Teil 1: the talk
You get a topic with three points, for example: describe the situation in your country, give advantages and disadvantages, give your opinion and reasons. You speak for about four minutes. Then your exam partner asks you a question, which you answer. Then you swap: your partner gives their talk and you ask a question.
The follow-up question counts. A relevant, well-formed question and an answer that really addresses it earn points of their own.
Ehrenamt: Pflicht oder freiwillig?
Beschreiben Sie die Situation in Ihrem Land. Nennen Sie Vor- und Nachteile. Sagen Sie Ihre Meinung und begründen Sie sie.
Teil 2: the discussion
The two of you discuss a question for about five minutes, for example: should working from home be possible for everyone? The task sheet gives opinions on it. You take a side, respond to your partner's arguments and reach a conclusion at the end.
This is where interaction is graded: do you react to what was said, or recite what you prepared? Asking, agreeing, disagreeing, summing up: that is what makes a discussion.
The criteria
Both parts are rated on the A to E scale. Teil 1 is worth about 44 points, Teil 2 about 56; pronunciation is judged across the whole exam.
- Task fulfilment: all points covered, appropriately and in enough depth.
- Coherence and fluency: a thread through the talk, connected ideas, a natural pace without long pauses.
- Questions and answers (Teil 1) and interaction (Teil 2): do you respond to the other person?
- Register: the tone fits the situation and stays consistent.
- Vocabulary and structures: precise words, varied sentences, few disruptive errors.
- Pronunciation: clear and understandable. An accent is not a mistake as long as you are easily understood.
How to use the 15 minutes of preparation
- Write keywords, not sentences. Reading aloud sounds read aloud, and that costs fluency.
- Plan the talk in three parts, one per point, plus an opening sentence and a conclusion.
- For the discussion, note two arguments for your side and one counter-argument you can answer.
- Have phrases ready: Ich bin der Meinung, dass … Einerseits …, andererseits … Da stimme ich dir zu, allerdings …
Why speaking is so hard to practise alone
Reading and listening come with answer keys; for speaking you need someone to listen and tell you what's missing. In Bereit, Punkt is your exam partner: he asks the follow-up question after your talk, gives one himself, and argues the other side in the discussion. At the end you get the grading against the B2 criteria, as often as you like.