DELE A2 Speaking Test: What Happens During the Oral Exam (2026 Guide)

The speaking test is 12-15 minutes. You'll be paired with another candidate (or alone if there's an odd number), face two examiners, and complete three tasks: a monologue about yourself, a conversation with your partner, and a photo description.

For most candidates, the oral exam is the most nerve-wracking part of DELE A2 — not because it's the hardest, but because it's unpredictable and you're being recorded. But here's the truth: the speaking section has the highest pass rate of all four DELE sections. Most people score 18-22 out of 25 points, well above the 25% minimum.

The real danger isn't the speaking itself — it's freezing up, speaking too fast from nerves, or not following the task instructions. This guide walks you through every minute of the oral exam so you know exactly what to expect and how to respond.

Format Overview: Three Tasks, 12-15 Minutes

Duration: 12-15 minutes total (10-12 minutes if you're alone, 12-15 if paired)

Structure: Three distinct tasks that test different speaking skills:

Task	Type	Duration	What You Do
Task 1	Monólogo	2-3 min	Talk about yourself without interruption
Task 2	Conversación	3-4 min	Dialogue with your partner to plan/decide something
Task 3	Descripción de foto	2-3 min	Describe a photo and answer follow-up questions

Scoring: 0-25 points total. You need at least 6.25 points (25%) to pass this section. Most candidates score 15-20 points, well above the minimum.

Setting: Usually a small exam room with two examiners (one asks questions, one scores silently), you + one other candidate (your "partner"), recording equipment (audio or video), and a table with your task prompts.

Before You Enter: Preparation Room (15 Minutes)

Before your speaking test, you'll spend 10-15 minutes in a preparation room. This is where you get Task 1's prompt and plan your monologue.

What happens:

You receive a card with your Task 1 topic

You can make notes on scrap paper

You CANNOT take notes into the exam room (exam rules)

Use this time to outline your monologue (introduction, 3 main points, conclusion)

Common Task 1 topics:

"Háblame de tu familia" (Tell me about your family)

"Describe tu rutina diaria" (Describe your daily routine)

"¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?" (What do you do in your free time?)

"Háblame de tu trabajo o estudios" (Tell me about your work or studies)

"¿Por qué vives en España?" (Why do you live in Spain?)

Preparation Strategy

Read the prompt carefully

Decide on 3 sub-topics (e.g., if it's "family" → parents, siblings, traditions)

Jot down 5-7 key words (not full sentences)

Practice your opening sentence in your head

Breathe — you've got this

Task 1: Monologue (Presentación Personal) — 2-3 Minutes

You enter the exam room, sit down, and the examiner says: "Vamos a empezar con la primera tarea" (Let's start with the first task). You have 2-3 minutes to talk about your topic without interruption.

What the examiners are scoring:

Fluency: Can you speak for 2-3 minutes without long pauses?

Grammar: Do you use present, past, and future tenses correctly?

Vocabulary: Do you use varied words, or repeat the same 20 words?

Coherence: Does your speech flow logically, or do you jump randomly between ideas?

What Good Looks Like

"Buenos días. Voy a hablar de mi familia. Primero, quiero hablar de mis padres. Mi padre se llama Juan y trabaja como profesor. Mi madre es médica. Viven en Colombia. También tengo dos hermanos. Mi hermano mayor es ingeniero, y mi hermana menor estudia medicina. Nos vemos dos veces al año, normalmente en Navidad y en verano. Me gusta mucho pasar tiempo con ellos porque somos muy unidos."

Notice: clear structure (first parents, then siblings, then traditions), variety of verbs (se llama, trabaja, es, viven, tengo, estudia, vemos, gusta), time references (dos veces al año, en Navidad, en verano), and personal connection (me gusta, somos muy unidos).

What to Avoid

Speaking too fast (nerves make you rush — slow down)

Long pauses (if you forget a word, describe it: "la persona que enseña" instead of "profesor")

Using English when stuck (use simple Spanish instead: say "trabajo en oficina" instead of "I work in an office")

Memorized scripts (examiners detect this immediately — sounds robotic)

Task 2: Conversation (Conversación con Compañero) — 3-4 Minutes

Now comes the interactive part. The examiner gives you and your partner a shared scenario, and you have a conversation to plan, decide, or solve something together.

What the examiners are scoring:

Interaction: Do you ask your partner questions and respond to theirs?

Turn-taking: Do you dominate, or do you balance speaking time?

Negotiation: Can you agree, disagree politely, and reach a conclusion?

Natural flow: Does it sound like a real conversation or a rehearsed script?

Common Task 2 scenarios:

"Vais a organizar una fiesta de cumpleaños para un amigo. Decidid dónde, cuándo, y qué vais a hacer." (Plan a birthday party)

"Queréis comprar un regalo para un amigo. Hablad sobre qué comprar y por qué." (Decide on a gift)

"Vais a pasar un fin de semana juntos. Decidid qué hacer: playa, montaña, o ciudad." (Plan a weekend)

"Queréis cocinar algo juntos. Decidid qué plato y qué necesitáis comprar." (Decide what to cook)

Example Dialogue (Good)

Candidate A: "Hola, ¿qué opinas de organizar la fiesta en casa de María?"

Candidate B: "Me parece bien, pero su casa es pequeña. ¿Qué tal en un restaurante?"

Candidate A: "Es una buena idea, pero es más caro. Podemos hacer la fiesta en el parque, ¿no?"

Candidate B: "Sí, perfecto. ¿Y qué día? ¿El sábado o el domingo?"

Candidate A: "Prefiero el sábado porque el domingo tengo que trabajar."

Candidate B: "Vale, el sábado. ¿A qué hora? ¿Por la tarde?"

Candidate A: "Sí, a las seis está bien. ¿Qué vamos a llevar? ¿Comida o bebida?"

Notice: both candidates ask each other questions (¿Qué opinas? ¿Qué tal? ¿Y qué día?), agree politely ("Me parece bien", "Es una buena idea"), disagree politely ("pero su casa es pequeña", "Prefiero el sábado porque..."), and take turns (each speaks 2-3 sentences, then pauses for the other).

What to Avoid in Task 2

Monologuing (speaking for 1-2 minutes without letting your partner talk)

Silence (if your partner doesn't speak, ask them a question: "¿Y tú qué piensas?")

Constant agreement (real conversations include some disagreement — it shows range)

Ignoring your partner (respond to what they say, don't just wait your turn)

Task 3: Photo Description (Descripción de Foto) — 2-3 Minutes

The final task is individual. The examiner shows you a photo, you get 2-3 minutes to look at it, then you describe what you see and answer follow-up questions.

What the examiners are scoring:

Description detail: Can you describe the photo with specific details?

Present tense accuracy: This task tests your present tense (estar + gerund)

Vocabulary range: Do you know words for people, places, actions, objects?

Answering questions: Can you respond to the examiner's follow-up questions?

Photos are always everyday scenes with multiple people doing activities: family having a picnic, people shopping at a market, children playing at a playground, friends having coffee at a café, people waiting at a bus stop, a birthday party.

How to Structure Your Response

Step 1 — Location (10 seconds): "En la foto hay un parque" / "Veo una cafetería" / "Es una playa"

Step 2 — People (20 seconds): "Hay tres personas: un hombre, una mujer, y un niño" / "La mujer lleva un vestido rojo"

Step 3 — Actions (30 seconds): "Están comiendo" / "El niño está jugando con un balón" / "La mujer está hablando por teléfono"

Step 4 — Details (20 seconds): "En la mesa hay comida y bebidas" / "Hace sol" / "Parece un día de verano"

Example Description (Good)

"En la foto veo un parque. Hay una familia: un padre, una madre, y dos niños. Están haciendo un picnic. La familia está sentada en el suelo, sobre una manta. El padre está sirviendo comida. La madre está hablando con los niños. Un niño está comiendo un bocadillo, y el otro niño está jugando con un perro. En el fondo veo árboles y otras personas paseando. Hace buen tiempo, parece un día de primavera."

Notice: Location → people → actions → details structure. Present continuous (están haciendo, está sirviendo, está hablando). Specific details (manta, bocadillo, perro, árboles). Weather/time (hace buen tiempo, parece un día de primavera).

Examiner Follow-Up Questions

After your description, the examiner asks 1-2 simple questions:

"¿Te gusta hacer picnics?" → "Sí, me gusta mucho porque puedo estar con mi familia en la naturaleza."

"¿Dónde haces picnics normalmente?" → "Normalmente voy al parque cerca de mi casa o a la playa en verano."

"¿Qué te gusta comer en un picnic?" → "Me gusta comer bocadillos, fruta, y a veces tortilla española."

What to Avoid in Task 3

Using past tense (the photo is happening NOW — use present continuous)

Generic descriptions ("hay personas" — be specific: "hay tres mujeres y un hombre")

Silence (if you don't know a word, describe it: "la cosa para sentarse" instead of "silla")

Very short answers (aim for 1-2 minutes of description)

Common Mistakes to Avoid (All Tasks)

Speaking too fast from nerves: Examiners understand you're nervous. Slow, clear speech scores better than fast, mumbled speech. Pause between sentences. Breathe.

Using English when stuck: If you forget a Spanish word, don't switch to English. Describe the concept in simple Spanish: "la cosa para escribir" (the thing for writing) instead of "pen." Or skip the word entirely and use a synonym.

Memorizing scripts: Examiners detect memorized speeches immediately. They sound robotic, you don't make eye contact, and you can't adapt if asked an unexpected question. Prepare topics, not scripts.

Not listening to your partner: In Task 2, if your partner says "Prefiero el sábado," and you respond "¿Y qué día?" you just proved you weren't listening. Pay attention and build on what they say.

Freezing when you make a mistake: Everyone makes grammar mistakes. If you say "mi padre es trabajar" instead of "mi padre trabaja," just correct yourself naturally: "perdón, mi padre trabaja como profesor." Don't panic and stop speaking.

How to Practice Before Exam Day

Week -8 to -6: Record Yourself Daily

Choose a Task 1 topic (family, work, hobbies, daily routine)

Set timer for 2 minutes

Record yourself speaking

Listen back: Did you pause too much? Use past/present/future tenses? Repeat words?

Redo tomorrow with a new topic

Week -5 to -3: Find a Language Partner

Use HelloTalk, Tandem, or local language exchange groups

Practice Task 2 scenarios (planning a party, choosing a gift, weekend trip)

Get comfortable having a dialogue with pauses, questions, agreements/disagreements

Week -2 to -1: Full Mock Speaking Test

Simulate all three tasks in order

Time yourself strictly (12-15 minutes total)

Record it and review: Which task was weakest? Focus there.

Day Before Exam

Review 10 common Task 1 topics

Practice describing 3-4 photos

Memorize key connector phrases ("además," "por ejemplo," "en mi opinión")

Get 8 hours of sleep (tired brain = slower speech)

The Speaking Section Is Passable

The speaking test is 12-15 minutes, three tasks, and it has the highest pass rate of all DELE A2 sections. Most candidates score 18-22/25 points — well above the 25% minimum.

Your biggest risks aren't grammar errors or vocabulary gaps. They're:

Freezing from nerves (practice until you can speak for 2 minutes on any topic)

Speaking too fast (slow down, breathe between sentences)

Not interacting in Task 2 (ask your partner questions, don't monologue)

Using past tense in Task 3 (the photo is happening now — present continuous only)

If you can talk about yourself for 2-3 minutes, have a simple conversation about planning something, and describe a photo of people doing everyday activities — you'll pass.

Prep2go's speaking simulator gives you unlimited practice with Task 1 prompts, Task 2 scenarios, and Task 3 photos. Record your responses, get AI feedback on fluency and grammar, and track your improvement. Start your 7-day free trial and practice speaking today →

DELE A2 Speaking Test: What Happens During the Oral Exam (2026 Guide)

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