In Oral Expression – the speaking exam – you give a presentation and have an in-depth discussion. Unlike the lower levels, the C2 exam is an individual exam. Here are the structure, useful phrases and examples.
As of 2026 · Built to the official exam format
Practice the same format you’ll see on exam day, get your score against official criteria, and see where you still need work.
Free to try · No account needed
Key takeaways
Oral Expression – the speaking exam – is the last part of the telc C2 exam. Unlike the lower levels, it’s an individual exam: you speak with the examiner, not with a partner. The exam lasts around 15 minutes; beforehand you get preparation time. In total you can earn 40 points.
It tests whether you can express yourself in a near-native, differentiated and stylistically assured way at C2 level: present a topic in a structured and intellectually penetrated way and then deepen it in discussion, respond to questions in a differentiated way and justify your position convincingly.
The two parts call for two abilities: in Part 1 you give a presentation (around 6–8 minutes) on a topic. In Part 2 you have an in-depth discussion about it (around 7–9 minutes), in which you respond to questions, develop your position further and argue in a differentiated way. Fixed phrases and good preparation help you.
C2 demands near-native, differentiated and stylistically assured expression. Demanding are the structured presentation and the spontaneous, differentiated deepening in discussion.
| Part | Task type | Focus | Tasks | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 – Presentation | Presentation | Presenting | 1 | 20 |
| Part 2 – In-depth discussion | In-depth discussion | Differentiated argumentation | 1 | 20 |
Use the preparation time to structure your presentation and think through arguments, examples and possible questions – but don’t learn a text by heart.
Structure your presentation: introduction, several well-considered points with examples, conclusion with a summary. A clear structure carries a good presentation.
At C2 it’s not enough to describe a topic. Penetrate it: tensions, implications, different perspectives and a reasoned position.
In the in-depth discussion, respond to questions, develop your position further, weigh up and justify in a differentiated way – spontaneously and fluently.
Show linguistic range: precise vocabulary, varied structures, appropriate register. Avoid repetition and filler words.
Speak coherently and with assurance. If a word escapes you, paraphrase it elegantly without faltering.
Try this section in the real exam format and find out how confident you are before exam day.
Free to try · No account needed
Learn a demanding set of phrases for the presentation and discussion:
The presentation and discussion topics come from society, science and culture:
Read this guide and look at an example of the speaking exam: how do the presentation and in-depth discussion run?
Practice presentations of around 6–8 minutes on demanding topics. Structure clearly and penetrate the topic intellectually.
Practice responding to questions in a differentiated way, developing your position and weighing up.
Practice weighing different perspectives and justifying a nuanced position spontaneously.
Prepare precise vocabulary and demanding phrases for common topics.
Run through both parts – with preparation time and under real conditions.
Have your speaking assessed – by a teacher or via a Prepliq mock that scores speaking automatically.
It has two parts: Part 1 (a presentation on a topic) and Part 2 (an in-depth discussion about it). It lasts around 15 minutes and is an individual exam with the examiner.
An individual exam. Unlike the lower levels, you don’t speak with a partner but with the examiner.
Yes. Before the speaking exam you have time to structure your presentation and think through arguments and examples – but not to memorize a text.
The presentation lasts around 6–8 minutes. It is followed by the in-depth discussion of around 7–9 minutes.
Above all on fluent, coherent and stylistically assured expression, intellectual penetration of the topic, differentiated responding in discussion, and accuracy. There are 40 points in total (20 per part).
Demanding factual and social topics like science, politics, education or culture. You should penetrate them intellectually and discuss them in a differentiated way.
Practice presentations and spontaneous, differentiated arguing on many topics. At Prepliq you practice speaking with a mock that scores your answers automatically against the official criteria – the PDF answer key doesn’t cover speaking.
Practice this exam section in the official format and see what needs more attention before the real test.
Free to try · No account needed