TEF Speaking Section C: The Debate — How to Argue and Win

Target: 1,900+ words

Section C of the TEF Speaking exam is the final and most challenging oral task. You are presented with a controversial topic and must engage in a structured debate with the examiner. This is not a conversation — it's an intellectual sparring match.

Scoring C1 here requires not just fluency, but rhetorical skill: the ability to argue, concede, and counter-argue with elegance.

Part 1: The Format