German B1 speaking topics

Typical presentation topics

• A celebration or festival you know — what happens, what you think of it
• An experience — a trip, a course, something that went wrong
• Your hometown or region — what there is, what you like
• Work or study — your job or course, a typical day, plans
• Health and sport — how you stay healthy, sport in your life
• Media and technology — how you use your phone, social media, news
• Shopping — where you shop, online versus in town
• An important person — who, why, what you have done together

Typical planning tasks

In every planning task you must make suggestions, react to your partner's suggestions, and reach a concrete agreement — who does what, when and where. The agreement matters: examiners check that you actually negotiated.

• Plan a birthday or farewell party for a friend or colleague
• Plan a weekend trip or an excursion together
• Choose and buy a gift for someone
• Organise a course, a sports activity or a neighbourhood event
• Plan how to furnish a shared flat or organise a move

Typical opinion questions

• Is it better to live in the city or in the country?
• Should young people travel before they start working?
• Is learning a language easier as a child or as an adult?
• Do we spend too much time on our phones?
• Is home office better than working in an office?

How to prepare a topic in 15 minutes

The exam gives you preparation time before you speak. Use it the same way every time: pick two or three concrete points per bullet, note vocabulary you definitely know (not words you hope you remember), and write your first sentence in full. A strong first sentence settles your nerves; everything after it follows the bullet points.

Practise every topic with an AI examiner

Deutschtrainer's B1 speaking practice includes prompt cards for all the topic areas above, in the real exam format with preparation time. The AI examiner listens, asks the follow-up questions a real examiner asks, and grades your performance — so by exam day there is no topic you have not already spoken about.

Frequently asked questions

What topics come up in the B1 speaking exam?

Everyday topics: celebrations, experiences, travel, work and study, health, housing, media, shopping and simple opinion questions, plus a joint planning task.

Do Goethe, telc and ÖSD use the same B1 topics?

Yes, essentially. All three follow the CEFR B1 descriptor, so their topics come from the same everyday areas and the exam formats are nearly identical.

How long is a B1 presentation?

About two minutes. That is roughly 15–20 sentences — short enough that a clear structure matters more than depth.

Can I choose my speaking topic?

Usually you draw or are assigned a prompt card. Some boards let you choose between two cards, which is another reason to practise across all topic areas.