The oral exam is worth 75 of the 300 total points on the TELC B1 exam, and you need at least 60% (45 points) in this section alone to pass. It is conducted in pairs with two examiners present: one who guides the conversation and one who observes and evaluates. The entire speaking exam takes about 15 minutes per pair. Before the exam begins, you receive a 20-minute preparation period to review the task cards.
The 20-Minute Preparation Phase
Before you enter the exam room, you are given task cards for Teil 2 and Teil 3. You can make notes on paper during this time, but you may not bring a dictionary. Use these 20 minutes wisely:
- Read your Teil 2 topic card carefully. Write down 4-5 key points you want to mention.
- Look at the Teil 3 planning task. Think about practical suggestions you can make.
- Prepare opening phrases for each part so you can start speaking confidently.
- Do not write out complete sentences to read aloud. The examiners will notice, and reading from notes is penalised.
Teil 1: Contact (Kontaktaufnahme)
Duration: approximately 2-3 minutes.
You and your partner introduce yourselves and have a short get-to-know-you conversation. The examiner may ask a few guiding questions to keep the dialogue flowing. This part is the gentlest warm-up, the topics are personal and predictable.
Typical Questions
- Woher kommen Sie? / Wo wohnen Sie?
- Was machen Sie beruflich? / Was studieren Sie?
- Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?
- Wie lange lernen Sie schon Deutsch?
- Warum lernen Sie Deutsch?
- Haben Sie Familie hier?
Useful Phrases for Teil 1
- Ich komme aus ... und wohne seit ... in ...
- Von Beruf bin ich ... / Ich arbeite als ...
- In meiner Freizeit ... gehe ich gern ... / treibe ich Sport / lese ich ...
- Ich lerne seit ... Deutsch, weil ...
- Darf ich fragen, woher Sie kommen? (showing interactive competence)
Tips for Teil 1
Speak naturally, not like a rehearsed monologue. Ask your partner questions back, this shows conversational ability and scores points for interaction. Even simple follow-up questions like "Und Sie?" or "Was meinen Sie?" demonstrate communicative competence. Smile, make eye contact, and speak at a comfortable pace.
Teil 2: Conversation About a Topic (Gespräch über ein Thema)
Duration: approximately 5-6 minutes total.
Each candidate receives a card with a different topic. Common topics include:
- Fremdsprachen lernen (learning foreign languages)
- Gesunde Ernährung (healthy eating)
- Fernsehen und Internet (television and internet)
- Reisen (travel)
- Sport und Fitness (sport and fitness)
- Arbeit und Beruf (work and career)
- Kinder und Erziehung (children and upbringing)
The card usually includes guiding questions or bullet points. You present your topic for about 1-2 minutes, then your partner asks questions or comments, and you have a brief discussion. Then your partner presents their topic and you respond.
Structure Your Presentation
- Introduction: State the topic. "Mein Thema ist ... Das ist ein interessantes Thema, weil ..."
- Personal experience: Share your own experience or situation. "In meinem Heimatland ist es so, dass ..." or "Ich persönlich ..."
- Advantages and disadvantages: If appropriate, mention both sides. "Einerseits ... andererseits ..."
- Your opinion: State a clear position. "Ich bin der Meinung, dass ..."
- Conclusion / invitation to discuss: "Was denken Sie darüber?" or "Wie sehen Sie das?"
Useful Phrases for Teil 2
- Giving your opinion: Ich finde, dass ... / Meiner Meinung nach ... / Ich denke, dass ...
- Agreeing: Da stimme ich Ihnen zu. / Das sehe ich genauso. / Ja, das finde ich auch.
- Disagreeing politely: Da bin ich anderer Meinung. / Das sehe ich etwas anders. / Ich verstehe Ihren Punkt, aber ...
- Asking for clarification: Könnten Sie das genauer erklären? / Was meinen Sie damit?
- Adding a point: Außerdem möchte ich erwähnen, dass ... / Darüber hinaus ...
- Giving examples: Zum Beispiel ... / Ein gutes Beispiel dafür ist ...
Tips for Teil 2
Do not just read your notes. Use them as a guide, but speak freely. The examiners are evaluating your ability to communicate, not your ability to memorise a script. When your partner is presenting, listen actively. Nod, react, and prepare a genuine comment or question. The discussion that follows the presentations is where you can earn the most interaction points.
Teil 3: Joint Planning (Gemeinsam etwas planen)
Duration: approximately 5-6 minutes.
You and your partner receive a shared task card describing a situation. You must plan something together by discussing practical details and reaching agreements. Typical planning scenarios:
- Planning a farewell party for a colleague
- Organising a weekend excursion for a group
- Planning a birthday celebration
- Organising a language exchange evening
- Planning a group trip or outing
The card usually lists aspects to discuss, such as: When? Where? What food/drinks? Who to invite? What activities?
Useful Phrases for Teil 3
- Making suggestions: Ich schlage vor, dass wir ... / Wie wäre es, wenn wir ... ? / Wir könnten doch ...
- Asking for input: Was meinen Sie dazu? / Haben Sie eine Idee? / Was würden Sie vorschlagen?
- Agreeing with a suggestion: Das ist eine gute Idee. / Ja, das klingt gut. / Einverstanden.
- Offering an alternative: Ich hätte noch eine andere Idee. / Vielleicht wäre es besser, wenn ...
- Dividing tasks: Ich könnte mich um ... kümmern. / Könnten Sie ... übernehmen?
- Summarising: Also, wir haben uns geeinigt, dass ... / Zusammenfassend ...
Tips for Teil 3
This part is about cooperation, not competition. The examiners want to see that you can negotiate, compromise, and build on your partner's ideas. Do not dominate the conversation, and do not stay silent either. A good balance is: make a suggestion, ask your partner's opinion, respond to their idea, and build the plan together step by step.
If your partner is very quiet, gently draw them in: "Was denken Sie, sollen wir lieber am Samstag oder am Sonntag feiern?" If your partner talks too much, find natural moments to add your input: "Das ist ein guter Punkt. Ich möchte auch noch vorschlagen, dass ..."
Evaluation Criteria
The examiners evaluate your speaking performance on four dimensions:
- Task completion (Aufgabenbewältigung): Did you complete the task? Did you address the topic and contribute to the planning?
- Fluency and interaction (Flüssigkeit und Interaktion): Can you speak without long pauses? Do you react to your partner? Can you keep a conversation going?
- Accuracy (Korrektheit): Grammar and pronunciation. Minor errors are acceptable. Frequent errors that make you hard to understand cost points.
- Range (Ausdruck): Do you use varied vocabulary and sentence structures, or do you repeat the same phrases?
How to Practise Speaking
- Find a practice partner: The exam is done in pairs, so practise in pairs. Take turns presenting topics and planning tasks.
- Record yourself: Speak into your phone for 2 minutes on a topic, then listen back. Notice filler words, long pauses, and repeated mistakes.
- Learn set phrases: The phrases listed above are building blocks. Memorise them until they come automatically. This frees your brain to focus on content rather than searching for words.
- Practise under time pressure: Set a timer for 1.5 minutes and present a topic. This builds the habit of speaking concisely.
- Use our exercises: Try our speaking practice to work through realistic prompts for all three parts of the oral exam.
On Exam Day
Arrive early and use the 20-minute preparation time fully. When you enter the room, greet the examiners politely. Speak clearly and at a natural pace, speaking too fast does not earn extra points, but speaking clearly does. If you make a mistake mid-sentence, correct yourself and move on. The examiners know you are still learning, and self-correction is actually a positive sign that shows awareness of your own language use.
Above all, remember that the speaking exam is a conversation, not a test of perfection. The examiners want to hear that you can communicate in German. Be yourself, use the phrases you have practised, and engage genuinely with your partner.