BCT Speaking Test Practice: Workplace Questions, Role Plays and Short Talks with Model Answers

By the end you can

• Know what the BCT Speaking test asks. You hear or read each question and record your answer on a computer at a test centre. Practise four task styles: workplace questions, role plays, describing a chart or picture, and a short talk.
  我从两个方面来说。 · Wǒ cóng liǎng ge fāngmiàn lái shuō. · Let me answer in two parts.
• Reuse ten workplace frames. Lines to introduce yourself and your company, make a polite request, explain steps and give a view, each with pinyin and English.
  麻烦您把报告发给我，好吗？ · Máfan nín bǎ bàogào fā gěi wǒ, hǎo ma? · Could you send me the report, please?
• Answer questions about your job at two lengths. Hear Lin Hao's short answer and Chen Xiaoyu's longer one about their work, company, day, team and plans, then build longer answers with 而且, 虽然……但是, 这样 and 所以.
  我在这儿工作三年了。 · Wǒ zài zhèr gōngzuò sān nián le. · I've worked here for three years.
• Move a meeting on the phone. Call Manager Wang, explain a clash with a work trip to Shanghai, catch the time she offers and confirm it, choosing the more polite line at each step.
  我们能不能改个时间？ · Wǒmen néng bu néng gǎi ge shíjiān? · Could we change the time?
• Calm an unhappy client and offer a clear fix. Mr Zhao's chairs arrived broken: say sorry, ask for the order number and a photo, offer new chairs before his Monday meeting with 马上, 保证 and 免费, and close with your name.
• Describe a chart with numbers and an office scene. Talk through a café's coffee sales from January to April, the trend and the change month to month, then say what each person in an office picture is doing with 正在.
  销量一直在上升。 · Xiāoliàng yìzhí zài shàngshēng. · Sales have kept going up.
• Plan for one minute and give a two-minute business talk. Open with how many points, back each one with 因为 or 比如, and end with 总的来说, on topics like how to make meetings work better.
  我想谈三点。 · Wǒ xiǎng tán sān diǎn. · I'd like to make three points.
• Answer four tasks against the timer. A mock run: a 30-second answer, a phone call to a manager, a one-minute view and a two-minute talk on working from home, then compare with Lin Hao's models in the key.

What’s inside

• The test: The BCT Speaking Test in One Page · Workplace Speaking Frames
• Answer: Questions 1: You and Your Company · Your Day, Your Team, Your Plans
• Role play: Role Play 1: Move a Meeting · Role Play 2: An Unhappy Client
• Describe: Describe a Chart or a Picture
• Present: A Two-Minute Business Talk
• Mock run: A Timed Mock Run
• Plan: A Four-Week Speaking Plan

How to use this book

Every task is said out loud. Follow the book's four-week plan on page 12 with the free audio and a phone timer, and compare each answer with the short and longer models in the key.

1. Week 1: Frames and questions about you. Say the ten frames on page 4 with the audio every day, then answer the questions on pages 5 and 6 out loud. Record a 30-second answer about you and your company and keep your best take.
2. Week 2: Role plays. Act out both role plays twice: the short model first, then your own longer version. Ask a friend to play the client and add a surprise problem.
3. Week 3: Charts and talks. Describe one chart a day from your own work in one minute. Three times this week, plan for one minute and speak for two minutes on a new business topic.
4. Week 4: The mock run. Do the mock run on page 11 with the timer. Listen back and check that every long answer uses 首先, 其次 and 总的来说.
5. Test week: Get ready. Check your test centre's address and start time the day before, and warm up with the phrases on page 3.

Who it’s for

Professionals preparing for the BCT Speaking test, and anyone who uses Mandarin at work and wants to speak more fully in meetings, calls and short talks.

Before you start: Intermediate Mandarin, about HSK 3 to 5. The book uses Simplified characters, and every phrase and model prints pinyin and English.

Frequently asked questions

How close is it to the BCT Speaking test?

It practises the task styles of the BCT Speaking test: workplace questions, role plays, describing a chart or picture, and a short talk. SayMei wrote every prompt and model. The exact parts and timings can change, so check chinesetest.cn before you book and treat the times in the book as a guide.

Why are there two model answers for most tasks?

The short model is a safe answer you can always give; the longer one adds a reason or an example. Learn the short one first, then build towards the longer one as your answers grow.

Is there audio, and how do I time myself?

The audio is free on this book's page on saymei.app, with a pause after every Chinese line to say it back. For every timed task, use a phone timer.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 16-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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