DTZ Speaking: Image Description, Topics, and Phrases

The speaking exam is a pair examination. You speak together with another person, while the examiners ask questions and guide the tasks. In total, the exam lasts about 16 minutes per pair and consists of three parts. Each part follows a fixed structure — if you know this structure, you'll always know what comes next.

In Part 2, you will receive an everyday photo: a family scene, a situation in a supermarket, people at work. Your task: describe the image and answer questions about it. The easiest way is to follow a fixed sequence that you can always use.

In Part 3, you plan something concrete with your partner: a birthday, an excursion, a party in the course. It's not important that you agree in the end — what's important is that you talk together: make suggestions, react, ask questions, politely disagree.

To practice, simply record your answer in the browser. No microphone setup, no special app. The AI listens to your answer and provides feedback on comprehensibility, fluency, vocabulary, and structure. You can see exactly where you seem unsure and what you can specifically work on.

Practicing speaking alone feels strange at first — but it works. After three or four recorded answers, you will notice that you speak more consciously and can bridge pauses better.

Nervousness before the oral exam is normal — even for native speakers. The important thing is not to have no nervousness, but to know how to deal with it. Here are some practical tips that help many test-takers.

If you don't understand a question immediately, honestly say "Could you please repeat that?" or "What do you mean by that?" — that's not a mistake, but normal communication. If you can't find a word, just say it in other words. "What's the name of the device you use to make coffee?" is a good answer — it shows that you can communicate.

And one more thing: short pauses are perfectly fine. Someone who thinks for a second before answering appears more confident than someone who speaks too quickly and gets confused. Breathe, think briefly, then speak.

And if nothing comes to mind in between, silence is not the end of the world. A short "Moment, I'm thinking" is completely acceptable. Examiners don't expect a perfect speech — they expect you to communicate. With a few practice recordings, you will notice that precisely this calm is the best effect against exam anxiety.