Arriving at the DELE B1 oral exam without ever having seen a complete sample is like turning up to an important interview without knowing what they're going to ask you. It's completely normal to feel that knot in your stomach, especially if you've spent weeks studying grammar and vocabulary but haven't practised out loud. The good news is that I have a free DELE B1 oral exam sample PDF ready for you, with the four tasks exactly as you'll find them on exam day.
Download the free DELE B1 oral exam sample
Before you read on, here's the link so you have the sample to hand while you read the post. That way you can look at the real tasks as you go and understand everything I'm about to tell you much better.
Download it here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/simulacrob1
It's a free PDF with a complete DELE B1 oral exam sample: the four tasks, the láminas (prompt cards), the topics and the situations you might get. You can print it, open it on your phone or computer and practise with it whenever you like.
My advice is to read the whole post first so you understand what's behind each task and then sit down with the sample and work through it without rushing.
What the DELE B1 oral exam is like
The Prueba de Expresión e interacción orales (the speaking test) of the DELE B1, according to the Instituto Cervantes, lasts 15 minutes. You also get 15 minutes of preparation beforehand, without a dictionary, in which you can take notes for the first two tasks.
There are four tasks in total. It sounds like a lot, but you'll see that each one has its place and its logic.
The important thing is that you understand the general idea before we get into the detail.
You're alone with the examiner in a room. Sometimes there's also a calificador/a (a second examiner who marks), who takes notes and doesn't intervene. Your examiner guides you through it: they read you the instructions, ask you questions and, when the time comes, take on a role in a simulated situation.
It's not a job interview. They're not going to ask you trick questions. The exam is designed for you to show what you can do in Spanish, not to catch you out.
That said, there are rules, timings and specific tasks. And it's worth knowing them well before you sit the exam.
Task 1: a short presentation on a topic
Tarea 1 (Task 1) is a monologue. You speak on your own for 2 or 3 minutes about a topic you choose from two options.
The topics are everyday ones: your hobbies, your travels, your routine, your family, an important experience, the city where you live, a childhood memory. Things that feel close to home.
On the prompt card they give you, you have the topic and some guiding questions. They're not compulsory; they're there to help. You can skip them if you have something better to say, but it's worth reading them because they give you ideas and structure.
What the examiner is looking for here is fairly clear. They want to see whether you can organise a continuous stretch of speech, without jumping from one topic to another, with a beginning, a development and an ending. Whether you connect your sentences with "además", "por eso", "aunque", "sin embargo". Whether you have enough vocabulary not to go blank after thirty seconds.
Quick tip: prepare a generic monologue structure you can adapt to any topic. Starting with a general idea, giving two or three concrete details and closing with a personal opinion works almost every time.
Watch out for this: don't memorise whole texts. The examiner can spot it a mile off and, besides, when they ask you questions in Task 2 you'll have to improvise. Better to have a mental outline and speak freely.
Task 2: a conversation about the Task 1 topic
Tarea 2 (Task 2) lasts between 3 and 4 minutes and is a natural continuation of the first one. The examiner asks you questions about what you've just said, asks you to go deeper, to give your opinion, to compare with your country or your own experience.
Here you're no longer on your own. It's a real conversation. You have to listen, respond, add nuance, ask for clarification if you don't understand.
What the examiner is looking for is whether you can keep up a natural dialogue in Spanish, without isolated replies like "sí" or "no me gusta". They want to hear you argue your point.
Use Task 2 to get out everything you didn't have time to say in Task 1. If there was something you were still itching to tell them, this is the moment.
My advice is this: always answer with two or three sentences, not one. A main idea plus an example or a reason. That way you show you have enough range and that you can develop your ideas.
Task 3: describing a photograph and a conversation
Tarea 3 (Task 3) lasts between 2 and 3 minutes. They show you a photograph in the room (you don't prepare it beforehand) and you have to describe it and talk about it with the examiner.
It's usually an everyday image: a family having a meal, people in an office, a group of friends in a park, a scene in a shop.
The first thing you have to do is describe: what you see, where the people are, what they're doing, how you think they feel. Then the examiner asks you questions to take you further: what you think happened before, what will happen next, whether it reminds you of an experience of your own.
You don't need to get it right here. There's no correct answer about what's happening in the photo. What matters is that you speak, describe and give your opinion coherently.
Quick tip for this task: always start with a general sentence ("En la foto veo…", "Es una imagen de…") and then get more specific. People, place, activity, atmosphere. And bring out your description vocabulary: "parece que", "tiene cara de", "se nota que".
Task 4: a dialogue in a simulated situation
Tarea 4 (Task 4) lasts between 2 and 3 minutes. You and the examiner act out a situation together. You share out the roles: you're the candidate and the examiner plays the other person.
The situation is related to the topic of the Task 3 photo. For example: if the photo showed a family in a restaurant, the situation might be that you phone to book a table or that you have a problem with the bill.
You get a card with your role and the points you have to cover. The examiner has their part too.
This is where real spoken Spanish comes into play: greeting people, introducing yourself, asking for things, thanking, saying goodbye. Basic communicative functions you already know.
What the examiner is looking for: that you can hold a real interaction, not a monologue. That you respond to what they say to you, not to what you had prepared. That you use the right register (formal if it's with a stranger, more relaxed if it's with a friend).
Watch out for this: lots of candidates turn up with set phrases and get lost when the examiner improvises. It's fine to have a repertoire, but always listen before you speak.
How the DELE B1 oral exam is assessed
The DELE B1 is divided into two groups. Grupo 1 (reading and writing) and Grupo 2 (listening and speaking). To get the apto (pass) you need a minimum of 30 points out of 50 in each group. There's no compensating: if you fail one, you fail the exam.
The oral exam is assessed with two scales. An analytic one (with four specific criteria) and a holistic one (an overall assessment).
The four criteria are:
Coherence: whether your speech is well organised, whether your ideas are connected, whether you use connectors like "además", "por eso", "aunque".
Fluency: whether you speak naturally, whether your pauses aren't too long, whether your pronunciation can be understood without effort.
Accuracy: whether your grammar and vocabulary are appropriate for the level, whether your mistakes don't get in the way of communication.
Range: whether you have a broad enough repertoire to talk about everyday topics without having to stop every other minute.
They're not going to ask you for perfection. They're going to ask that your Spanish works in real situations. You will make mistakes, that's for sure. What matters is that they don't block communication.
How to make the most of the sample you've downloaded
Having the free DELE B1 oral exam sample PDF is only the first step. What makes the difference is how you work with it.
Here's my mini method for squeezing everything out of it.
First, read it all the way through without doing anything else. Get familiar with the instructions, the prompt cards, the topics. Nothing should take you by surprise on exam day.
Then simulate the real situation. Set a 15-minute timer to prepare Tasks 1 and 2 (no dictionary, just like in the real exam). And another 15-minute one to do the complete test.
Record yourself. It's uncomfortable, I know. But listening to yourself is the only way to spot the filler words, the long silences, the sentences you leave half-finished.
Repeat the same task two or three times, until it sounds natural. It's not cheating: it's rehearsing.
And if you can, ask someone to play the examiner in Tasks 2 and 4. Even over a video call. Nothing replaces real interaction.
If you're still not sure whether you're going in at the right level, before diving fully into the oral you can take the level test: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/
And, in case you need it again, the sample is here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/simulacrob1
Typical mistakes in the DELE B1 oral exam
After years of marking oral exams, there are patterns that keep coming up. Here are the most frequent ones so you can avoid them.
Memorising whole texts. It feels safe, but as soon as the examiner asks an unexpected question, the whole speech falls apart. Better a flexible outline.
Speaking very fast to "prove" fluency. Fluency isn't speed, it's naturalness. And besides, the faster you go, the more mistakes you make.
Not looking at the prompt card or reading the guiding questions. They're there to help you. Make the most of them.
Sticking to one-sentence answers. "Sí, me gusta" is not a B1 answer. Always develop.
Forgetting to say hello and goodbye in Task 4. It sounds silly, but it counts in the assessment of the interaction.
Asking them to repeat the question five times. Once is fine. Twice too. Five times suggests something is failing in comprehension, and that shows.
Learning fancy connectors and cramming them all into one minute. "No obstante", "asimismo", "en virtud de"… if they're not really yours, don't use them. Better "pero", "además" and "por eso", well placed.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the DELE B1 oral exam?
15 minutes of exam plus 15 minutes of preparation beforehand. In total, half an hour from the moment you enter the preparation room until you leave the exam.
Can I use a dictionary during the 15 minutes of preparation?
No. No materials are allowed during the preparation. They only give you paper and a pen to take notes.
How many points do I need to pass the oral exam?
The oral is part of Grupo 2 together with the listening. You need a minimum of 30 points out of 50 in that group, with no possibility of compensating with Grupo 1.
What happens if my mind goes blank in Task 1?
Breathe. It's fine. You can start with a general sentence like "Voy a hablar de…" and go back to the guiding questions on the prompt card. If you freeze, the examiner can help you get going, but it's best to have your own plan.
Do I have to choose one of the two Task 1 topics?
Yes. You choose one of the two. You can't invent your own or mix them.
Is the freebie sample exactly the same as the real exam?
It follows the official Instituto Cervantes structure: four tasks, the same timings, the same type of prompt cards and situations. The specific topics are examples for you to practise with, not the exact ones you'll get (those are confidential until exam day).
The essentials
The DELE B1 oral exam has four tasks and lasts 15 minutes, with 15 minutes of preparation.
The first two are prepared in advance. The last two are done on the spot.
You're assessed on coherence, fluency, accuracy and range. They're not looking for perfection, they're looking for communication.
To pass you need a minimum of 30 points in Grupo 2 (oral + listening). It can't be compensated with Grupo 1.
Memorising is counterproductive. Practising with a real sample, recording yourself and loosening up is what works.
If you want to follow all this with a method and not in fits and starts, here are a couple of things that can help you.
You have the free DELE B1 oral exam sample PDF here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/simulacrob1
If you're preparing for the DELE B1 and fancy a task-by-task guide, with strategies for each test and annotated examples, here's my online course: https://b1.aporeldele.com/
If you'd rather practise with material on paper, I also have the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4e66lV6
And if you want to receive free resources and useful reminders before each exam session, you can sign up to the newsletter: http://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin
