G1 English: Reading Aloud returns

G1 English is the only one of the three bands whose oral keeps Reading Aloud. Paper 4 (Oral) is 40 marks and 20% — the highest oral weighting of the three levels — split between Reading Aloud and a spoken interaction off a video clip.

Why Reading Aloud is at G1

G2 and G3 dropped reading aloud, but G1 — the most functional, everyday-English band — keeps it, because reading clearly and confidently aloud is a practical communication skill. It's worth 15 marks, judged on pronunciation, clarity, pace and expression.

Reading Aloud (15 marks)

You read a short passage aloud. Marks reward accurate pronunciation, sensible pace (not rushed), clear articulation, and expression that follows the punctuation and meaning — pausing at full stops, lifting for questions. Stumbling over an unfamiliar word matters less than overall control, so read steadily and recover smoothly.

Spoken Interaction (25 marks)

Off a video clip, you respond to questions and develop your views — the larger share of the oral marks. Examiners reward answers that say something and support it, rather than one-liners. Give a view, a reason, and an example, and engage with the question rather than deflecting it.

How to prepare

Read aloud daily — news articles, stories — focusing on pace and clear endings to sentences. For interaction, practise speaking on everyday topics out loud and build a few flexible examples. At 40 marks, oral is the biggest single paper share at G1, so consistent out-loud practice pays off more here than anywhere else. LearnUp's PIP approach drills reading-aloud prosody.