DET Read, Then Speak
You read a prompt and then speak about it. The prompt usually lists two or three things to cover — and those are the structure of your answer, already written for you.
The prompt is the plan
- Read the prompt and note the things it asks you to include.
- Decide your answer to the first one before you start speaking.
- Cover each point in order — that is a complete, well-organised response.
- If time remains, add a reason or an example to the last point.
Covering every part of the prompt is the single clearest thing that separates a complete response from a partial one, and the prompt makes it easy.
Speaking from reading
- Do not read the prompt aloud. Answer it.
- Use your own words rather than lifting its phrasing wholesale.
- Start promptly — preparation time is short.
- Finish each point; a half-made point and a new one started scores worse than two complete ones.
Specific answers generate language. A named place, a real example and a concrete detail give you more to say than a general opinion ever will.
Read, Then Speak — FAQs
2 questions
No. Read it, then answer it in your own words.
A short window to read and think. Use it to decide your first point.
More speaking question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.