German B1 · Speaking exam guide
telc B1 speaking exam (telc Deutsch B1): format, timing and marks
The telc B1 speaking exam is the oral part of telc Deutsch B1 (Zertifikat Deutsch), telc's German exam at B1 level (not telc English B1). You get 20 minutes to prepare on your own, then you and a second candidate talk for about 15 minutes in three parts, and all three are marked: getting to know each other, discussing opinions on a topic, and planning something together. This guide covers the exam pattern, timing and the official marking scheme, based on telc's own Übungstest 1 (13th edition, 2020) and the telc exam regulations valid from 15 April 2025.
Our telc Deutsch B1 simulation is in preparation and not available yet. There is no date yet.
Independent practice service · not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut, telc gGmbH, the BAMF or g.a.s.t. Exam names are used only to describe the exams.
- 20 min
- Preparation time
- approx. 15 min
- Speaking, usually in pairs
- 75
- Marks for speaking
- 45
- Speaking marks needed to pass (60%)
Teil 1–3: what happens in each part
Candidates and task sheets use the German names, so we keep them: Teil 1 (Part 1) to Teil 3. Timings are approximate and come from the official Übungstest. It presents its sample flow only as a possible one, so who starts each part is not fixed. The German example phrases below are our own.
- approx. 3 min
Teil 1 · Einander kennenlernen
Getting to know each other
You and your partner introduce yourselves and ask each other questions. The points on the task sheet are only suggestions, and you can talk about other things too. The examiners may bring up an extra topic that is not on the sheet. Unlike the short, unmarked warm-up at the Goethe exam, this part is marked.
- Treat it as a conversation, not a speech: say two or three sentences, then ask something back, e.g. „Und wie ist das bei Ihnen?“
- Prepare flexible building blocks rather than a memorised text: „Ich komme aus …, seit … wohne ich in …“, „Beruflich mache ich …“, „In meiner Freizeit …“.
- Follow up on what your partner says: „Ach, Sie kochen gern? Was kochen Sie am liebsten?“ The Übungstest says follow-up questions and helping each other are rated positively.
- approx. 6 min
Teil 2 · Über ein Thema sprechen
Discussing opinions on a topic
You and your partner get different task sheets with contrasting opinions on the same topic (in the Übungstest, a short personal opinion as printed in a magazine). First you each tell the other what your text says. Then you discuss the topic and talk about your own experience and opinion. Careful: at the Goethe exam, Teil 3 has the same name but is a different task.
- Summarise in your own words, don't read out the text: „In meinem Text geht es um … Die Person meint, dass …, weil …“
- Then give your own view with a reason or an example from your life: „Ich sehe das ein bisschen anders. Bei mir war es so: …“
- React to your partner's point before adding your own: „Das stimmt, aber man muss auch sagen, dass …“
- Ask for your partner's opinion to keep it a dialogue: „Was meinen Sie dazu?“
- approx. 6 min
Teil 3 · Gemeinsam etwas planen
Planning something together
Together you organise a given activity, such as a party, a concert or an exhibition. You make suggestions, respond to your partner's ideas and sort out what needs to be done and who takes on which task. The task sheet asks you to agree on a joint plan at the end. At the Goethe exam this task comes first, as Teil 1.
- Make concrete suggestions: „Wie wäre es, wenn wir …?“, „Ich schlage vor, dass wir …“
- Disagree politely and offer an alternative: „Das finde ich etwas schwierig, weil … Vielleicht lieber …?“
- Share out the tasks: „Wer kümmert sich um die Getränke? Das kann ich übernehmen.“
- Finish with a short summary of what you agreed: „Also, wir machen Folgendes: …“
20 minutes' preparation: rules and how to use them
In the preparation room you get the task sheets for all three parts. You may not write on the task sheets; notes go only on the paper stamped by the test centre. You may take these notes into the exam room, but you shouldn't read from them while you speak. During preparation you may not talk to anyone or use a dictionary, phone or other device. After the exam the examiners collect your notes and destroy them.
A possible way to split the time (our suggestion, not an official rule):
- Teil 2 first: read your opinion text, then note three or four keywords for your summary and one example from your own life.
- Teil 3: list what has to be organised (date, place, food, invitations, costs) and a suggestion for each point.
- Teil 1: note two or three questions you could ask your partner.
- Keep notes to keywords, so you look at your partner, not at the paper.
Exam pattern: who is in the room
The speaking exam is in principle a pair exam, and the test centre puts candidates together as randomly as possible. Two examiners with a telc licence run it: one moderates (the interlocutor), the other observes (the assessor). The exam is mainly a conversation between the two candidates, so the interlocutor speaks as little as possible and steps in when one person talks too much, the other too little, or the conversation stalls.
If only one person is registered, that person can take the exam alone and an examiner plays the second candidate. If the total number of candidates is odd, one exam may be held with a single candidate. The speaking exam can be on the same day as the written exam or up to seven calendar days later.
Marking scheme and passing marks (official)
Each of the three parts is marked on the same four criteria: Ausdrucksfähigkeit (range of expression), Aufgabenbewältigung (task completion), Formale Richtigkeit (accuracy) and Aussprache und Intonation (pronunciation and intonation). Teil 1 gives up to 15 marks, Teil 2 and Teil 3 up to 30 each, so speaking gives 75 marks, 25% of the 300 marks for the whole exam.
To pass, you need 60% in the written exam and 60% in the speaking exam separately: 135 of 225 written marks and 45 of 75 speaking marks. Both examiners mark on their own first, then compare after you have left and agree on one final mark.
B1 Sprechen does not give marks, predict a result or assess pronunciation. Our feedback only refers to sentences you actually said in the simulation.
If your partner goes quiet, or you go blank
Your partner is part of your task, not your rival: the Übungstest states that asking follow-up questions and helping each other are rated positively. If your partner struggles, ask a simple, open question („Und was denken Sie?“, „Haben Sie das auch schon erlebt?“). If the conversation stops completely, the interlocutor is there to step in.
If you go blank yourself, say so in German and gain a moment instead of falling silent:
- „Moment, lassen Sie mich kurz überlegen.“
- „Entschuldigung, können Sie die Frage bitte wiederholen?“
- „Ich weiß das Wort nicht, aber ich meine so etwas wie …“
- „Wo war ich? Ach ja, ich wollte sagen, dass …“
How it differs from the Goethe B1 speaking exam (and the DTZ)
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 speaking exam has 15 minutes' preparation instead of 20 and a different order: planning together is Teil 1, Teil 2 is a presentation with slides, and in Teil 3 („Über ein Thema sprechen“) your partner and an examiner give feedback on your presentation and ask you questions. There, the short introduction at the start is not marked, the maximum is 100 points with 60 needed to pass, and the two examiners' marks are averaged rather than agreed. The DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer) is a separate exam, run since 2023 by g.a.s.t. on behalf of the BAMF, with no preparation time; it is not covered here.
This page is only about telc Deutsch B1 (Zertifikat Deutsch). telc Deutsch A2·B1, telc Deutsch B1 Schule and telc Deutsch B1+ Beruf are separate exams and are not covered here.
Practising for the telc B1 speaking exam without a partner
The hardest thing to practise alone is the exchange itself, but you can still train each part:
- Teil 1: answer typical questions about yourself out loud, and after each answer ask a question back.
- Teil 2: take a short opinion piece, summarise it aloud in about a minute, then argue for the opposite view.
- Teil 3: plan an event alone, playing both roles, and end with a one-sentence summary.
- Record yourself and listen back: do you read from notes? Do you ask questions?
Our telc Deutsch B1 simulation, with an AI examiner and an AI partner, is in preparation; there is no date yet.
telc B1 speaking exam: frequently asked questions
01Are there real past papers for the telc B1 speaking exam?
telc publishes an official mock exam, Übungstest 1, which you can download from the telc Deutsch B1 page on telc.net; telc's exam regulations say it sets the binding structure and timing of the exam. Taking, photographing or publishing real exam material counts as cheating under the same regulations, so we don't use it. The tasks in our simulations are written by us and are not real exam questions.
02How long does the telc B1 speaking exam take?
About 15 minutes for a pair: approx. 3 minutes for Teil 1 and approx. 6 minutes each for Teil 2 and Teil 3. Before that you have 20 minutes to prepare.
03Can I take notes into the exam room?
Yes, but only the notes you made during the 20-minute preparation on paper stamped by the test centre. You may not write on the task sheets, and you shouldn't read your notes out. The examiners collect and destroy them after the exam.
04Is the speaking exam on the same day as the written exam?
It can be. According to telc's regulations, the speaking exam takes place on the same day as the written exam or up to seven calendar days afterwards. Your test centre tells you the exact time.
05Can I retake only the speaking part?
At B1 level, the 2025 exam regulations let you retake only the part you failed (speaking or written) within 12 months of your first exam (counted from the date your results sheet was issued) and keep the result of the other part. The older Übungstest (2020) says within the same or the following calendar year; the 2025 regulations are the newer source. Ask your test centre to confirm.
06What happens if there is no partner for me?
If you are the only person registered, you can take the exam alone and one of the examiners plays the second candidate. If the number of candidates is odd, one exam may be held with a single candidate.
07When can I practise telc B1 on B1 Sprechen?
The telc Deutsch B1 simulation is in preparation and there is no date yet. The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 simulation comes first. You can already create an account.
Taking the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 instead?
The Goethe speaking exam runs differently: planning is Teil 1, then a presentation, then feedback and questions. Our Goethe-Zertifikat B1 simulation comes first.
Goethe B1 speaking examCreate your account
The telc Deutsch B1 simulation is not available yet. The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 simulation opens first, and you can create your account now.