Do I need a partner for the DTZ speaking test?

The speaking test is normally a pair exam with another candidate, and in some cases a single exam. In Teil 3 you plan something together with your partner.

Is there preparation time?

No. You see the card and start speaking. That is why it helps to know the three task types and a few sentences for each before the exam.

What happens if I fail Sprechen?

Below A2 in Sprechen you get no DTZ certificate, even with good results in the other parts. You can retake the DTZ as often as you want, but always the whole exam, written and oral.

When is the speaking exam?

The oral DTZ exam takes place on the same day, after the written exam.

DTZ A2 to B1, Sprechen

DTZ speaking practice test (Sprechen), Teil 1 to 3

On this page you see the task cards of a Faust DTZ Sprechen practice paper for all three Teile, what the two examiners mark, and short German sentences you can use, explained in English. The speaking practice is free to start online, without an account, and every PDF is free.

Updated 23 October 2026, Faust Academy team

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DTZ Sprechen is normally a pair exam: you talk with two examiners and another candidate in three Teile of 4, 6 and 6 minutes. There is no preparation time. One examiner leads the conversation, the other concentrates on marking.

Sprechen decides whether you get a certificate at all. With a result below A2 in Sprechen there is no DTZ certificate, whatever your other results. Below are the three task cards of Faust DTZ Sprechen Übungssatz 01 and what to say for each.

Teil 1: introduce yourself

Both candidates get the same card: „Würden Sie sich bitte vorstellen?“

Name
Geburtsort
Wohnort
Arbeit/Beruf
Familie
Sprachen

What makes Teil 1 B1 and not A2

The marking guide of this paper says for B1: „Stellt sich mit ausführlicheren Informationen vor.“ For A2: „Stellt sich mit kurzen allgemeinen Informationen vor.“ The difference is detail. Two lines from the paper's sample answer show it. „Ich arbeite als Verkäuferin in einer Bäckerei.“ answers the keyword. „Meistens fange ich früh an, deshalb habe ich am Nachmittag Zeit für meinen Deutschkurs.“ adds a reason and a link to your life, and that is what B1 looks for.

Then the examiner asks one more question about something you said (Teil 1B). If you named your job, for example: „Wie sieht ein typischer Tag bei dieser Arbeit aus?“ If you said you learn a language: „Was hilft Ihnen beim Lernen dieser Sprache?“ For B1 you answer in a few connected sentences, not with one word.

Teil 2: describe your photo, then talk about your experience

Each candidate gets a different photo. In this paper Person A sees a supermarket checkout and Person B a fruit stall at a market. The first question is „Was sehen Sie auf dem Foto?“. Then the examiner asks „Welche Erfahrungen haben Sie damit?“ and follows up with questions about your answer.

For the photo, B1 means: „Nennt den Hauptinhalt des Fotos und Einzelheiten.“ Start with the main content, then add details: who, where, what is in front and in the back. Sentences from the paper's sample answer: „Auf meinem Foto sieht man eine Kasse in einem Supermarkt.“ „Im Hintergrund sind noch andere Menschen und mehrere Kassen.“ „Ich denke, die Frau arbeitet an der Kasse.“

For your experience, B1 means: „Berichtet auf Nachfrage mit einigen Einzelheiten über eigene Erfahrungen.“ Tell one real moment in the past tense, with what happened and what you did. The sample starts: „Ich kaufe meistens nach der Arbeit im Supermarkt ein. Letzte Woche wollte ich Reis und Gemüse kaufen.“

Teil 3: plan something together

Both candidates get this card: „Sie besuchen denselben Deutschkurs. Sie möchten mit einem anderen Deutschkurs einen Spieleabend organisieren, damit sich die Teilnehmenden kennenlernen. Sie beide übernehmen die Organisation.“

Wann und wo?
Wie viele Personen? Wie einladen?
Welche Spiele? Wer bringt sie mit?
Essen und Getränke?
Kosten und Aufgaben verteilen?
Was müssen Sie noch klären?

What the examiners want in Teil 3

B1 in this paper's marking guide: „Beginnt ein Gespräch und hält es aufrecht; plant spontan, bringt Ideen und Meinungen ein, macht Vorschläge und reagiert darauf.“ A2: „Stellt und beantwortet Fragen, kann das Gespräch aber nur mit Mühe aufrechterhalten; bringt einfache Planungsideen und Vorschläge ein.“

So talk to your partner, not to the examiners. Make a suggestion, react to your partner's idea, agree or offer something else, share the tasks, and sum up the plan at the end. Use the six points on the card as your list, but you do not have to keep their order.

Sentences for Teil 3

These lines come from the sample conversation in the paper's marking guide. The paper calls it „ein erfundenes Beispiel“, an invented example, and it has no score. The two candidates say du to each other.

Make a suggestion and ask: „Ich würde gern nächsten Freitag anfangen, vielleicht um sechs. Passt dir das?“
Offer another option: „Können wir um halb sieben anfangen?“
Agree: „Gute Idee.“ or „Einverstanden.“
Disagree politely and suggest something else: „Das wäre viel Arbeit für dich. Vielleicht bringt jeder eine Kleinigkeit mit.“
Take a task: „Ich kaufe die Getränke, sobald wir wissen, wie viele kommen.“
Give your partner a task: „Kannst du Becher mitbringen?“
Sum up: „Also: Du klärst den Raum, den Preis und das Abschließen.“

DTZ Sprechen: the three Teile

Minutes for the pair from g.a.s.t. Übungssatz 1. Task points from the marking guide of this Faust paper.

Teil	What you do	Minutes	Task points
Teil 1 (1A and 1B)	Introduce yourself from keywords, then answer one question	4	5 and 5
Teil 2 (2A and 2B)	Describe your photo, then talk about your experience	6	10 and 10
Teil 3	Plan something together with your partner	6	20

How the two examiners mark

Each examiner marks you on their own, and your mark is the mean of the two. Task completion (Aufgabenbewältigung) is marked per Teil, 50 points in total. Aussprache und Intonation, Flüssigkeit, Korrektheit and Wortschatz are marked once for the whole conversation, another 50 points. B1 starts at 75 of 100 points, A2 at 35.

A pair exam takes 20 minutes: 16 minutes of speaking and 4 minutes in which the examiners agree on the marks.

How speaking practice works on Faust

The start button opens the speaking tasks of this paper in your browser, without an account. You practise every Teil in the exam format, with the photo cards. The PDFs for Person A, Person B and the examiners, with the marking guide and the sample conversation, are free on the paper page.

Faust is an independent practice platform. After Übungssatz 01, try Übungssatz 02 and 03, linked below, for new photos and new planning tasks.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a partner for the DTZ speaking test?: The speaking test is normally a pair exam with another candidate, and in some cases a single exam. In Teil 3 you plan something together with your partner.
Is there preparation time?: No. You see the card and start speaking. That is why it helps to know the three task types and a few sentences for each before the exam.
What happens if I fail Sprechen?: Below A2 in Sprechen you get no DTZ certificate, even with good results in the other parts. You can retake the DTZ as often as you want, but always the whole exam, written and oral.
When is the speaking exam?: The oral DTZ exam takes place on the same day, after the written exam.

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