Core
Respond to each prompt with one clear, relevant Arabic sentence.
01
Orient
Your goal هَدَفُكَ
A role play is a short practical exchange. Your job is not to give a speech. Your job is to understand the function, communicate the required message and keep the interaction moving.
Develop
Form accurate questions and use polite transactional language independently.
Stretch
Repair misunderstanding quickly and adapt your language to an unfamiliar situation.
By the endYou will be able to decode five practical tasks, prepare useful keyword notes, complete a timed role play and identify one precise communication or accuracy target.
02
Activate
What would you say? مَاذَا سَتَقُولُ؟
Try this before reading the teaching sections. The feedback will show whether your main gap is prompt recognition, question formation, politeness or repair.
Quick diagnostic
Choose the response that communicates the task most clearly.
Your score will appear here.
03
Big picture
Know the role-play map اِفْهَمْ خَرِيطَةَ تَمْثِيلِ الدَّوْرِ
In the current 2028–2030 Paper 3 structure, the role play is a short transactional exchange inside the wider speaking test.
Five tasks
Respond to five transactional questions or prompts.
About two minutes
Responses should be concise, clear and appropriate to the situation.
Preparation time
Read the candidate scenario and make supervised notes before the test.
Modern Standard Arabic
The test and candidate responses must use Modern Standard Arabic.
Fully communicated
The information is clear, appropriate and in the correct time frame where a verb is used. Minor errors may still be allowed.
Partly communicated
The message is incomplete or ambiguous, or errors interfere with communication.
No creditable response
The task is not answered or the intended message cannot be understood.
Protect the messageA short complete response can communicate fully. A longer answer that misses the function, uses the wrong time frame or becomes ambiguous is less effective.
Use these practice scenarios to apply the five transactional tasks accurately.
04
Decode
Recognise the prompt function حَدِّدْ وَظِيفَةَ الْمَطْلُوبِ
Before searching for vocabulary, label what you must do. The function controls the sentence type.
Give information
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُسَافِرَ إِلَى مَانْشِسْتَرَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.
Ask a question
كَمْ ثَمَنُ التَّذْكِرَةِ؟
Make a request
هَلْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ أَحْجِزَ مَقْعَدًا بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ؟
Explain a problem
لَدَيَّ مُشْكِلَةٌ؛ فَقَدْتُ تَذْكِرَتِي.
State a preference
أُفَضِّلُ الرِّحْلَةَ الصَّبَاحِيَّةَ لِأَنَّهَا أَسْرَعُ.
Respond or arrange
نَعَمْ، هَذَا الْمَوْعِدُ يُنَاسِبُنِي.
Function decoderCandidate-card practice
SituationAt a railway station
You want to buy a return ticket from London to Manchester.
- Greet the employee and say where you want to travel.
- Say when you want to travel.
- Ask the price of a return ticket.
- Ask whether there is a student discount.
- Explain why you need the morning train.
Label all five tasks, then check.
05
Teach
Build a transactional toolkit اِبْنِ عُدَّةَ التَّوَاصُلِ الْعَمَلِيِّ
Learn reusable frames, then insert the vocabulary required by the situation. Accurate chunks reduce hesitation without turning your answer into a memorised speech.
👋
Open politely
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ.Peace be upon you.
- صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ.Good morning.
- مِنْ فَضْلِكَ / مِنْ فَضْلِكِPlease (to m./f.).
ℹ️
Give information
- أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى…I need…
- أُرِيدُ أَنْ…I want to…
- سَأَصِلُ فِي…I will arrive at…
❓
Ask for information
- كَمْ ثَمَنُ…؟How much is…?
- مَتَى يَبْدَأُ…؟When does… begin?
- هَلْ هُنَاكَ…؟Is there…?
🙏
Request or arrange
- هَلْ يُمْكِنُنِي أَنْ…؟May I…?
- هَلْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ أَحْجِزَ…؟Can I book…?
- هَذَا الْمَوْعِدُ يُنَاسِبُنِي.This appointment suits me.
❤️
Choose or prefer
- أُفَضِّلُ… لِأَنَّ…I prefer… because…
- أَرْغَبُ فِي…I would like…
- الْخِيَارُ الْأَوَّلُ أَنْسَبُ لِي.The first option suits me better.
⚠️
Explain a problem
- لَدَيَّ مُشْكِلَةٌ.I have a problem.
- الطَّعَامُ بَارِدٌ.The food is cold.
- فَقَدْتُ… / نَسِيتُ…I lost… / I forgot…
Money exampleFor a UK-based practice situation, say ثَمَنُ التَّذْكِرَةِ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ جُنَيْهًا إِسْتَرْلِينِيًّا for £15. Keep the same currency throughout one transaction.
06
Question clinic
Ask accurately اِطْرَحْ سُؤَالًا دَقِيقًا
When the task says ask, a statement cannot replace the question. Choose the information you need, then select the question frame.
هَلْ هُنَاكَ تَخْفِيضٌ لِلطُّلَّابِ؟
كَمْ ثَمَنُ الْغُرْفَةِ لِلَّيْلَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ؟
مَتَى تَبْدَأُ الدَّوْرَةُ؟
أَيْنَ تَقَعُ مَحَطَّةُ الْحَافِلَاتِ؟
كَيْفَ يُمْكِنُنِي أَنْ أَدْفَعَ؟
أَيُّ مَوْعِدٍ مُتَاحٌ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ؟
Question-form mini-check
Choose the best question for each practical need.
Your score will appear here.
07
Model
See a complete five-task exchange لَاحِظْ تَبَادُلًا كَامِلًا
This café scenario shows how one or two controlled sentences can complete each practical task.
SituationAt a café
You are ordering lunch. Complete all five tasks in Modern Standard Arabic.
1Order a main dish and a drink.
أُرِيدُ طَبَقَ الدَّجَاجِ مَعَ الْأَرُزِّ وَكَأْسًا مِنَ الْمَاءِ، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ.
Clear order + suitable politeness.
2Explain that you cannot eat nuts.
لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ آكُلَ الْمُكَسَّرَاتِ لِأَنَّ لَدَيَّ حَسَاسِيَّةً.
Problem and reason are fully communicated.
3Ask whether the dish contains nuts.
هَلْ يَحْتَوِي هَذَا الطَّبَقُ عَلَى الْمُكَسَّرَاتِ؟
A real yes/no question with the required detail.
4Say what dessert you prefer and why.
أُفَضِّلُ سَلَطَةَ الْفَوَاكِهِ لِأَنَّهَا خَفِيفَةٌ وَصِحِّيَّةٌ.
Preference + reason; no unnecessary speech.
5Ask for the bill.
هَلْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ أَحْصُلَ عَلَى الْفَاتُورَةِ، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؟
Polite practical request that closes the transaction.
Weak habit
Adding a memorised paragraph about food after every prompt, even when the task asks for a price or a question.
Secure habit
Complete the requested function first. Add only the detail needed to remove ambiguity or make the language appropriate.
08
Prepare
Plan ideas, not scripts خَطِّطْ لِلْأَفْكَارِ لَا لِلنُّصُوصِ
Use a compact note for each task: function, key language and one grammatical control point. The notes should trigger speech quickly.
1FunctionGive, ask, request, explain, choose or respond?
2KeywordsWrite only the noun, verb, time or number you need.
3GrammarCheck tense, gender, pronoun or question word.
4Say itRehearse aloud once; do not silently polish a paragraph.
Practice card
Saved on this deviceCommunity sports centre
1Say which activity you want to join.
2Ask when the class begins.
3Ask the monthly cost.
4Explain why Tuesday is unsuitable.
5Accept the Thursday class.
Exam-condition reminderIn the current syllabus, preparation notes are handed to the teacher/examiner before the speaking test begins. Practise using the notes to prepare your language, not as something to read during the performance.
09
Repair
Recover without stopping أَصْلِحِ التَّوَاصُلَ وَاسْتَمِرَّ
A brief repair phrase is better than silence or an unrelated answer. Use it, listen carefully and return to the task.
Ask for repetition
عُذْرًا، هَلْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ تُعِيدَ السُّؤَالَ؟
Identify the missing part
لَمْ أَفْهَمِ الْكَلِمَةَ الْأَخِيرَةَ.
Check meaning
هَلْ تَعْنِي يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ؟
Correct yourself
عَفْوًا، أَقْصِدُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.
Do not restart everything
Correct the one word, tense or detail that caused the problem, then continue.
Keep the repair purposeful
One clear repair phrase is enough. Repeated apologies use time without completing the task.
10
Apply
Two-minute role-play simulator مُحَاكَاةُ تَمْثِيلِ الدَّوْرِ
Choose a fresh original scenario, start the timer and speak each task aloud. Move on when you have communicated the message; do not wait for a perfect sentence.
Area A · Travel
At a railway station
فِي مَحَطَّةِ الْقِطَارِ
You want a return ticket from London to Manchester.
Task 1 of 5Give information
Greet the employee and say where you want to travel.
02:00
Read the situation, then start when you are ready.
Optional voice recording
Record the whole role play or one difficult task. The audio remains in this browser session and is not uploaded.
Microphone permission is requested only if you choose to record.
Performance reflection
Self-check
0/10Five-task communication profile
Use the official 2–1–0 task descriptors as a learning guide. This self-score is not an official examination mark.
Score each task after your first attempt.
11
Check
Can you manage the transaction? هَلْ أَتْقَنْتَ التَّوَاصُلَ الْعَمَلِيَّ؟
Mastery check
Apply the full lesson strategy.
Your score will appear here.
12
Consolidate
Your next step خُطْوَتُكَ التَّالِيَةُ
Within 24 hours
Complete one two-minute scenario, score the five tasks and repeat the weakest task immediately.
After three days
Choose a different topic area and prepare only keyword notes before speaking.
After one week
Repeat your lowest-scoring scenario and compare the new communication profile with the first attempt.
RememberRole-play confidence comes from mastering functions, not memorising one situation. Practise the same language frame in shops, stations, hotels, schools and health centres.
Print this page to retain the prompt-function map, transaction toolkit, question bank and preparation routine.