examiner should be able to push back reasonably.
Model opening: Notice how this narrows well: not 'social media', but 'why I deleted one app for a month, and what it changed', small enough to know inside out, and open to real disagreement.
Checklist:
- Generated more than one candidate topic before choosing
- Chose a narrow, specific topic rather than a broad theme
- Checked the topic leaves room for a discussion
- Made sure I have enough to say without a script
- Justified the final choice in my own words
2Take a topic you care about and shape it into a talk with a clear structure. Plan three parts. First, an opening that earns attention in a sentence or two.
Second, a middle of two or three developed points, each with an example. Third, a close that returns to the opening and leaves the listener with one idea. Write only a plan (headings and a few words each, not a full script).
Then deliver it aloud, timing yourself against the length the individual task allows. Speak from the plan, not from written-out sentences.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Structure is what stops a talk becoming a list. Decide the one idea you want the listener to leave with. Then choose points that build towards it instead of sitting side by side.
An example under each point is what makes it memorable. Returning to your opening image at the end gives the talk shape and signals a confident finish.
Model opening: A talk on why handwriting still matters might open: 'I can type faster than I can think, and that, it turns out, is exactly the problem.'
Checklist:
- Planned three clear parts: opening, middle, close
- Chose two or three points that build to one idea
- Attached a concrete example to each point
- Delivered from a plan, not a written-out script
- Timed the talk against the length the task allows
3Strong talks are won in the first few seconds. Take one topic and draft three different openings: a question that makes the listener think, a very short personal story, and a genuinely surprising fact you could source if asked. Say each aloud, notice which makes you want to keep listening, and choose.
Then write one sentence explaining why it suits your topic and audience. Keep these as openings you speak, not paragraphs you read.
Tried these practice tasks? A teacher can mark your child's attempt and explain the next step in a paid one-hour trial.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Different openings suit different topics. A story warms a personal subject, a question suits an argument, and a fact grabs attention for an issue. The test is whether the opening leads naturally into your first point.
A clever hook that does not connect wastes your best moment. Say each aloud, because an opening that reads well can still sound stiff when spoken.
Model opening: Here is a question opening that pulls the listener straight in: 'When did you last go a whole hour, awake, without looking at a screen? I tried it, and I failed in nine minutes.'
Checklist:
- Drafted three genuinely different openings
- Tested each by saying it aloud
- Chose the one that best fits topic and audience
- Checked the opening leads into the first point
- Kept the openings speakable rather than written-out prose
4Deliver a prepared talk to a phone recording, then listen back as if you were the examiner. Mark where you signposted the listener ('my second reason', 'but here is the problem') and where they might have got lost. Count your fillers ('um', 'like', 'you know') and note where you rushed or trailed off.
Then deliver it a second time, fixing the two weakest moments. The goal is clear, unhurried speech, not a performance.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Recording yourself is uncomfortable and useful: you hear the fillers and the gabbling you cannot feel while speaking. Signposting is what lets a listener follow your structure by ear, since they cannot see your paragraphs.
Slow down at the start of each new point and pause instead of filling silence. This does more for clarity than any clever phrase.
Model opening: Signposting sounds like this between points: 'So that is the cost, but cost is not the only objection, and the second one is harder to answer.'
Checklist:
- Recorded and listened back critically
- Identified where signposting was missing
- Counted and reduced filler words
- Adjusted pace where I rushed or trailed off
- Delivered a second, clearer version
5The discussion rewards developing your ideas, not just defending them. Take your talk's topic and list five questions an examiner might reasonably ask, including the strongest challenge to your view.
For each, practise a spoken answer aloud that concedes what is fair, then develops your position with a reason or an example rather than simply repeating what you already said. End each answer in a way that opens a door for the next question.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A discussion is a conversation, not a defence. Examiners reward candidates who listen, acknowledge a fair point and build on it, rather than clinging to a fixed answer. Preparing the hardest question in advance takes away its sting on the day.
Aim to add something new in each answer, such as a reason, an example or a consequence. The exchange then moves forward instead of circling.
Model opening: Practise developing, not just defending: 'That is a fair challenge; a market does cost the council money. But I would argue it earns more than it costs, and here is how.'
Checklist:
- Listed several likely questions, including the toughest
- Practised answers aloud, not just in my head
- Conceded fair points before developing my own
- Added a new reason or example in each answer
- Ended answers in a way that invites further discussion
See the method and an annotated model on the speaking & listening (individual task + discussion) page for Cambridge International 0500, or the technique in our speaking & listening (individual task + discussion) skills guide.