This research aims to investigate how model stories appearing in speaking test preparation textbooks differ from the generic types of story structure in everyday talk. All the story structures collected in eight speaking textbooks were classified into one of four story types (narrative, anecdote, exemplum, recount) originally framed by Eggins & Slade (1997). It was found that recount was the most frequently appearing structure of story in the test prep textbook and narrative the second. Recount was often elicited because it involved (person and situation) description tasks of each speaking test. Anecdote and exemplum were rarely used and mismatched with the controlled context of semi-direct testing of speaking. Possible areas of further research and development in test and material design were also discussed.