The DELE B1 speaking test (Prueba 4, Expresión e interacción orales) lasts 15 minutes and has four tasks: a 2-3 minute monologue, a 3-4 minute conversation on the same topic, describing a photograph (2-3 minutes) and a role-play dialogue (2-3 minutes). Before that, you get 15 minutes in a preparation room. Here's what each task is like, with sample answers and comments, plus a plan to make the most of your preparation time.

If you want to practise with a full exam, download the free DELE B1 oral exam sample PDF. And if the photo is what worries you most, there's a whole guide (in Spanish) on how to describe a picture in Task 3. In this article I focus on what isn't covered there: what a good answer sounds like in Tasks 1, 2 and 4.

What is the DELE B1 speaking test like?

  • Preparation room (15 minutes): you choose one of two topics for Task 1 and prepare an outline. No dictionary, no phone. You take your outline into the exam room, but you can't just read it out.
  • Exam room (15 minutes): there are always two examiners. The interviewer talks to you and gives you an overall (holistic) mark worth 40 %. The rater doesn't take part and gives the analytic mark (60 %) in four categories: coherence, fluency, accuracy and range. Tasks 1 and 2 weigh the same as Tasks 3 and 4.
  • Before you start, you'll get a few ice-breaker questions (your name, where you're from…). They aren't marked.

The tasks come in pairs: Task 2 is about the topic you chose for Task 1, and Task 4 is linked to the photo in Task 3. So when you choose a topic or a photo, think about the task that comes next too.

What do you have to do in Task 1, and what does a good answer sound like?

Task 1 is a 2 to 3 minute monologue. The interviewer won't interrupt you (they'll only step in if you go blank). The card gives you the topic, sometimes with a newspaper headline, and five or six questions. Underneath, it always says the same thing: separate your introduction, development and conclusion, organise your ideas and justify your opinions and feelings.

Three keys I teach in the course:

  • Cover every prompt, ideally in the order on the card. It's usually logical, and that way you won't forget any.
  • Share your time between them. If you spend a whole minute on the first question, you won't get through the rest.
  • Use at least four discourse markers and signal the end clearly (“para terminar”, “esto es todo”) so the interviewer knows you've finished.

Imagine this card: Talk about travelling. Include: what kind of trips you prefer and why; where you usually go and who with; a trip you particularly remember; what trip you'd like to take in the future.

Sample answer (Task 1, topic “travelling”)

“Para empezar, voy a hablar de los viajes, que es algo que me encanta. Prefiero los viajes en coche o en tren, porque puedo ver el paisaje y parar cuando quiero. En cambio, los vuelos largos no me gustan tanto, ya que me canso muchísimo.

Normalmente voy a la costa o a ciudades pequeñas, y suelo viajar con mi pareja o con un par de amigas. Cuando era pequeña, íbamos siempre con mis padres a un pueblo del sur. De hecho, allí pasé los mejores veranos de mi infancia.

Por otro lado, hay un viaje que recuerdo especialmente: el año pasado estuvimos cuatro días en Lisboa. Nos perdimos por el barrio de Alfama, comimos un pescado buenísimo y subimos al tranvía 28. Lo que más me gustó fue la gente, porque fue muy amable con nosotros.

Por último, en el futuro me gustaría hacer un viaje largo por Sudamérica, sobre todo por Perú, porque tengo muchas ganas de ver Machu Picchu y de probar su comida. Para terminar, creo que viajar es la mejor forma de abrir la mente. Esto es todo.”

Why does this answer work?

  • It introduces the topic in the first sentence and closes clearly.
  • It answers every prompt, in order, giving each one similar space.
  • It justifies every opinion (“porque puedo ver el paisaje”, “ya que me canso”).
  • It mixes tenses: present, imperfect (“íbamos”), preterite (“estuvimos”, “comimos”) and conditional (“me gustaría”). The questions on the card tell you which tense to use.
  • It uses simple but varied markers: “para empezar”, “en cambio”, “de hecho”, “por otro lado”, “por último”, “para terminar”.

You don't need fancy vocabulary. The difference is detail and organisation:

  • Weak: “Me gusta los viajes. Es bonito. Yo voy a muchos sitios. En el verano fui a Portugal.”
  • Strong: “Me gustan mucho los viajes, sobre todo los cortos. El verano pasado, por ejemplo, fui a Portugal y me encantó.”

What will they ask you in Task 2?

Right after your monologue, the interviewer asks you questions on the same topic for 3 or 4 minutes: your experiences, your likes, your opinion and what happens in your country. There are usually four or five questions, and if your answers are very short, you'll get more. They aren't yes/no questions: you're expected to give reasons and examples.

Sample answer (Task 2)

Interviewer: ¿Cree que hoy la gente viaja más que antes?

Candidate: “Pues sí, en mi opinión viajamos mucho más, aunque no todo el mundo igual. Por un lado, ahora hay vuelos baratos y en internet encuentras alojamiento en cinco minutos. Mis padres, por ejemplo, no salieron de España hasta los cuarenta años, y yo con veinte ya había estado en tres países. Por otro lado, también es verdad que viajar sigue siendo caro para mucha gente, sobre todo para las familias. Yo creo que depende mucho de la edad y del dinero que tengas.”

Why does it work?

It gives a clear opinion (“en mi opinión”), qualifies it (“aunque no todo el mundo igual”), shows both sides with “por un lado / por otro lado”, adds a personal example and ends with a general idea. That's exactly what B1 asks for.

If you don't understand a question, don't just say anything: ask them to repeat it (“¿Podría repetir la pregunta, por favor?”) or check what you understood (“Según he entendido, me pregunta por…”). Asking politely for clarification doesn't lower your mark.

What is Task 3 (the photograph) like?

There's no preparation: in the exam room you choose one of two photos and describe it for 1 or 2 minutes. Then the interviewer asks you a few questions on the topic of the photo (2-3 minutes in total). Under the photo you'll always find the same five prompts, so you can learn them at home:

  • The people: where they are, what they're like, what they're doing.
  • The place they're in: what it's like.
  • The objects: what objects there are, where they are, what they're like.
  • What relationship you think there is between these people.
  • What you think they're talking about (or what they're thinking and feeling).

Cover all five, in order, and use expressions of hypothesis (“a lo mejor”, “quizás”, “es posible que”, “parece que”) for anything you can't be sure of. The full step-by-step, with vocabulary and a complete model, is in Cómo describir una imagen en la Tarea 3 oral del DELE B1 (in Spanish).

How do you do the Task 4 role-play well?

When you finish Task 3, the interviewer turns the card over: Task 4 is on the back, on the same topic as the photo. It's a role card with an everyday situation, each person's role and four or five prompts telling you what to do (greet, explain something, ask, suggest, complain…). You get one minute to read it, and then you have a 2 to 3 minute conversation.

The situations are everyday ones: returning or exchanging a product, asking for a service, making a complaint or an enquiry, arranging an appointment, asking for information or making plans with a friend. The interviewer usually starts and will probably ask you more questions than you ask them, but make sure you ask at least one question yourself: it shows you can keep the conversation going.

Sample dialogue (Task 4)

Card: A friend invites you round for breakfast on Sunday. Imagine the interviewer is that friend. During the conversation you must: greet them and accept the invitation; ask what time to meet; offer to bring something; ask whether anyone else is coming.

Interviewer: ¡Hola! Oye, ¿te apetece venir a desayunar a casa el domingo?

Candidate: “¡Hola! ¡Qué bien, me encanta la idea! Hace mucho que no nos vemos. ¿A qué hora quieres que vaya?”

Interviewer: Sobre las diez, ¿te parece bien?

Candidate: “Perfecto. ¿Quieres que lleve algo? Puedo pasar por la panadería y comprar unos cruasanes, o si prefieres llevo zumo de naranja natural.”

Interviewer: Trae los cruasanes, que zumo ya tengo.

Candidate: “Hecho. Por cierto, ¿va a venir alguien más? Te lo pregunto porque, si somos más, compro más cruasanes.”

Why does it work?

It covers every prompt on the card, answers in full sentences, offers options and asks questions. It doesn't wait for the interviewer to carry the conversation.

  • Weak: “Sí. Vale. Bien. Gracias.”
  • Strong: “Sí, me apetece muchísimo. ¿A qué hora te viene bien? Y si quieres, llevo yo algo dulce.”

How can you make the most of the 15 minutes of preparation?

In the preparation room they explain the test, give you a choice of two topics (you usually only see the title) and, once you've chosen, the 15 minutes start. You get a blank sheet for your outline. Here's the plan I suggest:

  1. Choose quickly and wisely. Go for the topic you have more vocabulary and more to say about, because in Task 2 you'll have to give opinions and examples on it.
  2. Always use the same outline. A space for the introduction, one for each prompt, one for the conclusion and a fixed corner with your discourse markers. If you practise it the same way at home, on the day you'll know exactly where to look.
  3. Keywords, not sentences. If you write a full text, you'll end up reading it, you'll lose your place when you look up and it will show.
  4. Check every prompt has content and that none of them will eat into the time for the others.
  5. If you have time left, think about Task 2: what they might ask about your experience, your opinion and your country.

When you come out, you'll usually wait a few minutes in the corridor while the examiners mark the previous candidate. Use that time to go over your outline and run through the monologue in your head.

What lowers your mark in the DELE B1 speaking test?

You don't lose a point for every mistake: the examiners look at your performance as a whole. If you hesitate, correct yourself and carry on, that's fine. What does hurt you is:

  • Forgetting a prompt in Task 1 or Task 4.
  • Reading your outline instead of speaking.
  • One-word answers in Tasks 2 and 4.
  • Long silences and always repeating the same structures.
  • Giving opinions without saying why.

Practise by recording yourself on your phone. It's uncomfortable, but it's the best way to hear yourself the way the examiners will. And if you ever freeze, here are some ideas on how to recover if you go blank in the speaking test.

Frequently asked questions about the DELE B1 speaking test

Can I take my notes into the exam room?

Yes, the outline you make in the preparation room goes with you and you can glance at it. What you can't do is just read it out.

Can I use tú with the interviewer?

Yes. You can use tú, usted or vos. If you're not sure, ask during the ice-breaker questions (“¿Le importa que le hable de tú?”) and stick to the same form throughout the test.

What if I don't know a fact or have no experience of the topic?

It's a language exam, not a general knowledge test. You can say you don't know, or make something up, as long as it makes sense. If a word won't come, describe it: “ese aparato que sirve para…”.

What topics usually come up?

Familiar ones: health and sport, food, relationships, studies and language learning, work, technology, your town, free time, travel and future plans.

How many points do I need in the speaking test to pass the DELE B1?

The speaking test is worth 25 points and is grouped with listening. You need at least 30 out of 50 in that group, and another 30 out of 50 in the reading and writing group. The groups don't compensate for each other, and passed parts aren't carried over to another exam session.

In short

  • 15 minutes of preparation and 15 in the exam, with two examiners: interviewer (40 %) and rater (60 %).
  • Task 1: 2-3 minute monologue; every prompt, in order, with time shared out and discourse markers.
  • Task 2: 3-4 minutes of questions on the same topic; give opinions, reasons and examples.
  • Task 3: describe the photo using the five fixed prompts and hypotheses.
  • Task 4: read the card in the minute you're given, cover every prompt and ask at least one question.
  • In the preparation room, a keyword outline that always follows the same structure.

If you're preparing for the DELE B1 and want a task-by-task guide, my online course includes strategies for every part of the exam, examples with comments, a community, a chat for your questions and group calls: https://b1.aporeldele.com/. If you'd rather practise on paper, there's also my DELE B1 book on Amazon. Not sure yet whether B1 is your level? Take the level test. And to get free resources and reminders before every exam session, sign up for the newsletter.

In this video I explain the DELE B1 speaking test (in Spanish):

¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸