TOCFL Speaking Test Practice (Advanced, Band B): Experiences, Picture Description and Opinions

By the end you can

• Know the six Band B tasks and their timing. Two experiences and one picture, each with 50 seconds to prepare and 1 minute 40 seconds to talk, and three opinions with 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to talk.
  我想分三點來說。 · Wǒ xiǎng fēn sān diǎn lái shuō. · I'd like to make three points.
• Build a two-minute answer you can follow without notes. Give your view in one sentence, make three points with 首先, 其次 and 最後, make one point real with 舉例來說, and close by saying your view again.
  舉例來說，我朋友每天騎腳踏車上班。 · Jǔlì lái shuō, wǒ péngyou měi tiān qí jiǎotàchē shàngbān. · For example, a friend of mine cycles to work every day.
• Tell an experience with a turn and a lesson. A trip changed by a typhoon, learning to cook 滷肉飯 and a spilled drink on borrowed notes. Use 本來, 沒想到 and 結果, show progress with 越來越, and end with 從那次以後 or 我才發現.
  那次的經驗讓我很難忘。 · Nà cì de jīngyàn ràng wǒ hěn nánwàng. · I'll never forget that experience.
• Describe a busy Taiwan scene for the full time. A morning market and a riverside weekend: the place, then each person with 左邊, 右邊 and 後面, a guess with 可能 or 應該, and what might happen next.
  這張圖看起來很熱鬧。 · Zhè zhāng tú kànqǐlái hěn rènao. · This picture looks busy and lively.
• Give an opinion with three points and the other side. Cooking or eating out, and whether city people need a car. Show the other side with 雖然, 不過 and 另一方面, say who a choice matters to with 對…來說, then come back to your view.
  我比較贊成第二種做法。 · Wǒ bǐjiào zànchéng dì èr zhǒng zuòfǎ. · I'm more in favour of the second option.
• Do a full timed run of all six tasks. Moving house, meeting new people, a station picture and three opinions, timed and recorded. Listen back, mark every long pause, and compare with the model answers.

What’s inside

• The test: Band B Speaking on One Page · Talking for Two Minutes
• Experiences: Experience 1: A Plan That Changed · Experience 2: Something New · Experience 3: A Mistake I Fixed
• Picture: Picture 1: A Morning Market · Picture 2: A Riverside Weekend
• Opinions: Opinion 1: Cook or Eat Out? · Opinion 2: A Car in the City?
• Mock run: A Full Timed Band B Run
• Plan: Four Weeks to Band B Speaking

How to use this book

Try each task first with the timer, then read the model answer and shadow it with the free audio. The test records you, so record yourself too. Page 13 is a four-week plan that ends with two full timed runs.

1. Week 1: The shape and the experience models. Say the four lines on page 4 with the audio and give a two-minute answer that uses all four. Then shadow one experience model a day until you can say it without the book.
2. Week 2: Your own experiences. Each day, plan for 50 seconds and talk for 1 minute 40 seconds about a new experience, with a turn and what you learned.
3. Week 3: Pictures and opinions. Describe pictures 1 and 2 from the pictures alone, then a busy photo from your own phone. Give one two-minute opinion a day with three points, an example and the other side.
4. Week 4: Full timed runs. Do the full run on page 12 twice, listen back and mark every pause longer than three seconds. Redo your weakest task until you can fill the whole time.
5. Test week: Check and rest. Check the current SC-TOP page for the test-day rules, then rest the night before.

Who it’s for

Learners preparing for the TOCFL Speaking test at the Advanced or High level (Band B), including anyone studying or working in Taiwan, and teachers who want timed speaking practice in Traditional characters.

Before you start: Intermediate Mandarin, about B1 to B2, reading Traditional characters. Key phrases add pinyin and zhuyin, and the Chinese uses words people say in Taiwan, such as 捷運 and 機車. A phone to record yourself helps.

Frequently asked questions

What if my mind goes blank during a task?

The book's advice: say 這個嘛 and go on with a simple sentence. A short pause is fine, and a simple sentence does more for you than a long silence. Keep talking until the timer ends.

How do I time my practice?

Set a phone timer to each task's time: 50 seconds and 1 minute 40 seconds for experiences and the picture, 1 minute and 2 minutes for opinions. Record yourself, then listen back for long pauses.

Which level does Band B cover?

Band B has two levels, Advanced and High. Your total score across the six tasks decides which one you reach. The book is practice in the TOCFL Speaking Band B task types; check the current SC-TOP page for the score lines and test-day rules.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 17-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.

Keep going

TOCFL Band A Practice: Listening and Reading in the Test Format, with Answers and Audio · TOCFL Speaking Test Practice (Basic, Band A): Short Answers, Experiences and Video Description · TOCFL Band B Practice: Listening and Reading in the Test Format, with Answers and Audio · TOCFL Writing Test Practice (Basic): Picture Descriptions and Letters with Model Answers · More exam practice · Browse all 294 workbooks