German B1 · Speaking practice
telc B1 speaking Teil 3: planning something together (Gemeinsam etwas planen)
telc B1 speaking Teil 3 (Part 3), „Gemeinsam etwas planen“, is the last part of the telc Deutsch B1 speaking exam: for about 6 minutes you and your partner organise a given activity, such as a party, a concert or an exhibition. You make suggestions and give reasons, react to your partner's ideas and finally agree on what needs doing and who does what. It is marked. Older practice material calls it „Gemeinsam eine Aufgabe lösen“. All tasks, checklists and dialogues here are our own practice material, not official exam tasks.
Independent practice service · not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut or telc gGmbH. Exam names are used only to describe the exams. All tasks, checklists and dialogues on this page are our own practice material.
- approx. 6 min
- Length of Teil 3, both candidates together
- 30 of 75
- Speaking marks for Teil 3
- 1 sheet
- The same for both of you, with a list
- Who does what?
- Agree on it before you finish
Three practice tasks with checklists
In telc's Übungstest 1, both candidates get the same task sheet for Teil 3: a short situation and a list of keywords presented as a list you have already made yourself, such as „Wann?“ and „Wo?“. The last point is „…“, which we read as room for your own ideas. Our three tasks follow that format, but we made them up; they are not exam tasks. The lists stay in German, as on the real sheet. Our suggestion for using them: about 7 minutes of notes (one idea with a reason for each point), then about 6 minutes of talking with a timer. After the tasks come the flow of Teil 3, a sample dialogue for task 1, Redemittel, mistakes to avoid and ways to practise alone or in pairs.
- Our suggestion: 7 min notes · approx. 6 min talking
Task 1 · Kuchenverkauf in der Schule
A cake sale to pay for new playground equipment
Your children's primary school needs new playground equipment. You and another parent from the class want to organise a cake sale to raise the money. Plan together what has to be prepared and share out the tasks.
- Your list:„An welchem Tag?“„Wo aufbauen?“„Welche Kuchen?“„Preise“„Wer verkauft?“„…“
- A suggestion with a reason: „Wir könnten die Kuchen in Stücke schneiden und einzeln verkaufen. Das bringt mehr Geld als ganze Kuchen.“
- Using the „…“ point: what is still missing? Change for the cash box, a poster at the school gate, or what happens to leftover cake.
- Our suggestion: 7 min notes · approx. 6 min talking
Task 2 · Smartphone-Nachmittag im Seniorentreff
Helping older people with their smartphones
At the senior citizens' club in your area, many older people ask how to send photos or buy a ticket on their smartphones. You and an acquaintance want to spend an afternoon there helping. Plan together what has to be prepared and share out the tasks.
- Your list:„Welcher Tag, wie lange?“„Wie viele Leute?“„Was zeigen wir?“„Wie erfahren die Leute davon?“„…“
- Asking instead of just agreeing: „Zwanzig Leute auf einmal? Schaffen wir das zu zweit? Vielleicht lieber zwei Gruppen mit je zehn Personen?“
- Sharing out tasks clearly: „Ich spreche mit der Leiterin vom Seniorentreff, und Sie schreiben den Aushang – einverstanden?“
- Our suggestion: 7 min notes · approx. 6 min talking
Task 3 · Konzertabend im Kulturverein
A concert night with a young local band
Your cultural association wants to hold a concert night in spring with a young band from the region. You and another member are to organise the evening. Plan together what has to be prepared and share out the tasks.
- Your list:„Datum“„Welcher Raum?“„Eintritt?“„Werbung“„Getränke“„…“
- A concern with an alternative: „Zehn Euro Eintritt finde ich zu viel, dann kommen vielleicht nur wenige Leute. Wie wäre es mit fünf Euro und einer Spendenbox für die Band?“
- Pinning down the result: „Gut, dann halten wir fest: Konzert am 12. April im großen Saal, Eintritt fünf Euro. Ich kümmere mich um die Plakate, Sie um die Getränke. Passt das so?“
How Teil 3 works
You get the Teil 3 task sheet with the others in the 20 minutes' preparation, and you and your partner have the same sheet. In the Übungstest 1 the sheet also says what to do: first decide what you would like to do and why, then present your ideas with reasons, react to your partner's ideas and reasons, and agree on a joint plan. Notes go only on the paper stamped by the test centre; you may take only these notes into the exam, and you should not read them out.
In the Übungstest 1 sample flow, the examiner who leads the conversation reminds you that you already know the task sheet and asks you to agree in the end on what needs to be done and who takes on which task. Candidate A is then asked for suggestions first, and candidate B for their view and further suggestions. Again, this is presented as a possible flow only. After that you plan freely together. One way to use the roughly 6 minutes (our suggestion):
- Opening: one point, one suggestion, one reason, then a question to your partner.
- Point by point: suggestion, reaction, agreement, next point. Do not get stuck on one point.
- Your own idea: use the „…“ point for something that is not on the list.
- Sharing out tasks: who does what? Say it explicitly.
- Summing up: repeat the joint plan in two or three sentences at the end.
Sample dialogue: Task 1, the school cake sale
Our own example, about two minutes long. Both candidates make suggestions with reasons, one of them disagrees and offers an alternative, an idea from outside the list comes up, and by the end it is clear who does what.
- Examiner: „Jetzt planen Sie bitte gemeinsam. Frau Mensah, möchten Sie beginnen?“
- A: „Gern. Ich würde den Kuchenverkauf am Tag der offenen Tür machen. Da kommen viele Familien in die Schule, und wir verkaufen bestimmt viel. Was meinen Sie?“
- B: „Die Idee ist gut, aber der Tag der offenen Tür ist erst im Juni. Die Spielgeräte sollen doch schon im Frühling da sein. Wie wäre es mit dem Elternsprechtag im November?“
- A: „Stimmt, Juni ist zu spät. Dann machen wir es im November. Und wo bauen wir den Tisch auf?“
- B: „Am besten im Eingang, direkt neben der Tür. Da kommen alle vorbei, auch wenn es regnet.“
- A: „Einverstanden. Beim Kuchen schlage ich vor, dass jede Familie einen Kuchen backt. Dann kostet es uns nichts.“
- B: „Gut, aber wir brauchen eine Liste, sonst gibt es nur Schokoladenkuchen. Und was soll ein Stück kosten?“
- A: „Vielleicht 1,50 Euro? Das können sich auch die Kinder leisten.“
- B: „Das finde ich fair. Ich hätte noch eine Idee: Wir verkaufen auch Kaffee für die Eltern. Das bringt sicher noch etwas Geld.“
- A: „Super. Wer macht jetzt was? Ich schreibe die Kuchenliste und schicke sie an die Klasse.“
- B: „Dann frage ich den Hausmeister nach einem Tisch und bringe meine Kaffeemaschine mit.“
- A: „Und wer verkauft? Am Elternsprechtag haben wir ja selbst auch einen Termin bei der Klassenlehrerin.“
- B: „Dann wechseln wir uns ab: Ich verkaufe die ersten zwei Stunden, danach übernehmen Sie. Passt das?“
- A: „Ja, das passt. Fassen wir zusammen: Verkauf am Elternsprechtag im Eingang, ein Stück für 1,50 Euro, dazu Kaffee. Ich kümmere mich um die Kuchenliste, Sie um Tisch und Kaffee, und beim Verkaufen wechseln wir uns ab. Einverstanden?“
- B: „Einverstanden.“
Written by us for practice. It is not an official task and not a recording of a real exam, and the examiner's line is our own wording. A real conversation may have pauses, questions and second attempts.
Redemittel for suggesting, reacting and sharing out tasks
Teil 3 asks you to bring in your own ideas and react to your partner's. These phrases are grouped by what you need to do; practise one from each group until it comes without thinking.
- Suggesting with a reason:„Ich schlage vor, dass wir …, weil …“„Wie wäre es, wenn wir …?“„Ich würde lieber …, denn …“
- Agreeing and adding:„Einverstanden, und dann könnten wir noch …“„Das passt gut, weil …“
- Raising a concern:„Das ist eine gute Idee, aber …“„Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das klappt.“„Das wird vielleicht zu teuer.“
- Counter-suggesting:„Was halten Sie davon, wenn wir stattdessen …?“„Vielleicht lieber …?“
- Asking:„Wie meinen Sie das genau?“„Wer soll das bezahlen?“„Reicht die Zeit dafür?“
- Moving on:„Gut, das haben wir. Was machen wir mit …?“„Auf der Liste steht noch …“
- Sharing out tasks:„Ich kümmere mich um …“„Können Sie … übernehmen?“„Wer macht …?“
- Agreeing and summing up:„Dann machen wir es so: …“„Fassen wir zusammen: …“„Sind wir uns einig?“
Mistakes to avoid in Teil 3
Six minutes sounds long, but it goes by quickly. These patterns waste time or leave out part of the task:
- Suggestions without reasons: „Wir machen es am Samstag.“ – but why? The Übungstest task sheet asks you to justify your ideas. A „weil“ or „denn“ is enough.
- Only agreeing: „Ja, gut.“ and then silence. Reacting also means adding something, asking or offering an alternative.
- Getting stuck on one point: five minutes on the date leaves no time for the rest. Agree and move on.
- Forgetting who does what: sorting out who takes on which task is part of the task. Say it explicitly.
- Stopping without a result: sum up what you agreed in two or three sentences.
- One person planning alone: one makes every suggestion, the other only nods. Ask your partner for their view.
- Reading from your notes: full sentences on your note paper tempt you to read them out. Write keywords only.
How Teil 3 is marked (official)
Like Teil 2, Teil 3 gives up to 30 of the 75 speaking marks. It is marked on the same four criteria: Ausdrucksfähigkeit (range of expression), Aufgabenbewältigung (task completion) and Formale Richtigkeit (accuracy), up to 8 marks each, plus Aussprache und Intonation (pronunciation and intonation), up to 6. The two examiners mark separately and agree on one final mark after you have left. These facts come from telc's Übungstest 1 (13th edition, 2020).
B1 Sprechen does not give marks, predict a result or assess pronunciation. Our feedback only refers to sentences you actually said.
How to practise Teil 3, alone or in pairs
On your own, you miss a partner who plans differently from you. A few rules get you closer to the exam anyway:
- Alone: set a timer for 6 minutes and speak both roles out loud. Our rule: each role makes at least one suggestion of its own and disagrees at least once.
- Alone, afterwards: listen to the recording. Did every suggestion have a reason? Was every task given to someone? Was there a summary at the end?
- In pairs: each of you secretly writes down one wish to push through, for example „Ich habe nur vormittags Zeit“ or „Ich möchte nichts backen“. Then you really have to negotiate.
- In pairs: swap roles, so each of you starts once.
- Your own tasks: take something you really have to organise, write five keywords and a „…“ below them, and plan it out loud.
Phrases and checklists only help once you say them out loud, in time, with a partner who makes suggestions of their own. The telc simulation of B1 Sprechen is designed around exactly this: an AI examiner, an AI partner who plans with you, then feedback on the sentences you said and a recording to listen back to.
telc B1 speaking Teil 3: frequently asked questions
01Do we have to agree at the end?
Yes – the task asks you to agree on a joint plan and to sort out what needs doing and who takes on which task. You can still disagree along the way, with a reason and an alternative. A compromise is often the quickest way to a joint plan.
02Do we have to talk about every point on the list?
The Übungstest does not set a rule for that. The list is presented as your own planning list; what the task requires is that you make suggestions, react to suggestions and sort out who does what. Our advice: cover the main points rather than staying on one for too long, and bring in an idea of your own.
03What does the „…“ at the end of the list mean?
In the Übungstest 1, the list ends with „…“. We read it as room for your own points; the task asks you to bring in ideas and suggestions of your own anyway. Think of one idea that is not on the list while you prepare.
04Who starts Teil 3?
It is not fixed. In the Übungstest 1 sample flow, the examiner asks candidate A for suggestions first and candidate B for their view and further suggestions, but telc presents that flow as a possible one. Prepare a suggestion with a reason for the first point, so you can start either way.
05How should I use the 20 minutes' preparation for Teil 3?
Our suggestion: about 7 of the 20 minutes. Note one idea with a reason for each point of the list, in keywords, plus one idea of your own for „…“. Full sentences tempt you to read them out, which you should not do.
06Is this the same as „Gemeinsam etwas planen“ in the Goethe B1 exam?
The task is similar, the setting is not. At the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, planning together is Teil 1 and lasts about 2–3 minutes. At telc Deutsch B1 it comes last as Teil 3, lasts about 6 minutes and gives up to 30 of the 75 speaking marks.
07Are these real telc exam tasks?
No. All tasks, checklists and dialogues on this page are our own practice material. For an official example, download telc's Übungstest 1 from the telc Deutsch B1 page on telc.net.
More practice material
Teil 1: Einander kennenlernen
Sample questions and answers for introducing yourself, a sample dialogue, Redemittel for asking your partner questions, and mistakes to avoid.
View materialTeil 2: Über ein Thema sprechen
Four practice topics with opinion texts A and B, a sample dialogue, Redemittel for reporting and discussing, and mistakes to avoid.
View material
Taking the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 instead?
There, planning together is Teil 1, the first of the three parts, and lasts only about 2–3 minutes; a presentation and then feedback and questions follow.
Goethe B1 speaking exam · Teil 1: Gemeinsam etwas planenGoethe B1 speaking examPractise Gemeinsam etwas planen with an AI partner
In Teil 3 you plan with an AI partner who makes suggestions of their own, reacts to yours and agrees with you at the end who does what, after Teil 1 and Teil 2 in exam order. Afterwards you get feedback on your own sentences and your recording. Packs of 1, 3 or 5 simulations, from €5.98 per simulation, one-off payment, no subscription; the packs work for both Goethe and telc, and you choose the exam when you start.