telc B2 Sprechen — Speaking Exam Guide
Master all three speaking parts: the prepared monologue, the discussion, and the joint planning task — plus the unscored warm-up, scoring criteria, and proven strategies.
The Sprechen (Mündlicher Ausdruck) section is the oral component of the telc Deutsch B2 exam, conducted separately from the written papers. Worth 75 of the exam's 300 total points (25%), it must be passed independently — you need at least 45/75 points regardless of your written result. The exam is usually taken in pairs and lasts about 15 minutes per pair (around 25 minutes if you're grouped in three). Before that, you get a separate 20-minute preparation time in a dedicated prep room, where all the task sheets for the exam are handed out.
The exam opens with an unscored warm-up of about a minute, "Einander kennenlernen" — you and your partner briefly introduce yourselves. This part carries no points. What follows are 3 scored Teile, each worth exactly 25 points — an even split that's a deliberate difference from telc B1, where Teil 1 is itself a scored getting-to-know-you conversation and the three parts are weighted 15/30/30 instead.
Teil 1 asks you to give a roughly 1.5-minute monologue about a personal experience, on a topic drawn from a fixed set you can prepare in advance, followed by your partner's questions. Teil 2 has you discuss a short argumentative text you both read during preparation, working out arguments for and against. Teil 3 is a collaborative planning task based on a short scenario. Each Teil is scored on 4 criteria: expression, task fulfillment, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation/intonation.
Section at a Glance
Part-by-Part Breakdown
Give a roughly 1.5-minute monologue about your personal experience with a topic drawn from a fixed set of topics published in the exam format — you can look these up and prepare content for each one in advance. Once you finish, your partner asks you follow-up questions about what you said.
Tips
- Prepare all topics from the published list in advance — they don't change on exam day, so there's no reason to be caught off guard
- Build a personal example or story for each topic rather than generic statements — examiners reward concrete, developed experiences
- Use the 20-minute preparation time to jot down keywords and structure, not a word-for-word script
- Practice speaking for the full 1.5 minutes — running out of things to say partway through costs points on Aufgabenbewältigung (task fulfillment)
Common Mistakes
- Treating the topic list as optional and only preparing a few — you don't know in advance which one you'll get
- Reciting a memorized text instead of speaking freely from prepared notes — it sounds stiff and can fall apart if you lose your place
- Giving a monologue so short that the follow-up questions feel like they're rescuing an unfinished answer
Example Task
Example prompt: "Sprechen Sie über eine Erfahrung mit Reisen in Ihrem Leben." You speak for about 1.5 minutes about a personal travel experience, then your partner asks 1-2 follow-up questions about what you described.
Scoring
Each of the 3 scored Teile is graded on 4 criteria, each on an A-D scale: Ausdrucksfähigkeit (expression/fluency) A=7/B=5/C=3/D=0, Aufgabenbewältigung (task fulfillment) A=7/B=5/C=3/D=0, Formale Richtigkeit (grammatical accuracy) A=7/B=5/C=3/D=0, and Aussprache/Intonation (pronunciation/intonation) A=4/B=2/C=1/D=0 — summing to a maximum of 25 points per Teil.
Sprechen (Mündlicher Ausdruck) is scored independently from the written papers and makes up 75 of the exam's 300 total points (25%). You need at least 45/75 in the oral exam regardless of your written result — one cannot compensate for the other.
Strategy Tips
Prepare every Teil 1 topic in advance
The topics for the monologue are drawn from a fixed set published in the exam format. Since you know the full list ahead of time, prepare a short, personal example for each one rather than hoping for a favorite.
Treat the 20-minute prep time as note-taking, not scripting
You get the task sheets for all 3 Teile in a separate room before the exam. Use the time to jot keywords, arguments, and structure — writing full sentences to read aloud will make you sound scripted and costs fluency points.
Stay interactive in Teil 2 and Teil 3
Both the discussion and the planning task are shared conversations, not back-to-back monologues. React to what your partner says, ask follow-ups, and build on their points — interaction is part of what's being assessed.
Build a Redemittel bank for discussion and planning
Learn fixed phrases for agreeing/disagreeing ("Da hast du recht, aber...", "Ich sehe das anders...") and for proposing/negotiating ("Ich schlage vor...", "Wie wäre es, wenn..."). These give you fluent connectors under pressure.
Don't stress about the warm-up
The opening "Einander kennenlernen" introductions last about a minute and aren't scored. Use it to settle your nerves and warm up your spoken German before the scored Teile begin.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping preparation because "the topics could be anything"
They can't — Teil 1's topics come from a published, fixed list. Walking in without having thought through each one wastes an advantage nearly every other candidate uses.
Turning Teil 2 or Teil 3 into parallel monologues
If you and your partner just take turns talking without reacting to each other, you lose points on interactive communication even if each of you individually speaks well.
Not committing to a position in the discussion
Teil 2 is scored partly on Aufgabenbewältigung — hedging endlessly without ever taking a side reads as unfinished, not diplomatic.
Leaving Teil 3 without a concrete plan
Discussing options is not enough — the scenario asks you to agree on something. Running out of time still disagreeing costs task-fulfillment points.
Overrunning your Teil 1 monologue and rushing the follow-ups
Teil 1 has a roughly 1.5-minute monologue plus follow-up questions within its ~5-minute allocation. Talking too long leaves no room to show you can also respond, not just recite.
2-Week Study Plan
Focused preparation plan for this exam section
- Get the full published list of Teil 1 topics and write a short, personal example (3-4 notes, not a script) for each one
- Practice delivering each topic as a ~1.5-minute monologue, timing yourself
- Prepare 3-4 follow-up questions a partner might ask about each topic, and practice answering them
- Learn 10 key Redemittel for agreeing, disagreeing, and taking a position ("Meiner Meinung nach...", "Da muss ich widersprechen...")
- Practice reading a short argumentative text in 20 minutes, noting arguments for and against
- Discuss 2-3 short articles with a partner or aloud solo, taking and defending a clear position each time
- Learn suggestion and negotiation phrases ("Ich schlage vor...", "Wäre es nicht besser, wenn...", "Lass uns...")
- Practice 2-3 planning scenarios solo, speaking both roles aloud, always ending with a concrete decision
- Focus on summarizing agreements clearly at the end: "Wir haben also entschieden, dass..."
- Run all 3 Teile with a speaking partner, including the unscored warm-up introductions
- Focus on interactive skills: reacting to your partner, asking genuine follow-ups, not just delivering prepared content
- If no partner is available, record yourself playing both roles for the discussion and planning tasks
- Run 2 complete mock oral exams (20-minute prep + ~15-minute exam) with a partner or tutor
- Get feedback against the 4 scoring criteria: Ausdrucksfähigkeit, Aufgabenbewältigung, Formale Richtigkeit, Aussprache/Intonation
- Review your Teil 1 topic notes and Redemittel bank for discussion and planning one last time
- Do a relaxed run-through of the unscored warm-up introductions to calm exam nerves
- Rest your voice and avoid cramming new phrases the day before — familiarity beats novelty
Other Exam Sections
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the test center — some run both on the same day, others schedule Sprechen separately. Since preparation and phrase recall matter here, check with your center when registering so you can plan your review time (and possibly the lunch break) accordingly.
You move to a separate prep room and receive the task sheets for all 3 scored Teile: the list you choose your Teil 1 topic from (or the topic itself, depending on the exam edition), the short argumentative article for Teil 2, and the planning scenario for Teil 3. You can make notes but can't use dictionaries or electronic devices. Since the Teil 1 topics are published in advance, most of your Teil 1 prep should already be done before you even walk in.
No. The roughly 1-minute warm-up where you and your partner introduce yourselves is not scored — only the 3 Teile that follow (25 points each, 75 total) count toward your Sprechen result. Use the warm-up to settle your nerves rather than worrying about it.
You're scored individually against the 4 criteria, not against each other. A weaker partner doesn't lower your score, and helping them along — rephrasing a question, giving them space to respond — can even show good interactive communication. A stronger partner simply gives you more to react to in Teil 2 and Teil 3.
Each of the 3 scored Teile is marked on 4 criteria: Ausdrucksfähigkeit, Aufgabenbewältigung, and Formale Richtigkeit are each worth up to 7 points (grades A/B/C/D = 7/5/3/0), and Aussprache/Intonation is worth up to 4 points (A/B/C/D = 4/2/1/0) — 25 points per Teil, 75 in total. You need at least 45/75 (60%) to pass the oral block.
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