The B1 speaking part lasts about 20 minutes. You can get a maximum of 40 points, and you need at least 20 (50%) to pass. After a short preparation time, you draw a set and move on to the tasks. Below you’ll find a simple description of how the exam goes, as well as strategies that help you speak confidently, briefly, and to the point.
Exam format: organisation and flow
In the room there is usually a board of three examiners (in exceptional cases, two). One person talks to you, while the others mainly assess and take notes.
The exam begins with a short warm-up which is not assessed. During the tasks, the board usually doesn’t interrupt, doesn’t comment and doesn’t ask follow-up questions—unless you clearly struggle to start or formulate your answer.
Tip: speak to the one examiner who is leading the conversation. The other examiners’ notes are normal and don’t mean anything bad.
What do you get points for? (what they actually assess)
There are two groups of criteria.
Task performance (20 points total)
- Task 1: describing a photo/illustration – 7 points
- Task 2: monologue on a topic – 7 points
- Task 3: communicative situation / role-play – 6 points
Language skills (20 points total)
- Grammar – 8 points
- Vocabulary and style – 8 points
- Pronunciation and fluency – 4 points
Key rule: even with small mistakes, you can score high if you follow the task, speak logically and use sufficiently varied language.
How to take notes during prep time
You get a short moment to prepare. Don’t write full sentences or a ready script. The best approach is short bullet points and keywords, for example:
- place / people / activities
- 3–4 adjectives
- 2–3 connectors (e.g. „najpierw” = first, „potem” = then, „dlatego” = therefore)
- one real-life example („u mnie…” = in my case…, „w moim kraju…” = in my country…)
This helps you speak naturally and keeps you from losing your thread.
Task 1: photo description — how to speak so you don’t run out of content
What matters most is clear structure and specific details. A reliable order looks like this:
- Wstęp (1 sentence): what you see in general
- Szczegóły: who? where? what are they doing?
- Tło i atmosfera: time of day, mood, relationships
- Wnioski/opinia: why do you think so? what might happen next?
Useful phrases:
- „Na zdjęciu widać…” — In the photo you can see…
- „Wydaje mi się, że… / Prawdopodobnie…” — It seems to me that… / Probably…
- „W tle znajduje się…” — In the background there is…
- „Moim zdaniem atmosfera jest… ponieważ…” — In my opinion the atmosphere is… because…
Tip: if you’re not sure about something, use cautious language: „chyba”, „możliwe, że”, „wydaje mi się”.
Task 2: monologue — how to structure your talk
A monologue should be short and organised. The simplest structure is:
- Wstęp: „Chciał(a)bym opowiedzieć o…” — I’d like to talk about…
- 2–3 points about the topic: what, why, examples
- Comparison or contrast: „Z jednej strony…, z drugiej…” — On the one hand…, on the other…
- Zakończenie: summary + your opinion
Useful Polish connectors/phrases (with meaning):
- „Po pierwsze…, po drugie…” — Firstly…, secondly…
- „Najbardziej lubię…, ponieważ…” — I like … the most, because…
- „Kiedy mam czas, to…” — When I have time, I…
- „W porównaniu do…, … jest…” — Compared to…, … is…
Common B1 topics include hobbies, travel, work/study, favourite season, healthy lifestyle, holidays, shopping and technology in everyday life.
Task 3: communicative situation — how to “act out” the conversation
This task checks whether you can handle a practical matter (e.g. a phone call, asking for information, making a complaint, booking, scheduling). What examiners look for:
- a polite, clear opening
- stating the purpose
- asking 2–4 specific questions
- reacting to information (agreeing, refusing, negotiating)
- closing the conversation
Example phrases:
- „Dzień dobry, dzwonię w sprawie…” — Good morning, I’m calling about…
- „Czy mogę prosić o informację…?” — May I ask for information…?
- „Chciał(a)bym zarezerwować… na…” — I’d like to book… for…
- „Ile to kosztuje? / O której godzinie? / Czy to jest możliwe?” — How much does it cost? / What time? / Is it possible?
- „Dziękuję za pomoc. Do widzenia.” — Thank you for your help. Goodbye.
Tip: be short and specific. In this task, five simple, accurate sentences usually sound better than a long monologue without questions.
Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Answering off-topic: always return to the instruction.
- Writing too much during prep: note only keywords.
- No connectors: add „najpierw/potem/ponieważ/dlatego” (first/then/because/therefore).
- Freezing without a strategy: use fillers like
- „Chwileczkę, muszę się zastanowić…” — One moment, I need to think…
- „Nie jestem pewien/pewna, ale wydaje mi się, że…” — I’m not sure, but it seems to me that…
- Too few examples: one short example can noticeably improve your answer.
Mini-checklist for exam day
- I speak to the examiner who leads the conversation and ignore others’ notes.
- I answer briefly and to the point.
- In each task I use connectors and 2–3 adjectives.
- If I don’t know, I say „wydaje mi się / prawdopodobnie” (it seems / probably).
- I choose fluency and communication over perfection.