Teil 1 (“Kontaktaufnahme”) is a ~3-minute getting-to-know-you conversation with your exam partner. The areas repeat in nearly every exam: origin, home, family, work or studies, languages, free time, travel. Prepare 2–3 natural sentences per area and expect one follow-up question — that follow-up is where the points are.
The question areas (and how they're asked)
| Area | Typical questions |
|---|---|
| Name & Herkunft | Wie heißen Sie? Woher kommen Sie? Wie lange sind Sie schon in Deutschland? |
| Wohnen | Wo wohnen Sie? Wie gefällt es Ihnen dort? Wohnen Sie in einer Wohnung oder einem Haus? |
| Familie | Haben Sie Familie? Erzählen Sie etwas über Ihre Familie. |
| Arbeit / Ausbildung | Was machen Sie beruflich? Was haben Sie studiert / gelernt? Gefällt Ihnen Ihre Arbeit? |
| Sprachen | Welche Sprachen sprechen Sie? Warum lernen Sie Deutsch? Wie lernen Sie Deutsch? |
| Freizeit | Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit? Treiben Sie Sport? |
| Reisen | Reisen Sie gern? Wohin fahren Sie im Urlaub am liebsten? |
In the exam this runs as a conversation between you and your partner — you ask each other these questions while the examiners listen. Asking clearly and reacting to the answer counts just as much as answering.
The 2–3 sentence method
For each area, build an answer with this shape:
- Direct answer: „Ich komme aus der Türkei, aus Izmir.“
- One detail: „Das ist eine große Stadt am Meer.“
- One connector to keep talking: „Seit drei Jahren wohne ich in Köln, weil ich hier arbeite.“
Three sentences show tense variety, subordinate clauses (weil, seit, dass) and vocabulary — exactly what the expressiveness criterion rewards. Then stop. Leaving room for a follow-up question makes the conversation feel real.
Why memorized introductions fail
Examiners hear recited self-introductions every day, and they are specifically trained to break scripts with follow-ups: „Interessant — und warum sind Sie nach Köln gezogen?“ If your prepared text has no flexibility, the gap between your fluent script and your halting follow-up answer is glaring. Practice answering varied follow-ups instead of polishing one monologue.
Run the interview until follow-ups stop scaring you
- Open B1 → Teil 1. The AI partner interviews you through the real question areas — and asks follow-up questions based on what you actually said.
- Answer out loud in 2–3 sentences. No typing, no multiple choice — just speech.
- Replay your session and listen for recited-sounding answers versus natural ones.
- Check your AI-estimated feedback and re-run the interview with different answers tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Do I talk to the examiner or my partner in Teil 1?
Mostly to your partner — Teil 1 is a mutual getting-to-know-you conversation. Examiners may add a question, but they mainly observe how you interact.
Is Teil 1 graded more leniently?
No — the same four criteria apply as in the rest of the oral exam. Because Teil 1 is predictable, a weak performance here costs credibility for the harder parts.
Learn more: how the B1 speaking exam is graded →What comes right after the interview?
Teil 2 — the topic discussion. It needs opinions and experiences rather than personal facts.
Learn more: telc B1 Teil 2 topics →