How the telc Polish B1·B2 oral exam is marked
Published 3 October 2026
The telc oral is marked by two licensed examiners on five criteria. Half the points (50) are for the task — marked separately in each of the five sections. The other half (50) are for language: pronunciation, fluency, accuracy and vocabulary, judged over the whole conversation.
In short
- 100 points: 50 for the tasks in five sections, 50 for language across the conversation. B1 from 35, B2 from 75.
- Part 3, the discussion, carries 20 points — the most of any part.
- On each criterion the examiner picks one of six steps: two for B2, two for B1, A2 or zero.
Who marks it, and on what?
Two licensed telc examiners. The exam takes about 16 minutes, sat in pairs, after 20 minutes of preparation. It has three parts split into five sections: 1A (a picture), 1B (questions about you), 2A (a presentation), 2B (questions on it) and 3 (a discussion with the other candidate, about 4 minutes).
The first criterion, the task, is marked separately in each of the five sections. The other four — pronunciation and intonation, fluency, accuracy and vocabulary — once, for the whole conversation.
The telc oral: where its 100 points are
Task — marked in each section separately50 pts
Language — for the whole conversation50 pts
On each criterion the examiner picks one of six steps: upper B2, lower B2, upper B1, lower B1, A2 or zero — 100% / 80% / 60% / 40% / 20% / 0% of that criterion's points. How many points the certificate needs and how the oral combines with the rest is in the telc rules.
What separates B1 from B2 in each part?
Below we summarise the descriptions in telc's mock exam (p. 35) in our own words. The full wording is in telc's document.
| Part | B1 | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1A · picture · 5 pts | The main information in the picture and a few details. | A clear, detailed description and a comment on the situation. |
| 1B · questions about you · 5 pts | Fairly detailed about own experience; briefly backs up views on familiar topics. | Clear and detailed; views put precisely. |
| 2A · presentation · 10 pts | A simple presentation on a familiar topic, main points explained. | A clearly structured presentation with reasons for and against. |
| 2B · questions · 10 pts | Short answers to simple follow-up questions. | Reacts spontaneously, puts thoughts clearly and precisely. |
| 3 · discussion · 20 pts | Takes part, follows the main points, says broadly what they think, comments briefly on others, agrees or disagrees politely. | Starts and keeps the discussion going, argues precisely, responds to what the other person says. |
A presentation read out in full from the page gets at most A2 for the task — a footnote in telc's document says so. How to build one without reading: the telc presentation.
Language: four criteria for the whole conversation
| Criterion | B1 | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation and intonation · 10 pts | Understandable, though the accent can be strong and some words are mispronounced. | Clear and natural; the accent shows only at times. |
| Fluency · 10 pts | Gets by fluently despite pauses to plan or repair a sentence — especially in a longer turn. | An ordinary conversation with a native speaker, without strain on either side; few long pauses. |
| Accuracy · 15 pts | Fairly accurate in familiar situations; there are errors, but the meaning is clear. | Good grammatical control; errors cause no misunderstanding and are often self-corrected. |
| Vocabulary · 15 pts | Enough for most everyday topics, sometimes by circumlocution; errors in more complex ideas. | A good range for most general topics; varies the wording. |
What follows in practice?
- The discussion is worth 20 points — as much as 1A, 1B and 2B together. The step from B1 to B2 here is "takes part" against "starts and keeps it going": ask your partner questions, don't only answer.
- Half the points (50) are for language across the whole conversation. One weaker part does not sink it — but a part where you say almost nothing gives the examiner nothing to judge.
- Pauses to plan a sentence are inside the B1 fluency description. At B1 you need not speak without stopping; at B2 the conversation has to run without strain.
- Correcting your own mistake is in the B2 accuracy description. If you hear a wrong ending, fix it — it is not a minus.
The tasks themselves, with examples, are on describing a picture and the presentation; the whole telc exam on telc tasks.