A1 speaking abroad: recognise the question type

Question and answer

In the first task type, you hear an everyday question and respond about a person, place, time, action or reason. Listen for words such as wie (who), waar (where), wanneer (when), wat (what), hoe (how) and waarom (why). Start with a direct answer: Ik woon in… (I live in…) or Ik ga met de bus. (I go by bus.)

Complete the sentence

In the second type, a short situation and picture help you finish a sentence aloud. Focus on the missing information: a place, object, action, person or description. If the prompt says someone is thirsty, for example, a logical finish might be water. A short phrase can be enough when it completes the grammar and meaning.

Respond without overthinking

Hear the full prompt before speaking. Use the picture when one is provided, then begin promptly with words you know. Do not invent a long story for a small gap. Practise with everyday themes such as home, family, shopping, travel, work, health and free time.

Review your recordings

The speaking test contains ten question-and-answer items and twelve sentence completions, within a 30-minute exam. Assessment considers whether the answer fits and whether pronunciation is understandable. Record one full practice round, mark answers that were off-topic or unclear, then practise that task type again. A mock helps you learn the format; it does not predict the live questions.