DTZ B1 speaking exam:
format and scoring

Short answer. The DTZ speaking exam takes about 16 minutes, usually in pairs, with no preparation time. It has three parts: talking about yourself, a photo and your experience, and planning something together with the other candidate. The maximum is 100 points; B1 starts at 75 and A2 at 35. Without B1 in Sprechen there is no overall B1, even if you reach B1 in the written part.

The DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer) is the final exam of the integration course in Germany. Since 1 January 2023 it has been run by g.a.s.t. on behalf of BAMF, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The test was developed by the Goethe-Institut and telc, and the format and task types have not changed. Below is how the speaking part (Sprechen) works and how it is scored. Sources are linked at the end.

Who takes the DTZ, and why

Only integration course participants can take the DTZ. You need a course entitlement (Teilnahmeberechtigung) or at least one completed course module that you paid for yourself. If you are not in a course, you need a different B1 exam, such as telc or Goethe. We do not cover them here.

BAMF pays for the first attempt. If you are then given extra course hours, they include one free retake. You can take the DTZ as many times as you like, but always the whole exam: results of separate parts do not carry over.

Why B1 matters. The Residence Act defines “sufficient German” as level B1. You need it for a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis), for Daueraufenthalt-EU status and for citizenship. The integration course certificate is given for B1 in the DTZ together with a passed Leben in Deutschland test. Our reading of the law is that B1 in the DTZ meets the language requirement in all three cases. Check with your local authority what applies to you.

How the speaking part works

• When. On the same day as the written part, after it.
• How long. About 16 minutes of conversation per pair. The examiners then take about 4 more minutes to agree on scores without you.
• With whom. Usually in a pair with another candidate. With an odd number of candidates, someone takes the exam alone, and then it is shorter.
• Examiners. There are always two. One leads the conversation, the other only listens and scores.
• Preparation. There is none. Only in Teil 3 do you get a little time to read the task.
• Result. You are not told it after the conversation.

Teil 1: about yourself

Both candidates get the same sheet with prompts (Stichworte):

Name · Geburtsort · Wohnort · Arbeit/Beruf · Familie · Sprachen

You take turns talking about yourselves, about 2 minutes each. You do not have to follow the order of the prompts. Then the examiner asks a follow-up question about something you said, for example about languages: when you learned one, where you speak it. Teil 1 gets two scores: your talk (1A, up to 5 points) and your answer to the question (1B, up to 5 points). A template for the talk is in the guide how to prepare without a partner.

Teil 2: a photo and your experience

The topic is shared, but each candidate gets a different photo. The task: you found this photo in a magazine; say what is in it and what situation it shows. This is part 2A, up to 10 points, about 3 minutes per person.

Then comes 2B, also up to 10 points: the examiner asks about your own experience with the topic. There is always a comparison with your home country: Wie ist es in Ihrem Heimatland? The examiner has two ready lists of questions, one for A2 and one for B1, and picks from them based on the level you have shown.

A tip: do not just list objects. Say who is in the photo, what is happening and what situation it is, then add what you think about it.

Teil 3: plan something together

The most valuable part: up to 20 points, about 6 minutes for the two of you. Both candidates get one sheet: a situation and several prompts (Leitpunkte) with questions, the last one open: “…?”. Together you plan, say, a party or helping a friend: you make suggestions, respond to each other’s ideas and agree on a plan. The examiner steps in only if needed.

The points here are for a conversation, not a monologue. If you only listen and agree, it is hard to show B1 in this task. Phrases, sample dialogues and the usual mistakes are in the guide Teil 3 gemeinsam etwas planen.

The scoring sheet: 100 points

Scoring follows the sheet in the g.a.s.t. model test Übungssatz 1 (p. 47). Half of the points are for completing each task, half for your language across the whole conversation.

Each criterion has six bands: B1 gut erfüllt, B1 erfüllt, A2 gut erfüllt, A2 erfüllt, A1 and 0. They give 100, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 0 % of the criterion’s points. For Teil 3, for example, that is 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 or 0 points.

Sprechen thresholds:

• B1: 75 to 100 points;
• A2: 35 to 74.5;
• below A2: up to 34.5.

Each of the two examiners scores separately. After the conversation they discuss their scores but do not have to agree. The result is the arithmetic mean.

The g.a.s.t. page “Der DTZ auf einen Blick” lists four criteria: pronunciation, accuracy, expression (Ausdruck) and task completion. The scoring sheet has five, with points. We follow the sheet, because that is what the points are counted on.

Why Sprechen decides everything

For an overall B1 you need B1 in Sprechen and in at least one of the two written parts: Hören und Lesen or Schreiben. Without B1 in speaking there is no B1 certificate, however well you do in writing. Below A2 in Sprechen, there is no certificate at all.

Whether you also need A2 in the remaining part, official sources disagree: the g.a.s.t. web page says yes, while the table in the model test gives B1 without it. If this matters for you, ask your course.

The takeaway is simple: the best use of your time before the DTZ is speaking, and within speaking, Teil 3.

Austria: ÖIF-Integrationsprüfung B1

The DTZ is a German exam. In Austria, module 2 of the integration agreement (needed for Daueraufenthalt – EU and citizenship) means taking the ÖIF-Integrationsprüfung B1. Its speaking part also takes about 16 minutes, in pairs, or alone if the number of candidates is odd.

In the DTÖ model test that ÖIF offers for B1 preparation, the speaking part works as in the DTZ: the same three parts, the same 100-point sheet, B1 from 75. That the IP B1 works the same way is our conclusion from ÖIF documents, which describe the DTÖ as a version of the DTZ revised for Austria. The written part of the Austrian exam is different and includes a section on values.

Model tests

You can download two g.a.s.t. model tests for free (Übungssatz 1 and 2, PDF and audio), and for Austria the DTÖ model test on sprachportal.at. Work through them to see the real task sheets. They cannot be reused in another product, though: all rights are reserved. That is why the Talkfirst mock exam copies only the format: its tasks and situations are our own, and the photos are freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons.

Questions and answers

You can practise all three parts out loud on Talkfirst. Its forecast uses this sheet without pronunciation: 90 points, B1 from 75 %. Check your pronunciation yourself or with a native speaker. See DTZ B1 speaking with an AI partner.

Sources: g.a.s.t., Der DTZ auf einen Blick; g.a.s.t., DTZ Übungssatz 1 (pp. 27–30, 40, 47–48); g.a.s.t., DTZ; g.a.s.t., FAQ; BAMF, Abschlussprüfung; IntV § 17; AufenthG § 2, § 9, § 9a; StAG § 10; ÖIF, Prüfungsordnung 01/2024; ÖIF, B1 DTÖ Modelltest. Checked on 23 October 2026. This is not legal advice.