English Oral Exam in Germany: Format, Phrases and Prep

The oral exam in English usually consists of a connected talk (monologue) and a conversation, either with the examiners or with an exam partner, depending on school type and federal state. What counts is how clearly, fluently and appropriately you express yourself in English. Nobody expects perfection, but speaking freely needs practice. Each German state regulates the details itself; the examples below come from Bavaria and from the national education standards of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK).

How does the oral exam in English work?

There is no single format. Two building blocks keep showing up in the official documents, though: speaking at length and taking part in a conversation. The KMK education standards for the intermediate school-leaving certificate (Mittlerer Schulabschluss) split speaking into exactly these two parts: oral interaction and oral production. For the Abitur, the KMK standards for the continued foreign language describe the same split as "taking part in conversations" and "connected monologue speaking".

Two Bavarian examples show how much the details can differ:

• Speaking Test at the Realschule: According to the Bavarian State Institute for School Quality and Educational Research (ISB), it is regularly held in March or April, with two candidates at a time. It has three parts: in the first you ask for and give personal information. In the second you compare and interpret pictures or situations and talk about opinions, likes and dislikes, and reasons. In the third you make and respond to suggestions, discuss opinions, and negotiate a choice with your partner.
• Oral exam under RSO § 36 (Realschule): The ISB recommendations for examiners give an exam length of 20 minutes as a rule. Three exam parts of roughly six minutes each are named as a guideline, and the tasks follow the material taught in grade 10.

For the Abitur, the KMK standards set a general frame: in the first part of the oral exam, which takes up at least one third of the exam time, you solve a task on your own after a preparation period and present it in a connected talk. In the second part, wider connections are discussed in an examination conversation. As a rule, this is an individual exam. Whether and how this is applied in your state and course is set out in your school's exam regulations.

Which assessment criteria apply to the English speaking exam?

Let's be honest about the sources: the exact marking grids and point distributions differ by state and school type, and in Bavaria the ISB publishes them as separate documents for teachers. What can be said reliably is the expected level. According to the ISB, the Bavarian Realschule Speaking Test is set at level B1+ of the Common European Framework of Reference. The Bavarian Speaking Test is based on level B1+, according to the ISB. For the Abitur, the KMK standards are oriented towards level B2; in English this level can be exceeded in some areas (C1).

The KMK standards also show what matters in terms of content. In conversation, you are expected to take part largely fluently, with language that is correct, suited to your listener and appropriate to the situation. That includes opening a conversation, responding to what others say and closing it, dealing with misunderstandings, defending your own position and giving reasons for opinions. In the monologue, the point is to present topics in a structured way, give clear reasons, explain your standpoint and name advantages and disadvantages of different options.

A practical rule of thumb follows: vocabulary and grammar are not all that counts. It also matters whether you listen, react and organize your thoughts.

Which tasks and topics typically come up?

Because topics and tasks vary with the exam regulations, there is no reliable topic list. The sources above do point to typical task types:

• introducing yourself and answering personal questions (family, free time, school, plans),
• describing, comparing and interpreting pictures or situations,
• giving and justifying opinions, including on current issues,
• negotiating something with a partner, such as planning a trip or choosing between options,
• in the upper school: presenting a text or a medium coherently and then discussing it in more depth.

For the Realschule exam under § 36, the ISB explicitly states that no overarching theme is required and that a variety of topics makes sense. So expect topics to change, and prepare for situations rather than for individual contents.

How do I prepare for the oral exam in English?

If you want to pass an oral exam, you have to speak, not just read. These steps have proven practical:

1. Find out the format. Ask your teacher how the exam works at your school: individual or paired, length, whether there is preparation time, which topic areas are possible.
2. Practise out loud instead of reading silently. Say your answers aloud, ideally recording them on your phone. Listening back reveals pauses, fillers and structural problems.
3. Build monologues in three parts. Introduction (what is it about), main part (two or three arguments or observations), conclusion (your own opinion). A fixed structure gives you confidence.
4. Practise conversations with a partner. Find a partner and act out discussions. Deliberately practise reacting to the other person instead of just reciting your own text.
5. Learn vocabulary by topic area. Instead of single words, phrases on everyday life, school, the environment, media and the future pay off. You'll find tips in our article on how to learn English vocabulary.
6. Simulate the exam situation. A trial run with a time limit and follow-up questions takes much of the fright away. You can do this with friends, teachers or with an oral exam simulation that asks questions and follows up.

For how an oral exam works in general and what examiners look for, see our article How does an oral exam work?.

Which phrases help in the exam?

A few fixed phrases help you bridge thinking pauses and sound more structured. Don't memorize them as a script; practise them until they feel natural:

• Giving an opinion: In my opinion … · I think … because … · From my point of view …
• Ordering arguments: First of all … · On the one hand … on the other hand … · Another point is … · To sum up …
• Describing pictures: In the foreground / in the background … · The picture shows … · It looks as if … · This reminds me of …
• Comparing: While the first picture shows … the second one … · Both pictures … · The main difference is …
• Making and answering suggestions: How about …? · Why don't we …? · That's a good idea, but … · I'd rather …
• Checking understanding: Could you repeat that, please? · Do you mean …? · Sorry, I didn't catch that.
• Buying time: Let me think for a moment … · That's an interesting question …

The last block belongs to the communicative strategies the KMK standards explicitly mention: actively clearing up misunderstandings is not a sign of weakness but part of the expected performance.

Which mistakes happen most often in the speaking exam?

This list is based on the requirements in the standards and on general exam experience, not on statistics:

• Reciting memorized monologues. As soon as a follow-up question comes, the text falls apart. Better: learn structure and keywords, not whole sentences.
• Only speaking your own part. Dialogues and paired exams require you to respond to what others say. Ignoring your partner leaves points on the table.
• Answering too briefly. A "yes" or "no" is not a speech sample. Always add a reason or an example.
• Stopping after a mistake. Small errors are part of speaking. Correct yourself briefly and carry on.
• Switching to German. If you lack a word, describe it in English: It's a thing you use to …
• Speaking too fast. Rushing swallows endings and thoughts. A calm pace sounds more confident.

What helps against nerves before the English exam?

Nervousness is normal and no proof that you are unprepared. What helps most are things you control beforehand: a trial run under conditions as realistic as possible, a fixed opening sentence you know well, and a deliberately slow start. One deep breath before your first answer costs only seconds. If you lose your thread, say a bridging phrase like "Let me think for a moment" and pick up the last keyword. If you have spoken English aloud and freely several times, the exam is less of a surprise.

If nerves regularly limit you a lot in exams, talk to your teacher or the school counsellor. That is not a weakness but a sensible step.

How do the federal states differ?

In short: considerably. The KMK sets the frame with its education standards – for the Abitur, for example, level B2, in English partly C1. How long the exam lasts, whether it is individual or paired, which task types appear and how it is marked is decided by the states and partly by individual schools. The Bavarian examples above therefore do not apply everywhere. Don't rely on reports from other states; ask for your school's exam regulations and for practice material from your teacher.

What now?

Make a small plan: clarify the format, build a structure for monologues, practise out loud a few times a week, ideally with a partner, and schedule a trial run shortly before the exam. LearnCastAI can help turn your materials into questions and practise the conversation situation. That is no guarantee of passing, but it takes the surprise out of speaking freely. You'll find more strategies in our exam preparation category.