DELE B2 oral exam

The DELE B2 oral exam tests the 4 skills you need to master to learn any language. So it consists of 4 tests:

• Test 1: Reading comprehension
• Test 2: Listening comprehension
• Test 3: Written expression and interaction
• Test 4: Oral expression and interaction

In this post, we are going to talk about test 4 because it is the most difficult test for students taking the DELE b2 oral exam.

What are the tasks like?

Test 4 of the DELE B2 oral exam consists of 3 tasks that you will have to solve in 20 minutes. In addition, you have to take into account that you will have 20 minutes to prepare for tasks 1 and 2.

TASK 1 (6-7 minutes): You will be presented with a problematic situation and a series of proposals/solutions to try to solve it. You will choose between 2 options.

You will have to talk in monologue about the advantages and disadvantages of at least 4 of the 6 or 7 proposals that will appear in the exam.

After commenting on the proposals, the interviewer will ask you some questions on the subject.

TASK 2 (5-6 minutes): You will have to describe a photograph following the guidelines provided on the test sheet. You will choose between 2 options.

You will then discuss the photograph with the interviewer.

TASK 3 (3-4 minutes): Based on a survey or news item, you have to have an informal conversation with the interviewer about the information in the task. You can choose between 2 options, but this task is not prepared.

What will I be assessed?

To assess the oral task of the dele B2 exam, 2 types of scales are used, one for each of the examiners in the examination room:

ANALYTICAL: this assessment is given by the examiner who is in the examination room, but out of your field of vision.

He/she will assess you in 4 categories:

• Coherence, i.e. the use of connectors and cohesive elements in your speech.
• Fluency, i.e. whether your speech has an even rhythm without too many long pauses or continuous errors.
• Correctness, i.e. whether you use grammar appropriate to your level.
• Range, which refers to the range of vocabulary you have to make clear and detailed descriptions.

HOLISTICS: this scale is for the interviewer, i.e. the second examiner who will be talking to you throughout the speaking test.

This scale is more general as the interviewer is conversing with you and cannot make such an exhaustive analysis of your speech. Therefore, he/she will evaluate you:

• Whether you express your opinions clearly.
• Whether you meet the objective of the tasks, i.e. you respond to what is asked of you in each of the tasks.
• The richness of your vocabulary.
• Grammatical control.
• Comprehension level of understanding and interaction with what the interviewer is asking you.

How do you assess it?

Each scale is divided into four bands (0 to 3 points). You will pass the exam if you are in band 2. Band 3 corresponds to a pass and band 1 means a fail.

The examiner’s mark and the analytical scale have a weight of 60% and the interviewer’s mark and the holistic scale the remaining 40%.

In the following link you can consult the B2 exam guide where you will find all the detailed information about the Instituto Cervantes grading scales.

How can I prepare for the DELE B2 oral exam?

To prepare for the oral test I am going to give you some recommendations and tips.

• Prepare well for tasks 1 and 2 in the 20 minutes beforehand.
• For tasks 1 and 2, take notes on connectors, vocabulary and grammatical structures specific to B2 that you don’t want to forget to say during the test.
• Never read your notes – it’s a fail! Just make an outline and refer to it for guidance.
• Justify your answers.
• If you don’t know something or haven’t experienced any of the situations you are asked about, make them up. It is not what you say that is valued, but how you say it.
• If you have not understood the interviewer, just say, Can you repeat the question, please?
  

The most important thing in the test is that you relax and try to enjoy yourself. Nerves are normal and the examiners know that, but you will do much better if you feel confident and relaxed.

 

With whom do I prepare for the DELE B2 oral exam?

It is best to prepare for the exam with a native teacher who is an accredited DELE examiner.

It is very important that your teacher knows the exam well and prepares activities to train you.

In my classes you will become familiar with the DELE exam and I will plan very personalised tasks focused on passing the exam.

In the following link you can access all the information about my classes focused on the DELE.

Contact me and start learning one of the most spoken languages in the world!

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