Goethe B1 Sprechen (and ÖSD B1): planning, presentation, questions, Redemittel and marking

Sprechen is the speaking module of the B1 certificate run by the Goethe-Institut and ÖSD. You normally take it with one other candidate, paired at random, while two examiners listen. The module counts on its own, so a weak conversation does not cost you written modules you have already passed. Five slides set the structure of the presentation, so you can rehearse it well before exam day. You can prepare on your own with the official sample paper and this guide.¹

Goethe B1 speaking exam pattern

The pair exam takes about 15 minutes, the single exam about 10. A single exam happens only in exceptional cases, and then an examiner plays your partner in Teil 1.¹

Before the exam you get 15 minutes to prepare. You prepare alone, may take notes for each task and are expected to speak freely in the exam. You may use your bullet-point notes during the conversation. It opens with a short get-to-know-you exchange of about a minute, which is not marked.^1·2

The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and the ÖSD Zertifikat B1 are the same exam, developed jointly by ÖSD, the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and the Goethe-Institut. Everything below also applies to the ÖSD B1 exam.³

How many points each speaking part is worth

You pass the module with at least 60 of 100 points. On the marking sheet Teil 1 carries up to 28 points, the presentation 40 and Teil 3 16, with another 16 for pronunciation across all three parts.^1·2

The presentation weighs more than any other part, and it is the only one you prepare entirely by yourself. You run Teil 1 together with your partner, so for it rehearse mainly phrases for suggesting and responding.

Goethe B1 Sprechen marking criteria

Teil 1 is marked on task completion, interaction, vocabulary with register, and structures. Interaction means starting the conversation, keeping it going, ending it and responding to your partner.²

For the presentation, task completion asks how complete it is. The top band needs all five slides covered adequately; three or four slides get one band lower, two slides the third. If task completion gets an E, the whole part scores 0. For pronunciation the top band means no noticeable deviations; the second band, 12 of 16 points, allows a noticeable accent as long as it does not get in the way of understanding.²

Both examiners mark independently and your score is the average. Before the presentation the examiners' script reminds you of two things: give it a proper opening and close, and do not read everything from your notes.^1·2

Goethe B1 Sprechen example: planning together

We wrote this task ourselves in the exam format; it is not from the official sample paper.

Ihr Deutschkurs möchte im Mai ein Wochenende zusammen wegfahren. Sie organisieren die Reise mit Ihrem Gesprächspartner. Jede Person kann höchstens 120 Euro ausgeben.

• Wohin?
• Wo übernachten?
• Wie viel Geld wofür?
• Wer bucht was?

A possible opening:

A: Wohin sollen wir fahren? Ich schlage einen Ort an einem See vor, mit einem kleinen Hotel direkt am Wasser.

B: Der See ist eine gute Idee, aber ein Hotel ist für 120 Euro zu teuer. Wie wäre es mit einer Jugendherberge?

A: Einverstanden. Dann bleibt auch genug Geld für den Zug und ein gemeinsames Abendessen.

B: Super, dann buche ich die Jugendherberge. Jetzt müssen wir noch klären, wer die Zugtickets kauft.

In four turns the two candidates cover three of the four points and start on the last one, and each of them both suggests and responds. B turns down the hotel, gives a reason and offers something else ("… ein Hotel ist für 120 Euro zu teuer. Wie wäre es mit einer Jugendherberge?"). That is responding to your partner, which is part of the interaction criterion. This is what would cost points:

1. One talks, the other nods. Answering every suggestion with "Ja, gut" leaves you almost nothing said, so there is little interaction of yours to mark.
2. A point skipped. If you never settle who books what, the task is only partly done.
3. No decision. The task asks you to plan and decide together, so end by agreeing and briefly summing up what you decided.

Redemittel for Goethe B1 Sprechen

These phrases are ours. Learn them as fixed blocks, so you can think about content during the exam.

How to prepare for Goethe B1 Sprechen

The official sample paper has the tasks of all three parts, the examiners' script and the marking criteria. Start with the presentation, since it carries the most points. Build a five-step template from the slides: topic and outline, your own experience, the situation in your home country, pros and cons with your opinion, conclusion and thanks. Then run it aloud on three or four everyday topics with a timer set to 3–4 minutes. For Teil 1, practise with a partner and check that you both speak about as much.²

If your talk still runs over or you keep reading it out in practice, postpone only Sprechen and take the written modules first: certificates from different sittings can be combined. The whole exam is described in our guide to the Goethe-Zertifikat B1. The writing module has its own guide: Goethe B1 Schreiben.⁴

Источники

· 4 проверены 08.11.2026

1. 1Goethe-Zertifikat B1: Durchführungsbestimmungen, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025
2. 2Goethe-Zertifikat B1: Modellsatz Erwachsene, Goethe-Institut und ÖSD
3. 3ÖSD Zertifikat B1, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch
4. 4Prüfungsordnung, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025