50 Questions You’ll Be Asked in the B1 Speaking Exam
The Goethe B1 speaking exam isn’t a random interview — it’s three specific tasks, and each one produces a predictable, learnable range of questions. Knowing the shape of what’s coming is most of the battle. Here’s a real sample from each task, organised so you can practise against the actual format rather than guessing.
Aufgabe 1: Planning something together
These aren’t questions in the traditional sense — they’re prompts your exam partner uses to move the negotiation forward, and you’ll need to respond to versions of them regardless of the specific scenario on your card.
- Was hältst du von dieser Idee?
- Wie wäre es, wenn wir stattdessen…?
- Wann sollten wir das machen?
- Wer kümmert sich um…?
- Bist du damit einverstanden?
- Hast du eine bessere Idee?
- Was brauchen wir dafür noch?
- Wie viel sollten wir dafür ausgeben?
Aufgabe 2: Follow-up questions on your presentation
After your 3-minute presentation, your partner asks questions. These cluster into a few predictable types regardless of topic:
- Warum hast du dieses Thema gewählt?
- Was denkst du persönlich darüber?
- Gibt es auch Nachteile bei…?
- Wie ist das in deinem Heimatland?
- Hast du selbst Erfahrung damit?
- Was würdest du anders machen?
- Kannst du ein Beispiel geben?
Aufgabe 3: Discussing both topics
The most open-ended part, but still built around a handful of recurring question shapes:
- Welches Thema fandest du interessanter, deins oder meins?
- Was war für dich das Überraschendste an meinem Thema?
- Siehst du das genauso wie ich, oder anders?
- Was würdest du zu diesem Thema noch hinzufügen?
- Wie hängen unsere beiden Themen zusammen?
Why the pattern matters more than any individual question
Notice these aren’t really 20 unrelated questions — they’re a handful of question types (asking for opinion, asking for a reason, asking for comparison, asking for a personal example) applied to whatever specific topic comes up on exam day. Once you can comfortably answer “Warum…?”, “Was denkst du…?” and “Kannst du ein Beispiel geben?” about almost any subject, you’ve effectively prepared for a huge share of what actually gets asked, regardless of the specific topic card you draw.
This is the single most useful thing to internalise from this list: don’t memorise answers to these exact 20 questions. Practise the skill of answering this type of question fluently about a topic you’ve never specifically prepared, since that’s what Aufgabe 3 in particular is designed to test.
Practising these question types out loud — with something that responds and adapts, not a static list — is what actually builds the reflex you need on exam day. SipLingo runs real voice conversations that ask genuine follow-up questions and correct your answers in your own language as you go. Try it free →
Get the full set of 50
The 20 above cover the core question types across all three tasks. The full “Goethe B1 Speaking: 50 Questions” PDF includes 30 more, organised by task, plus a short list of flexible phrases you can adapt to answer almost any of them without a fixed script.
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
How to actually practise with these
Don’t read through the list and mentally note “I could answer that.” Say a real answer out loud, in full sentences, for each one — ideally with someone (a partner, tutor, or conversation tool) responding with a genuine follow-up, since that’s the part a static list can’t simulate and the exam absolutely will.
More examples across all three tasks
More Aufgabe 1 negotiation prompts: 21. Sollen wir das heute oder morgen machen? 22. Ist das nicht zu teuer für uns? 23. Was, wenn das nicht klappt? 24. Können wir uns darauf einigen? 25. Wie lange dauert das ungefähr?
More Aufgabe 2 follow-up types: 26. Ist das in deinem Land auch so? 27. Was war für dich am schwierigsten daran? 28. Würdest du das anderen empfehlen? 29. Wie oft machst du das? 30. Was hat dich daran am meisten interessiert?
More Aufgabe 3 discussion prompts: 31. Habt ihr beide ähnliche Erfahrungen gemacht? 32. Was denkst du, warum ist das Thema wichtig? 33. Gibt es etwas, das du noch fragen möchtest? 34. Wie würdest du das Thema jemand anderem erklären? 35. Was war das Wichtigste, das du aus meiner Präsentation mitgenommen hast?
A note on how examiners actually vary these
No two exam sittings use identical wording — the underlying question types above are stable, but the exact phrasing, topic, and order shift each time. This is precisely why practising the pattern (opinion, reason, comparison, example) matters more than memorising any specific line from this list, including the ones above. Treat every question here as a template to practise flexibly, not a script to recite verbatim on exam day.
Related guides: how to practise the speaking exam alone
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe B1 practice materials (model tests, audio, speaking video) – Free B1 model and practice sets for adults and teens, audio and a speaking video
- telc gGmbH: Zertifikat Deutsch / telc Deutsch B1 – official exam page – Written and oral parts, timings, 3-part pair speaking exam with 20-min prep
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in the Goethe B1 speaking exam? Aufgabe 1 uses collaborative planning prompts (suggestions, agreement, decisions). Aufgabe 2 uses follow-up questions about your presentation (why you chose the topic, your opinion, examples). Aufgabe 3 uses comparative and reflective questions about both candidates’ topics.
Should I memorise answers to these exact questions? No — memorise the underlying question types instead (opinion, reason, example, comparison) and practise answering them flexibly about different topics. A memorised answer to one specific question falls apart the moment the actual exam question is phrased slightly differently.
Can the same question be asked at a different exam sitting with different wording? Yes, constantly — question wording varies every sitting, which is exactly why practising the underlying question type matters more than memorising any specific phrasing from this list, the full PDF, or anywhere else.
How many questions are actually asked in the real exam? It varies by pairing and how the conversation naturally flows, but expect roughly 2–4 direct follow-up questions across Aufgabe 2 and 3 combined, plus the interactive back-and-forth of Aufgabe 1’s negotiation.
Build the reflex to answer any version of these questions, not just the ones you’ve memorised. SipLingo scores your speaking on word accuracy, grammar, fluency and intonation. A1 to B2.
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