telc B1 and B2 speaking exam: how the oral is marked

The oral part of telc Deutsch B1 and B2, the German exams, is marked by two licensed examiners, each on their own, on four criteria in each of the three parts. After the exam they agree on one mark. You pass the oral with 45 of 75 points; how many points each mark is worth is set out in the marking criteria of telc’s Übungstests.

Who marks you, and when?

Two examiners with a valid telc examiner licence for German B1–B2; the licence is valid for three years. They have different roles: one leads the conversation (the interlocutor), the other observes (the assessor). The interlocutor speaks as little as possible and steps in only when someone dominates, hardly takes part, or the talk stalls.

Marking happens during the conversation, on one sheet per examiner, without conferring. Only once you have left the room do the two compare their marks and agree; about five minutes are set aside for that. That is in the B1 Übungstest under «Bewertungen und Beschlussfassung».

What are the criteria?

Four, in every part separately:

Each criterion gets a mark from A to D. For accuracy in B1, a B means mistakes «die das Verständnis nicht beeinträchtigen», that do not impair understanding. A C is only for mistakes at central points that seriously impair it. So you do not have to speak without mistakes.

And one sentence that both Übungstests share: «Nachfragen und gegenseitige Hilfestellungen werden positiv bewertet», asking back and helping each other are marked positively. What is wanted is a conversation with your partner, not two talks aimed at the examiners.

How many points is a mark worth in B1?

Twice as many in parts 2 and 3 as in part 1:

So part 1 (getting to know each other, about 3 minutes) gives at most 15 points, and part 2 (talking about a topic) and part 3 (planning something together), about 6 minutes each, 30 each. The gap from B to C is wide: in parts 2 and 3 it costs 4 points on each of criteria 1–3. How the parts run is on the telc Deutsch B1 exam page.

And in B2?

In B2 every part counts the same, 25 points:

The warm-up at the start is not marked in B2. Then, in part 1, you speak for up to a minute and a half on one of seven topics you prepared at home; parts 2 and 3 you prepare in 20 minutes. B2 measures pronunciation against spoken standard German: an A is for «keine wesentlichen Abweichungen», no essential deviations. More on the structure on the telc Deutsch B2 exam page.

What does this mean for the 45 points?

With a B in every criterion you pass safely; one weak criterion costs more than you would think. Working through the tables:

A C in accuracy in every part puts you exactly on the line at both levels; one more slip and you fail. Pronunciation leaves more room, because it carries the fewest points.

Three things follow. In the preparation, write key words, not sentences, since you are not supposed to read out. Talk to your partner and ask back; that counts for task completion. And practise the parts that count double: parts 2 and 3 in B1.