B1 Atlas

Free B1 exam tool

German B1 speaking exam practice

The oral exam is the one part you cannot practise from a PDF, because the paper does not talk back. What you can practise is everything around it: the shape of each task, the length you have to fill, the preparation time you get or do not get, and the specific things the examiners are waiting to hear. Pick your exam and one part, draw a prompt, and run it under the provider's own published clock.

Nothing here listens to you. There is no microphone, no recording and no upload, and nothing is saved: your exam, your part, the prompt you drew and every tick you make live in this tab until you close it. That also means closing the tab ends the rehearsal for good.

The clock and the prompt deck need JavaScript. Every published part, its time, the preparation rule, what each task requires and every prompt in the deck are written out in full further down this page, so you can run the same rehearsal with any timer.

Step 1 of 3

Which B1 oral exam are you preparing for?

The three exams ask for different things, in a different order, with a different amount of preparation. One of them gives you no preparation time at all. Choose yours and the rehearsal follows that provider's own published format.

Not chosen an exam yet? Read the B1 exam guide first. Rehearsing a presentation for an exam that has no presentation is a wasted evening.

Three exams, three different oral exams

People talk about "the B1 speaking exam" as if it were one thing. It is three, and the differences are the kind that ruin a rehearsal:

  • Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is the only one with a presentation in it, and it gives you 15 minutes alone beforehand to prepare it.
  • telc Deutsch B1 gives you the most preparation of the three, 20 minutes, and spends most of the exam on two conversations with your partner rather than on a talk.
  • The Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer gives you no preparation time at all. You get each sheet during the conversation itself. If you have been practising with fifteen quiet minutes first, you have been practising the wrong exam.

The published format, in full

Every figure the tool uses is printed below, along with the whole prompt deck, so you can run the same rehearsal with a kitchen timer and check that the tool is telling you the truth. The German names are the ones printed on your candidate sheets.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 — Sprechen (Speaking)

The published length is about 15 minutes as a pair, or about 10 minutes alone, after 15 minutes of preparation.

Preparation. The Goethe rules give you 15 minutes of preparation, whether the exam is a pair exam or an individual one. You prepare alone, in a separate room, with all three tasks in front of you.

Notes. You get stamped rough paper and you may take the notes you made into the exam and use them. You are expected to speak freely rather than read them out, and everything, including the rough paper, is collected at the end.

In the room. Two examiners. One runs the conversation. In part 3 the other one gives you feedback and asks you a question. Both grade you independently, and the short getting-to-know-you exchange at the start, about a minute, is not graded.

PartPublished timeWhat it is
Teil 1 Gemeinsam etwas planenPlan something togetherabout 3 minutes for the pairYou and your partner plan one thing and reach a decision.
Teil 2 Ein Thema präsentierenPresent a topicabout 3 minutes per candidateYou give a short talk, following five fixed slides.
Teil 3 Über ein Thema sprechenTalk about the topicabout 2 minutes per candidateYou respond to your partner's talk, and answer questions about your own.

Teil 1 Gemeinsam etwas planen — Plan something together

You and your partner get the same sheet: a situation and a box of points to work through. You talk it through together and decide. If you sit the exam alone, one of the examiners takes the partner's role.

What the published task requires

  • You made at least one concrete suggestion of your own.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 1: make suggestions
  • You reacted to your partner's suggestion instead of waiting for your turn.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 1: react to your partner's suggestions
  • You covered the points printed in the box.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 1: speak about the points below
  • You reached a decision together and said it out loud.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 1: plan and decide together what you want to do

Prompts in the deck (3)

A leaving evening for a classmate. Someone in your German course is moving to another city at the end of the month. You and your partner want to organise an evening for the whole group.

  • Wann? (Tag, Uhrzeit)When? (day, time)
  • Wo?Where?
  • Was essen und trinken?What to eat and drink?
  • Geschenk?A present?
  • Wer sagt es den anderen?Who tells the others?

Welcoming new neighbours. A family from another country has just moved into your building. You and your partner want to welcome them properly.

  • Wann besuchen?When to visit?
  • Was mitbringen?What to bring?
  • Wer spricht mit ihnen?Who talks to them?
  • Was zeigen? (Stadt, Läden, Ämter)What to show them? (the town, shops, offices)
  • Wie helfen?How to help?

A day out on almost no money. Your course wants a day out together, but almost nobody has much to spend. You and your partner are working out what is possible.

  • Wohin?Where to?
  • Wie hinkommen?How to get there?
  • Was kostet das?What does it cost?
  • Essen mitbringen?Bring food along?
  • Wer organisiert was?Who organises what?

German worth having ready

Wie wäre es mit …?
To your partner · How about …? Put one idea on the table.
Wir könnten …
To your partner · We could … A softer suggestion, with the verb at the end.
Gute Idee!
To your partner · Good idea. Accept, so your partner can build on it.
Das ist keine gute Idee, weil …
To your partner · That is not a good idea, because … Reject with a reason, never a bare no.
Wer macht was?
To your partner · Who does what? Split the jobs before you finish.
Das erledige ich.
To your partner · I'll take care of that. Take one job yourself.
Einverstanden.
To your partner · Agreed. Close the decision out loud.

Teil 2 Ein Thema präsentieren — Present a topic

You chose one of two topics during the preparation time. The sheet prints five slides, and the instruction on each slide is the same every time, whatever the topic. You and your partner present one after the other.

What the published task requires

  • You introduced the topic and said how your talk was organised.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 2, slide 1
  • You reported your own situation, or something you have experienced with the topic.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 2, slide 2
  • You described the situation in your home country and gave an example.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 2, slide 3
  • You named advantages and disadvantages, gave your opinion, and backed it with an example.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 2, slide 4
  • You closed the talk properly and thanked the people listening.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 2, slide 5

Prompts in the deck (3)

Two topics: shopping, or phones at school. The real sheet gives you two topics and you pick one during the preparation time. Pick one of these two, then work through the five slides.

  • Thema 1: Einkaufen im Internet oder im GeschäftTopic 1: shopping online or in a shop
  • Thema 2: Handys in der SchuleTopic 2: mobile phones at school

Two topics: where you live, or how you travel. Two topics again. Choose the one you can give a real example for, not the one that sounds more impressive.

  • Thema 1: Leben in der Stadt oder auf dem LandTopic 1: living in a city or in the countryside
  • Thema 2: Urlaub in der Gruppe oder alleinTopic 2: holidays in a group or alone

Two topics: learning, or getting around. Two topics. Both of these give you something to say about your home country, which the third slide asks for.

  • Thema 1: Sprachen lernen mit einer AppTopic 1: learning languages with an app
  • Thema 2: Mit dem Fahrrad durch die StadtTopic 2: cycling around the city

German worth having ready

Ich möchte über … sprechen.
To an examiner · I would like to talk about … Open with the topic itself.
Zuerst …, dann …, zum Schluss …
To an examiner · First …, then …, finally … Say the structure before you use it.
Bei mir zu Hause war das so: …
To an examiner · At home it was like this: … Move into your own experience.
In meinem Heimatland ist das anders.
To an examiner · In my home country it is different. The third slide asks for exactly this.
Ein Vorteil ist …, ein Nachteil ist …
To an examiner · One advantage is …, one disadvantage is …
Ich finde, dass …
To an examiner · I think that … Your opinion, with the verb at the end.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit.
To an examiner · Thank you for listening. The fifth slide asks for a proper close.

Teil 3 Über ein Thema sprechen — Talk about the topic

This part follows straight on from part 2 and there is no new sheet. After your partner's talk you give feedback and ask one question. After your own talk, your partner asks you something and the second examiner, the one who has been quiet, asks you something too.

What the published task requires

  • You gave your partner real feedback on their talk, not just a compliment.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 3 (a): give feedback on your partner's presentation
  • You asked your partner one question about their talk.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 3 (b): also ask a question about it
  • You answered the questions about your own talk rather than repeating it.Goethe candidate sheet, Teil 3: react to the feedback and questions
  • You were ready for the second examiner's question as well as your partner's.The Goethe rules for running the exam: in task 3 the other examiner gives feedback and asks a question

Prompts in the deck (3)

Your partner has just talked about phones at school. Imagine you have just listened to a three-minute talk on this topic. Give feedback, ask one question, then answer a question about your own talk.

  • Rückmeldung: Wie hat Ihnen der Vortrag gefallen?Feedback: how did you find the talk?
  • Was war neu oder interessant?What was new or interesting?
  • Eine Frage zum Vortrag stellenAsk one question about the talk
  • Auf Fragen zu Ihrem eigenen Vortrag antwortenAnswer questions about your own talk

Your partner has just talked about holidays in a group. Same job, different talk. Your feedback should point at something specific they said, not at the talk in general.

  • Rückmeldung zu einem konkreten PunktFeedback on one specific point
  • Was war für Sie überraschend?What surprised you?
  • Eine Frage zum Vortrag stellenAsk one question about the talk
  • Auf die Frage der zweiten Prüferin antwortenAnswer the second examiner's question

Your partner has just talked about cycling in the city. This time practise the harder half: answering. Invent one question about your own talk and answer it without starting the talk again.

  • Kurze Rückmeldung gebenGive short feedback
  • Eine Frage stellenAsk a question
  • Eine Frage zu Ihrem Vortrag beantwortenAnswer a question about your own talk
  • Nicht den ganzen Vortrag wiederholenDo not repeat the whole talk

German worth having ready

Dein Vortrag hat mir gut gefallen.
To your partner · I liked your talk. Say it to your partner, in du if that is what you agreed.
Neu war für mich, dass …
To your partner · What was new for me was that … The sheet asks what was new or interesting.
Ich habe eine Frage: …
To your partner · I have a question: … Signal the question before you ask it.
Das ist eine gute Frage.
To an examiner · That is a good question. Buys you a moment without going silent.
Entschuldigung, können Sie das wiederholen?
To an examiner · Excuse me, could you repeat that? Use Sie with an examiner.
Wie meinst du das?
To your partner · What do you mean by that? Then replace the vague word with something concrete.

Source: The Durchführungsbestimmungen (the rules for running the exam), in force since 1 September 2025, and the Sprechen candidate sheets in the published practice set for adults.

telc Deutsch B1 — Mündlicher Ausdruck (Speaking)

The published length is about 15 minutes for the pair, after 20 minutes of preparation.

Preparation. telc gives you 20 minutes of preparation, the longest of the three exams. You get all the task sheets at once in a preparation room, and an invigilator makes sure nobody talks or uses a phone or dictionary.

Notes. You may only write on the stamped sheets the exam centre provides, never on the task sheets, and only those notes come into the exam room with you. telc says plainly that you should not read from them.

In the room. Two telc-licensed examiners. The exam is always run as a pair exam; if only one person registers, one of the examiners takes the second candidate's role.

PartPublished timeWhat it is
Teil 1 Einander kennenlernenGet to know each otherabout 3 minutes for the pairYou and your partner introduce yourselves to each other.
Teil 2 Über ein Thema sprechenTalk about a topicabout 6 minutes for the pairYou each read a different opinion, report it, then discuss.
Teil 3 Gemeinsam etwas planenPlan something togetherabout 6 minutes for the pairYou organise an event together and divide the jobs.

Teil 1 Einander kennenlernen — Get to know each other

The sheet gives you points to steer by, but telc is explicit that you may go beyond them, and that the examiners may raise a topic that is not on the sheet at all. It is a conversation between the two of you, not two speeches at the examiners.

What the published task requires

  • You told your partner about yourself along the points on the sheet.telc Übungstest 1: candidates talk about themselves
  • You asked your partner questions too.telc Übungstest 1: and ask their partner questions
  • You handled a question that was not on the sheet.telc Übungstest 1: the examiners may raise an additional topic
  • You said more than the bare fact each point asked for.telc Übungstest 1: the bullet points serve as orientation; candidates may also speak about other things

Prompts in the deck (3)

Where you live and what you do. Talk your partner through these points, and get them talking about theirs. Two of the three minutes should not be you.

  • NameName
  • WohnortWhere you live
  • Arbeit oder AusbildungWork or training
  • FamilieFamily
  • SprachenLanguages
  • Freizeit am WochenendeWhat you do at the weekend

How you got here and how you learn. The same part, a different set of points. Give a reason with each answer rather than a single word.

  • NameName
  • Heimatland und HeimatstadtHome country and home town
  • Wie lange Sie schon hier sindHow long you have been here
  • Wo und wie lange Sie Deutsch lernenWhere and how long you have been learning German
  • Warum Sie Deutsch lernenWhy you are learning German
  • Was Ihnen hier gefälltWhat you like here

Your day and your plans. This set pushes you into tenses. Present for the routine, perfect for what happened, future or present for the plan.

  • NameName
  • Wo und mit wem Sie wohnenWhere and with whom you live
  • Ihr typischer TagYour typical day
  • Ihre Arbeit oder Ihr KursYour work or your course
  • Ihre Pläne für dieses JahrYour plans for this year
  • Ein HobbyA hobby

German worth having ready

Ich heiße … und ich komme aus …
To your partner · My name is … and I come from …
Ich wohne seit … Jahren in …
To your partner · I have been living in … for … years.
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil …
To your partner · I am learning German because … The verb goes to the end after weil.
Und du? Wie ist das bei dir?
To your partner · And you? How is it for you? Hand the turn back, or the part becomes a monologue.
Erzähl mir etwas über deine Arbeit.
To your partner · Tell me something about your work. A question, not an interview.
Entschuldigung, können Sie das wiederholen?
To an examiner · Excuse me, could you repeat that? Use Sie with an examiner.
Wie meinst du das?
To your partner · What do you mean by that? Then replace the vague word with something concrete.

Teil 2 Über ein Thema sprechen — Talk about a topic

You and your partner get different sheets with opposing opinions on the same topic. First you tell each other what your own sheet says. Then you talk about the topic itself, with your own experience and your own view — which does not have to be the one printed on your sheet.

What the published task requires

  • You reported what the opinion on your sheet said.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 2: first they inform each other about these opinions
  • You took in your partner's opposing opinion and referred back to it.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 2: their partner reports the other opinion
  • You reported an experience of your own.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 2: reporting their own experiences
  • You gave your own view on the topic.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 2: and expressing their own views

Prompts in the deck (3)

Working from home. You have the first opinion, your partner has the second. Report yours, hear theirs, then say what you actually think.

  • Thema: Zu Hause arbeitenTopic: working from home
  • Ihr Blatt: „Zu Hause arbeiten spart Zeit und Geld. Man muss nicht fahren.“Your sheet: working from home saves time and money; you do not have to travel.
  • Das andere Blatt: „Im Büro lernt man die Kollegen besser kennen. Zu Hause ist man allein.“The other sheet: in the office you get to know your colleagues; at home you are on your own.

Screens and children. A topic almost everyone has an opinion about, which makes it easy to forget to report the printed one first.

  • Thema: Kinder und BildschirmeTopic: children and screens
  • Ihr Blatt: „Kinder lernen vor dem Bildschirm viel, auch Sprachen.“Your sheet: children learn a lot in front of a screen, languages included.
  • Das andere Blatt: „Kinder sitzen zu lange und bewegen sich zu wenig.“The other sheet: children sit too long and move too little.

Getting to work. Practise disagreeing politely here. A flat contradiction ends the conversation six minutes early.

  • Thema: Mit dem Auto oder mit dem Bus zur ArbeitTopic: driving or taking the bus to work
  • Ihr Blatt: „Mit dem Auto bin ich schneller und unabhängig.“Your sheet: the car is faster and I am independent.
  • Das andere Blatt: „Bus und Bahn sind billiger und besser für die Umwelt.“The other sheet: buses and trains are cheaper and better for the environment.

German worth having ready

Auf meinem Blatt steht, dass …
To your partner · My sheet says that … The verb goes to the end after dass.
Auf deinem Blatt steht ja das Gegenteil.
To your partner · Your sheet says the opposite, doesn't it. Shows you listened.
Ich sehe das anders, weil …
To your partner · I see it differently, because …
Meiner Meinung nach …
To your partner · In my opinion … Followed by the verb, then the subject.
Bei mir war das so: …
To your partner · For me it was like this: … Your own experience in one sentence.
Das stimmt, aber …
To your partner · That's true, but … Agree first, then add your point.
Entschuldigung, können Sie das wiederholen?
To an examiner · Excuse me, could you repeat that? Use Sie with an examiner.
Wie meinst du das?
To your partner · What do you mean by that? Then replace the vague word with something concrete.

Teil 3 Gemeinsam etwas planen — Plan something together

The last part. You and your partner are given something to organise — a party, a trip, an event — and a list of points. telc says explicitly that asking follow-up questions and helping each other out are graded positively.

What the published task requires

  • You brought your own ideas and suggestions.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 3: they should contribute ideas and suggestions themselves
  • You reacted to your partner's suggestions.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 3: and react to suggestions
  • You made clear what actually has to be done.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 3: they should clarify what is to be done
  • You agreed who takes which job.telc Übungstest 1, Teil 3: and who takes on which task

Prompts in the deck (3)

A summer party for the whole course. Your course wants one evening together before the exam. The two of you are organising it.

  • Wann?When?
  • Wo?Where?
  • Essen und GetränkeFood and drink
  • MusikMusic
  • Wer bezahlt was?Who pays for what?
  • Wer lädt ein?Who invites people?

A stall at the international day. Your school is holding an international day and your course has been given one stall. Plan it with your partner.

  • Was anbieten?What to offer?
  • Wer kocht?Who cooks?
  • Wann aufbauen?When to set up?
  • Was kostet das?What does it cost?
  • Wer macht was?Who does what?

A museum trip for the class. Twelve people, one afternoon, and somebody has to book it. Work it out together.

  • Welches Museum?Which museum?
  • Wann?When?
  • Wie hinkommen?How to get there?
  • Eintritt und KostenEntry and costs
  • Wer meldet die Gruppe an?Who registers the group?

German worth having ready

Wie wäre es mit …?
To your partner · How about …? Put one idea on the table.
Wir könnten …
To your partner · We could … A softer suggestion, with the verb at the end.
Gute Idee!
To your partner · Good idea. Accept, so your partner can build on it.
Das ist keine gute Idee, weil …
To your partner · That is not a good idea, because … Reject with a reason, never a bare no.
Wer macht was?
To your partner · Who does what? Split the jobs before you finish.
Das erledige ich.
To your partner · I'll take care of that. Take one job yourself.
Einverstanden.
To your partner · Agreed. Close the decision out loud.

Source: The telc Deutsch B1 exam page and the free Übungstest 1, 13th edition 2020, including its Mündliche Prüfung instructions.

Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer — Sprechen (Speaking)

The published length is about 16 minutes of conversation inside about 20 minutes in the room, with no preparation time.

Preparation. g.a.s.t. states plainly that no preparation time is provided for the DTZ oral exam. You get each task sheet during the conversation itself and speak from it. That is the single biggest difference from the other two exams, and it is worth rehearsing exactly that way.

Notes. There is no preparation room and no preparation notes. The examiners hand out the sheets during the conversation and keep to the time for each part.

In the room. Two examiners: one conducts the conversation, the second concentrates on the grading. A pair exam has about 20 minutes in the room; the roughly 4 minutes left after the three parts are the examiners conferring about your result.

PartPublished timeWhat it is
Teil 1 Über sich sprechenTalk about yourselfabout 4 minutes for the pairYou introduce yourself from a keyword sheet, then answer a follow-up.
Teil 2 Über Erfahrungen sprechenTalk about experiencesabout 6 minutes for the pairYou describe a picture, then talk about your own experience of it.
Teil 3 Gemeinsam etwas planenPlan something togetherabout 6 minutes for the pairYou and your partner plan something from a bullet sheet.

Teil 1 Über sich sprechen — Talk about yourself

This part is graded in two halves. In 1A you both get the same keyword sheet and introduce yourselves in turn. In 1B the examiner asks each of you one extra question. There is nothing to prepare and no sheet to read from.

What the published task requires

  • You introduced yourself along the keywords on the sheet.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 1A: introduce yourself using the given keywords
  • You gave real detail rather than one word per keyword.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, criteria for 1A: the B1 band is 'can introduce themselves and also give more detailed information'
  • You answered the examiner's extra question.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 1B: both are also asked an additional question by the examiner
  • You answered it at some length and without a long silence first.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, criteria for 1B: the B1 band is 'can answer follow-up questions relatively spontaneously and at length'

Prompts in the deck (3)

Keyword sheet: where you are now. Take each keyword and give two sentences, not two words. Then answer the follow-up question at the bottom.

  • NameName
  • WohnortWhere you live
  • Woher Sie kommenWhere you come from
  • FamilieFamily
  • Arbeit oder KursWork or course
  • SprachenLanguages
  • Zusatzfrage: „Was machen Sie gern in Ihrer Freizeit?“Follow-up question: what do you like doing in your free time?

Keyword sheet: your first years here. The follow-up on this one asks for something harder than a fact. Answer it properly rather than with one sentence.

  • NameName
  • HeimatlandHome country
  • Wie lange Sie in Deutschland sindHow long you have been in Germany
  • Wohnung und NachbarnYour flat and your neighbours
  • Arbeit oder AusbildungWork or training
  • Ihr DeutschkursYour German course
  • Zusatzfrage: „Was war am Anfang hier am schwersten?“Follow-up question: what was hardest at the beginning here?

Keyword sheet: your week and what comes next. This set makes you use more than the present tense. The follow-up is one you will almost certainly be asked in some form.

  • NameName
  • WohnortWhere you live
  • Ihr Weg zur Arbeit oder zum KursHow you get to work or to your course
  • FamilieFamily
  • SprachenLanguages
  • Pläne für die nächsten JahrePlans for the next few years
  • Zusatzfrage: „Warum machen Sie diese Prüfung?“Follow-up question: why are you taking this exam?

German worth having ready

Ich heiße … und ich komme aus …
To an examiner · My name is … and I come from …
Ich wohne jetzt in … und arbeite als …
To an examiner · I live in … now and work as a …
Ich spreche … und lerne seit … Deutsch.
To an examiner · I speak … and have been learning German since …
Das ist eine gute Frage. Also, …
To an examiner · That's a good question. So, … Buys a second without silence.
Entschuldigung, können Sie das wiederholen?
To an examiner · Excuse me, could you repeat that? Use Sie with an examiner.
Wie meinst du das?
To your partner · What do you mean by that? Then replace the vague word with something concrete.

Teil 2 Über Erfahrungen sprechen — Talk about experiences

In 2A you get a picture — you and your partner get different ones — and say what is in it and what kind of situation it shows. In 2B the examiner asks what experience you have had with that. The examiner may pick up something you said and follow it, so the questions are not fixed.

What the published task requires

  • You named what is in the picture, including details, not just one object.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, criteria for 2A: the B1 band is 'can name the main content of a photo and also details'
  • You said what kind of situation the picture shows.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 2A: what kind of situation does this picture show?
  • You reported your own experience of it when asked.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 2B: tell us, what experience have you had with that?
  • You gave that experience some detail rather than one general sentence.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, criteria for 2B: the B1 band is 'can report their own experiences in some detail when asked'

Prompts in the deck (3)

Picture: waiting at a public office. Your picture shows a row of people waiting on chairs in a public office. One of them is holding a folder of papers and looking at a numbered screen.

  • Was sehen Sie auf dem Bild?What can you see in the picture?
  • Was für eine Situation zeigt das Bild?What kind of situation does the picture show?
  • Zusatzfrage: „Welche Erfahrungen haben Sie mit Ämtern gemacht?“Follow-up question: what experience have you had with public offices?

Picture: the school run by bike. Your picture shows two adults and three children on bicycles on a cycle path on a bright morning, with school bags on the back racks.

  • Was sehen Sie auf dem Bild?What can you see in the picture?
  • Was für eine Situation zeigt das Bild?What kind of situation does the picture show?
  • Zusatzfrage: „Wie kommen Sie und Ihre Familie zur Arbeit oder zur Schule?“Follow-up question: how do you and your family get to work or to school?

Picture: two colleagues over a plan. Your picture shows two people in work clothes in a workshop, leaning over a large plan on a bench and pointing at the same spot.

  • Was sehen Sie auf dem Bild?What can you see in the picture?
  • Was für eine Situation zeigt das Bild?What kind of situation does the picture show?
  • Zusatzfrage: „Wie ist die Arbeit in Ihrem Beruf? Was gefällt Ihnen, was nicht?“Follow-up question: what is the work like in your job? What do you like about it, and what not?

German worth having ready

Auf dem Bild sehe ich …
To an examiner · In the picture I can see …
Im Vordergrund … , im Hintergrund …
To an examiner · In the foreground … , in the background …
Ich glaube, das ist …
To an examiner · I think that is … Safer than pretending to be sure.
Das habe ich auch schon erlebt.
To an examiner · I have experienced that too. Opens the second half of the part.
Bei mir war das so: …
To an examiner · For me it was like this: … Then one concrete story.
Entschuldigung, können Sie das wiederholen?
To an examiner · Excuse me, could you repeat that? Use Sie with an examiner.
Wie meinst du das?
To your partner · What do you mean by that? Then replace the vague word with something concrete.

Teil 3 Gemeinsam etwas planen — Plan something together

You both get the same sheet with a situation and some bullet points. You tell each other your ideas, make suggestions, and react to your partner's. The published B1 description of this part is short and blunt: you can start a conversation and keep it going.

What the published task requires

  • You told your partner your ideas.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 3: they should tell each other their ideas
  • You made suggestions of your own.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 3: make suggestions
  • You reacted to your partner's suggestions.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, Teil 3: and react to the partner's suggestions
  • You started the conversation and kept it going instead of waiting to be asked.DTZ-Übungssatz 1, criteria for Teil 3: the B1 band is 'can begin a conversation and keep it going'

Prompts in the deck (3)

Cooking together with the course. Your German course wants to cook and eat together one evening. The two of you are sorting it out.

  • Wann?When?
  • Wo?Where?
  • Was kochen?What to cook?
  • Wer kauft ein?Who does the shopping?
  • Wer räumt auf?Who clears up?

A day at the lake. You and a classmate are planning a short trip to a lake nearby for the whole course.

  • Wann?When?
  • Wie hinkommen?How to get there?
  • Was mitnehmen?What to take?
  • Essen und Trinken?Food and drink?
  • Wer sagt es den anderen?Who tells the others?

Tidying the courtyard together. The people in your building want to tidy the courtyard together on a Saturday. You and a neighbour are organising it.

  • Wann?When?
  • Was ist zu tun?What needs doing?
  • Wer bringt Werkzeug?Who brings tools?
  • Was müssen wir kaufen?What do we have to buy?
  • Wer fragt die anderen Nachbarn?Who asks the other neighbours?

German worth having ready

Wie wäre es mit …?
To your partner · How about …? Put one idea on the table.
Wir könnten …
To your partner · We could … A softer suggestion, with the verb at the end.
Gute Idee!
To your partner · Good idea. Accept, so your partner can build on it.
Das ist keine gute Idee, weil …
To your partner · That is not a good idea, because … Reject with a reason, never a bare no.
Wer macht was?
To your partner · Who does what? Split the jobs before you finish.
Das erledige ich.
To your partner · I'll take care of that. Take one job yourself.
Einverstanden.
To your partner · Agreed. Close the decision out loud.

Source: The g.a.s.t. description of the DTZ and the Sprechen pages of DTZ-Übungssatz 1, © g.a.s.t., Bochum, June 2024.

Where to get the real speaking sheets

The prompts in this deck are ours. The real ones are free, and you should work through those too, because seeing an actual candidate sheet takes a surprising amount of fear out of the room.

Where these figures come from

The Goethe part structure, the per-part timings, the preparation time and the rule that you may use your own notes are in the Durchführungsbestimmungen, the rules for administering the exam, in force since 1 September 2025; the five presentation slides and the feedback-and-question instruction are printed on the Sprechen candidate sheets in the published practice set for adults. The telc structure and the 20-minute preparation come from the telc Deutsch B1 page, and the per-part timings, the note rules and what each part asks for from the Mündliche Prüfung instructions in Übungstest 1. The DTZ figures come from the g.a.s.t. description of the exam and from the oral-exam pages and grading descriptions inside Übungssatz 1.

Two things are worth naming, because you will meet them if you read the sources yourself. First, Goethe states the per-part timing twice and not identically: the rules give ranges of about 2 to 3, 3 to 4 and 1 to 2 minutes, while the candidate sheet prints 3, 3 and 2. The tool counts the candidate sheet's figures, because that is the sheet in your hand, and the sheet's figures sit inside the rules' ranges. Second, the DTZ is described as about 16 minutes in one place and about 15 in another; the current practice set resolves it as 4, 6 and 6 minutes of conversation inside about 20 minutes in the room, with the last 4 minutes used by the two examiners to agree your result.

What this tool is not

It is not an exam and it is not a test. It has no microphone, records nothing and hears nothing, so it cannot tell you whether your German was any good. Only two licensed examiners can do that, and in the real exam that is exactly who does it, independently of each other.

The prompts are ours, written in the shape of the published task types. No official prompt, topic, picture, opinion or keyword list is reproduced here. Use them to rehearse the moves, then use the provider's own free material for the real thing.

Nothing is stored. Your exam, your part, the prompt you drew, every tick on the self-check and every second the clock counted live in this tab only, and closing it ends the rehearsal for good. Nothing is sent anywhere.

One honest limit on the rehearsal itself: two of these exams publish their per-part time for the pair, not for each candidate. On your own you will run out of things to say well before the clock does. That is not a fault in your German. The tool says which figure is which on every part.

Before and after the rehearsal

The shared planning task turns up in all three exams under different part numbers, and it has a structure you can learn: propose, react, counter-propose, close. For the moment you lose the thread mid-sentence, the repair phrases keep the conversation alive while you recover. And every one of these exams opens with some version of telling a stranger who you are, which the introduction guide covers phrase by phrase.

Still choosing an exam? Start with the B1 exam guide, then compare Goethe and telc or the DTZ and telc. Once you have chosen, the practice-test guide says which free official set is current and how to mark it, and the timed mock exam runner sits the written modules in the published order and time. When the paper is marked, the result calculator reads it against each provider's published rule and the practice planner puts your weakest module first. Before the writing module, plan the task with the B1 letter planner.