telc B1 Mündlicher Ausdruck: format, points and preparation

How is the oral exam structured?

After 20 minutes of preparation you speak with a partner for about 15 minutes: you introduce yourselves (Einander kennenlernen), discuss a topic (Über ein Thema sprechen) and plan something together (Gemeinsam etwas planen).

How does the exam day work?

The oral exam normally takes place in pairs, with two examiners listening and grading. Before it you get 20 minutes of preparation time: you receive the task sheets, may take notes and bring them into the exam room. You should not read from them though; free speaking is what is graded.

The conversation itself lasts about 15 minutes and starts with a short greeting. Then come the three graded parts: Einander kennenlernen, Über ein Thema sprechen and Gemeinsam etwas planen, together worth 75 points and thus a quarter of the total score.

Teil 1: Einander kennenlernen (15 points)

You ask each other questions about everyday topics: origin, family, work or studies, languages, free time. The goal is a natural getting-to-know-you conversation, not a presentation about yourself. At the end the examiners often add one or two follow-up questions.

So do not prepare a speech; prepare questions for your partner and short, honest answers. Asking back ("Und du? Wie lange lernst du schon Deutsch?") demonstrates exactly the conversational skill this part tests.

Teil 2: Über ein Thema sprechen (30 points)

During the preparation time you received a short text or prompts on an everyday topic, such as travel, media or living together. In the conversation you tell your partner about it, exchange opinions and share your own experiences.

What is graded is not how much you know about the topic but how you exchange: stating an opinion, justifying it, reacting to your partner, asking back. A simple "Ich sehe das anders, weil …" earns more than a perfectly memorized paragraph.

Teil 3: Gemeinsam etwas planen (30 points)

You get a joint task, for example organizing a trip, a party or help with a move. Within a few minutes you are supposed to reach a result: when, where, who takes care of what. The way there, meaning proposing, reacting and negotiating, is the actual performance being tested.

The strongest strategy is genuinely engaging with your partner: picking up a suggestion, countering with your own, offering a compromise. Whoever just works through prepared ideas is not having a planning conversation, and examiners notice exactly that.

An example: what Teil 3 sounds like

Task: a friend is moving, you both want to help and plan the day together. A successful exchange sounds like this:

A: Ich schlage vor, wir helfen ihr am Samstagvormittag. Da haben wir beide frei, oder? B: Samstag passt gut, aber vormittags habe ich schon einen Termin. Wie wäre es am Nachmittag, so ab 14 Uhr? A: Einverstanden. Soll ich meinen Bruder fragen, ob er uns sein Auto leiht? Dann schaffen wir die Kartons in einer Fahrt. B: Gute Idee. Ich kümmere mich dann um etwas zu essen für alle. Und was schenken wir ihr zum Einzug? A: Vielleicht eine Pflanze? Ich kann am Freitag eine besorgen. B: Perfekt, dann sagen wir ihr heute Abend Bescheid.

The dialogue shows every phrase family that matters: suggestions ("Ich schlage vor", "Wie wäre es"), agreement and objection ("Einverstanden", "aber"), dividing up tasks and a concrete result. These are the building blocks you can prepare without memorizing a script.

Using the 20 minutes of preparation well

Split the preparation by the weight of the parts: a few minutes for keywords about yourself, then the Teil 2 text with two or three opinion sentences, and the biggest block for Teil 3 with two suggestions, one possible objection and a compromise.

Write keywords, not sentences. Whoever notes full sentences ends up reading aloud in the exam and loses exactly the points for interaction and natural speech that this part awards.

Typical mistakes in the oral exam

The most common mistake is the monologue: memorized passages that miss the question and collapse at the first follow-up. Just as widespread is the opposite, answering only "Ja" and "Nein" and leaving all the conversational work to your partner.

Fear of mistakes slows you down more than the mistakes themselves. At B1 level minor grammar errors are expected; what is graded is whether communication succeeds. Asking "Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?" is not a penalty, by the way, but a perfectly normal conversation strategy.