B1 Polish Oral Exam — How to Prepare and What Topics to Expect

The oral section of the B1 Polish exam is what most test-takers dread. Written section? You can edit. Reading comprehension? You get time to re-read.

But speaking? You’re sitting across from an examiner, the clock is ticking, and you’re desperately trying to remember which case ending goes with na versus w.

Take a breath. You’re not alone. In this article, we’ll break down exactly what happens in the oral exam, which topics come up most often, and — most importantly — how to prepare so speaking becomes your strength, not your nightmare.

How is the B1 oral exam structured?

The B1-level oral exam lasts about 15 minutes and consists of three tasks. Each tests different skills, but they all share one thing — you need to speak Polish, live, without notes.

Task 1: Conversation based on questions

You start with a few questions on everyday topics. The examiner asks about your experiences, opinions, preferences. This is the most “relaxed” part — it feels like a regular conversation.

Sample questions:

• How do you spend your free time?
• Tell me about your favorite place in Poland.
• What’s important to you in a job?
• What holidays do you celebrate and why?

💡 Pro tip: The examiner checks if you can speak fluently, answer in complete sentences (not just “yes” or “no”), and use appropriate vocabulary.

Task 2: Describe a picture and answer questions

You’ll get a photo — could be a scene from daily life, a situation in a store, on the street, in a restaurant. You need to describe what you see, then answer 2–3 questions related to the picture’s topic.

Example: A photo of a family having a picnic.

• “What are these people doing?”
• “Do you like spending time outdoors?”
• “Tell me about your last trip to nature.”

💡 Pro tip: The examiner evaluates whether you can describe the scene logically, transition from description to expressing your own opinions, and whether your responses have structure.

Task 3: Problem-solving situation (role-play)

This is the hardest task for many people. You get a situation description and need to “act out” a conversation with the examiner. For example:

• You’re calling a travel agency to book a tour
• You’re returning a product at a store
• You’re arranging with a neighbor to clean the stairwell together

⚠️ Note: Here it’s not enough to just speak — you must react to what the other person says. The examiner assesses whether you can negotiate, request, propose, and refuse — in Polish.

What topics come up most often?

On the B1 exam, topics revolve around everyday life. You won’t need to discuss politics or philosophy. Here’s a list of the most common topics:

Key takeaway: You don’t need to know the answer to everything. You need to be able to talk about these topics — even if your answer is simple.

7 proven tips for passing the oral section

1. Speak in complete sentences

Examiner asks: “Do you like cooking?”

❌ “Yes.”

✅ “Yes, I really enjoy cooking. I usually cook on weekends because I don’t have much time during the week.”

Every answer should have at least 2–3 sentences. Show that you can develop an idea.

2. Use the structure: answer + reason + example

This simple formula makes your responses sound natural and complete:

• Answer: “I prefer living in the city.”
• Reason: “Because I like having everything close — shops, restaurants, cinema.”
• Example: “For instance, in Warsaw I can walk to the cinema, but in a small town I’d have to drive.”

💡 Pro tip: This formula works for any exam question. Practice it until it becomes automatic.

3. Prepare “ready-made building blocks”

You don’t need to improvise every sentence from scratch. Prepare universal phrases that work for many topics:

• Moim zdaniem… / Uważam, że… (In my opinion… / I think that…)
• Z jednej strony… z drugiej strony… (On one hand… on the other hand…)
• Na przykład… (For example…)
• To zależy od… (It depends on…)
• Zgadzam się, ale… (I agree, but…)
• Chciałbym/Chciałabym dodać, że… (I’d like to add that…)

These “blocks” work like a skeleton — you fill them with content, but the structure is ready.

4. Don’t panic about mistakes

Made a mistake? Used the wrong case? That’s normal. The examiner doesn’t expect perfection at B1 level. They expect communication.

If you notice a mistake, you can correct yourself: “To znaczy…” (I mean…) and say it correctly. But don’t stop at every word — fluency matters more than 100% accuracy.

Honestly? Polish case system is tricky even for native speakers. You’re already doing great getting to B1.

5. Practice out loud — not in your head

There’s a huge difference between “I know what to answer” and “I can answer out loud, in Polish, within 5 seconds”.

Thinking in Polish isn’t the same as speaking Polish. Speak out loud. Every day. Even 10 minutes daily makes a difference.

6. Describe pictures in everyday life

The picture description task is something you can practice everywhere. See a photo on Instagram? Describe it in Polish. Standing in line at a store? Mentally describe what you see around you.

Use this pattern: who → what they’re doing → where → how it looks → what they feel. This gives a complete, structured description.

7. Practice role-plays with a conversation partner

Task 3 (situational) requires interaction. It’s not enough to speak — you need to respond to what the other person says. This is hard to practice alone.

Here’s where the problem hits: where do you find a conversation partner who’s available at 11 PM, won’t judge you, and has infinite patience?

How to practice speaking when you have no one to talk to?

This is the most common question we hear. And it’s the biggest obstacle for most people preparing for the B1 oral exam.

Tutors are expensive. Polish friends don’t always have time or “don’t want to correct you because it’s awkward”. Talking to a mirror is… well, weird and not very effective.

That’s why on b1ready.pl we created AI voice agents — virtual conversation partners you can practice speaking Polish with, no limits. They work 24/7, don’t judge you, and never get tired of your questions about cases. 😄

• Answering exam questions
• Describing pictures
• Acting out role-play scenarios — hotel booking, talking to a doctor, returning items at a store

It’s like having a tutor who’s always available and costs a fraction of traditional lessons. On b1ready.pl you’ll also find hundreds of exercises close to the real exam — reading, listening, writing, and of course speaking.

What NOT to do on the oral exam

⚠️ Warning: A few traps that test-takers fall into:

• Don’t memorize answers. The examiner will hear it immediately. Prepare for topics, but don’t recite pre-written texts.
• Don’t say “I don’t know” and stay silent. Even if you don’t know the topic, say something: “I don’t have much experience with this topic, but I think…”
• Don’t speak too quietly. Stress makes us speak softer. Consciously speak louder than you think you need to.
• Don’t constantly apologize for your Polish. You’re taking a B1 exam, not C2. Nobody expects perfection.

Preparation plan for the oral section — final 2 weeks

If your exam is in 2 weeks, here’s a concrete plan:

Week 1

• Daily 15 minutes answering questions from the topic list (out loud!)
• Describe 2 pictures per day (photos from internet, Instagram, whatever)
• Prepare and practice “ready-made building blocks”

Week 2

• Daily 20 minutes of role-plays (with a partner, AI, or even recording yourself on phone)
• Practice full oral exam start to finish (3 tasks in a row, timed)
• Record yourself and listen back — you’ll hear what to improve

💡 Pro tip: Recording yourself is one of the most effective techniques. You’ll hear mistakes you normally don’t notice.

Summary

The B1 Polish oral exam doesn’t have to be scary. Three tasks — conversation, picture description, role-play scenario — that’s all you need to prepare for.

Topics are predictable, and the answer structure is simple to master.

The key is practice. Speaking out loud, daily, ideally with someone (or something) that responds.

On b1ready.pl you can practice speaking with AI voice agents without limits — any time, on any exam topic. Join and make the oral section your advantage, not your nightmare.

You’ve got this. 💪