C1 Hochschule speaking: Präsentation + Diskussion walkthrough

Updated July 2026 · By the founder of DeutschPass — this is the part of the exam most candidates fear, and the part that's most scriptable.

The telc C1 Hochschule oral exam is short, paired, and far more predictable than its reputation suggests. You get about 20 minutes of preparation, then sit the exam together with another candidate in front of examiners, for roughly 16–24 minutes total. There are two jobs: deliver a short academic Präsentation and hold your own in a Diskussion.

Here's how each phase actually runs — and what to say in it.

Phase 0 — the 20 preparation minutes

You receive your topic material and prep alone (notes allowed, reading aloud from them later is not). Spend the time like this:

• Minutes 1–5: pick your line. One thesis, two or three supporting points, one example.
• Minutes 6–15: build a skeleton, not sentences — keyword bullets for opening, points, conclusion.
• Minutes 16–20: rehearse the opening and closing sentence in your head, word for word. A confident first and last sentence carry more impression-weight than anything between them.

Phase 1 — die Präsentation (~3 minutes, plus questions)

A miniature academic talk with a fixed shape examiners recognise instantly:

1. Opening: „In meiner kurzen Präsentation möchte ich mich mit der Frage auseinandersetzen, …"
2. Roadmap: „Dabei gehe ich zunächst auf … ein, anschließend betrachte ich …, und abschließend ziehe ich ein Fazit."
3. Two to three points, each opened with a clear marker: „Ein erster wichtiger Aspekt ist …" / „Hinzu kommt, dass …" / „Nicht zu unterschätzen ist außerdem …"
4. One concrete example — an illustration makes abstract points land and fills time honestly.
5. Fazit: „Zusammenfassend lässt sich festhalten, dass …"

After your talk, your partner asks you a question or two (and you'll do the same for them). When answering, upgrade the register: not „Gute Frage" but „Das ist ein berechtigter Einwand — ich würde darauf so antworten: …"

What's scored here: structure, register, range, fluency. Not scored: your accent, or whether your opinion is "correct".

Phase 2 — die Diskussion

The examiners give a discussion impulse — typically a contestable claim near your presentation themes — and you and your partner argue it out. This phase tests interaction, which means the phrases that matter are the reactive ones:

• Agreeing with substance: „Dem stimme ich weitgehend zu, allerdings würde ich ergänzen, dass …"
• Disagreeing politely: „Da bin ich anderer Meinung — lassen Sie mich das begründen."
• Building on the partner: „Sie haben eben … angesprochen; genau daran zeigt sich meiner Ansicht nach, dass …"
• Conceding a point: „Zugegeben, dieser Aspekt lässt sich nicht von der Hand weisen. Dennoch …"
• Reclaiming the floor: „Darf ich an dieser Stelle kurz einhaken?"

The single biggest scoring mistake is delivering a second monologue. Examiners want to see you listen — quote your partner, respond to their actual point, then extend. One genuine engagement with the partner's argument is worth more than three prepared paragraphs.

The partner problem — and how to train without one

Everyone preparing for this exam hits the same wall: the format is paired, and you can't easily practise pairing alone. Three workarounds, in ascending order of effectiveness:

1. Shadow-discuss: take any opinion article, present its position aloud, then argue against it — you play both chairs.
2. Record and review: 3-minute presentation on a random academic topic, recorded; listen for missing markers and register drops.
3. Structured cards with feedback: practise with presentation cards that include the expected structure and Redemittel, and get feedback on your delivery. This is exactly what the DeutschPass C1 speaking module does — 8+ Vortrag+Diskussion cards with model language, self-recording, and AI feedback on your prepared presentation.

Know the other parts too: the full exam format, the writing task, and how the oral block is scored.