We know the German oral exam can bring so much nerves to students. In this post, we’ll look into a comprehensive guide of effective tips and strategies to help you excel in your German oral examination and have a confident and successful performance! Let’s embark on this language learning journey and unlock the secrets to acing your German oral exam.
Overview of the Exam
The German oral exam lasts approximately 15 minutes and is divided into three equal sections:
The total amount of marks for the exam is 100. This is broken down in the following way:
- General Conversation (5 minutes): 40 marks
- Picture Sequence or Project (5 minutes): 30 marks
- Role Play (5 minutes): 30 marks
For Higher Level students, the oral exam accounts for 25% of the final grade, while for Ordinary Level students, it makes up 20%.
Section 1: General Conversation
The examiner will begin with introductory questions such as:
Wie heißen Sie? (What is your name?)
Wie ist Ihre Prüfungsnummer? (What is your examination number?)
Können Sie hier bitte unterschreiben? (Can you please sign here?)
Once the attendance sheet is signed, the general conversation will begin. Key topics to prepare include:
- Family
- Hobbies
- School
- Future plans
- Work
- Where you live
- Learning German
- Speaking in past tense
New for 2025: Students also have the option to briefly discuss a German literary work or a German film as part of this section.
1. Family:
Erzählen Sie mir über Ihre Familie: Tell me about your family.
Haben Sie Geschwister? : Do you have siblings?
Wer ist der/die Älteste/Jüngste?: Who is the oldest/youngest?
Verstehen Sie sich gut mit Ihrer Familie?: Do you get on well with your family?
2. Hobbies:
Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit? : What do you do in your free time?
Treiben Sie Sport? : Do you play sport?
Sehen Sie gern fern? : Do you like watching TV?
Was machen Sie am Wochenende? : What do you do at the weekend?
3. School:
Beschreiben Sie Ihre Schule: Describe your school.
Welche Einrichtung gibt es hier? : Which facilities are here?
Wie finden Sie die Schule? : How do you find school?
Welche Fächer lernen Sie? : Which subjects do you study?
Was ist Ihr Lieblingsfach? : What is your favourite subject?
Beschreiben Sie Ihre Uniform: Describe your uniform.
4. Future Plans:
Was möchten Sie nach dem Abitur machen? : What would you like to do after the Leaving Cert?
5. Work/Part-time job:
Haben Sie einen Nebenjob? : Do you have a part-time job?
6. Where you live:
Wo wohnen Sie? : Where do you live?
Wohnen Sie gern dort? : Do you like living there?
7. German/Learning German:
Was machen Sie im Deutschunterricht? : What do you do in German class?
Wie finden Sie Deutsch? : How do you find German?
Waren Sie schon in Deutschland? : Have you ever been to Germany?
8. Past Tense:
Was haben Sie letztes Wochenende gemacht? : What did you do last weekend?
Was haben Sie gestern gemacht? : What did you do yesterday?
Wie haben Sie Ihren letzten Geburtstag gefeiert? : How did you celebrate you last birthday?
Was haben Sie letzten Sommer gemacht? : What did you do last summer?
Section 2: Project or Picture Sequence
The second part of the exam is the Project or Picture Sequence. Some students will have prepared three picture stories and some students will have prepared a project on a topic of their choice.
Project
- Students can present a project on a syllabus topic of their choice.
- The project should be worked on in the course of the current two-year Leaving Certificate cycle.
- The examiner will ask about the project’s content, the process of creating it, and related opinions.
- The student must bring a poster, scrapbook, video, or another visual aid as evidence.
Marking Scheme
- Verbal Presentation of the project (Should not exceed two minutes) – 10 marks
- Clarification of content or explanation of the process of doing a project – 10 marks
- Opinion on a related wider issue or theme – 10 marks
Sample Questions:
Wo haben Sie Ihre Informationen bekommen? (Where did you get your information?)
Haben Sie dabei etwas Neues gelernt? (Did you learn something new?)
Wie ist das Thema in Deutschland im Vergleich zu Irland? (How is this topic in Germany compared to Ireland?)
Picture Sequences
Students must prepare three out of five picture stories available on www.examinations.ie.
One of the three will be randomly chosen.
The student has 30 seconds to gather their thoughts before narrating the story.
The narration should be clear and structured, with equal time given to each picture.
The examiner will ask follow-up questions about story continuation, details, and opinions.
2025 Picture Sequences
- Handy Mobbing
- Chancen durch Deutsch
- Die Abi-Tour
- Die Geburtstagüberraschung
- Mehr Windkraft: ja oder nein?
Once you have narrated the story, the examiner will ask you explanation and future projection questions. The examiner will usually ask you to describe an picture in more detail. You should have a short piece prepared on how you think the story continues.
Sample follow-up questions:
Wie geht die Geschichte weiter? (How does the story continue?)
The third part is ‘Opinion on Issue’ questions, where the examiner will ask you a few questions related to the topic of the picture story. Examples of questions for each picture story:
1. Handy Mobbing:
Ist Handy Mobbing heutzutage ein großes Problem? : Is Cyber bulling nowadays a big problem?
Haben Sie ein Handy? Wofür benutzt du es? Do you have a phone? What do you use it for?
2. Chancen durch Deutsch:
Ist es wichtig eine Fremdsprache zu lernen? Warum? : Is it important to learn a foreign language? Why?
Möchten Sie in Deutschland leben/arbeiten? : Would you like to live/work in Germany?
3. Die Abi-Tour:
Ist so eine Abi-Tour unter irischen Schülern beliebt? : Is such a trip popular among Irish students?
Wohin möchten Sie auf eine Abit-Tour fahren? : Where would you like to travel on an after school trip?
4. Die Geburtstagüberraschung:
Wie finden Sie Tätowierungen? : How do you find tattoos?
Was kann man in Irland mit achtzehn Jahren machen? : What can one do in Ireland at the age of eighteen.
5. Mehr Windkraft: ja oder nein?
Was machen Sie, um umweltfreundlich zu sein? : What do you do to be environmentally-friendly?
Ist Windenergie eine gute Idee? : Is wind energy a good idea?
Section 3: Role Plays
Students must prepare three out of five role plays available on www.examinations.ie.
One will be randomly chosen.
There are 20 marks for content (one mark for each prompt covered) and 10 marks for expression.
Clarity and grammatical accuracy are essential—avoid overly complex language.
Tips for success
Keep answers concise and relevant.
Use simple, grammatically correct German.
Practice aloud to build fluency and confidence.
Record yourself to evaluate pronunciation and clarity.
Have structured answers prepared for each topic.
Final Thoughts
The German oral exam is structured and predictable, making it one of the best areas to score highly with good preparation. The key is practice, practice, practice!
For extra preparation and expert guidance, consider joining our German Oral Course in March, where you’ll receive tailored support to perfect your exam techniques. Our German Summer courses are also the best option to improve ALL the aspects of the German Leaving Cert, not only the oral.