DELE B2 Oral Exam Topics: The 10 That Show Up and the 6 You'll Never See
If you search for “DELE B2 oral exam topics”, most blogs will hand you the same five generic buckets. We are going to do something different: explain where those proposals actually come from, which 10 themes keep showing up across exam sessions, and why there are 6 more you can safely drop from your study plan.
Quick summary (May 2026): DELE B2 oral topics are not random. They are pulled from the Inventory of Specific Notions B1–B2 in the Instituto Cervantes’ Plan Curricular. Only 8 of its 20 thematic areas generate most Task 1 proposals, producing 10 recurring themes. Six other areas (party politics, religion, geopolitical conflicts, etc.) are off-limits by design.
Where the proposals actually come from: the Plan Curricular
Before the list, a distinction that changes how you prepare.
The Instituto Cervantes does not invent topics for each session. The exam writers work with the Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes, specifically with Inventory 9 — Specific Notions for B1–B2. That inventory fixes 20 thematic domains: education, work, health, housing, leisure, science and technology, media, etc.
Of those 20, only 8 work for Task 1 (“evaluate proposals”): the ones that allow a social problem with concrete measures. The rest (religion, philosophy, geography, the perceptive dimension of the individual…) show up in Task 2 (photo) or Task 3 (survey), or not at all.
That is the real reason you see the same themes every time. It’s not that they “come up more”; it’s that the rest is ruled out by exam design.
Quick reminder of the DELE B2 speaking structure
| Task | Duration | Format | Topic source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 — Evaluate proposals | 6–7 min (2–3 monologue + 3–4 conversation) | 6 proposals (a–f) on a social problem | Education, work, health, housing, leisure, science and tech, media, government and society |
| Task 2 — Photo and hypothesis | 5–6 min (2–3 monologue + 2–3 conversation) | 1 of 2 photos + 6 guiding questions | Any public, educational or professional domain |
| Task 3 — Survey and data | 3–4 min (no prep time) | 2–3 multiple-choice questions + comparative data | Habits, consumption, relationships, leisure, health |
Preparation: 20 minutes shared between Task 1 and Task 2. Task 3 has no preparation. You can take notes, but the Cervantes Guide is explicit: “candidates may not limit themselves to reading them”.
Stress-test your answers before the exam
Practice with real proposals from all 3 tasks and get an AI score for coherence, fluency, accuracy and range.
Start DELE B2 simulationThe 10 topics that actually repeat in the DELE B2 speaking exam
For each one we give you: a realistic Task 1-style proposal, B2-level vocabulary (not A2), and a useful opener phrase. Vocabulary is in Spanish because the exam is in Spanish.
1. Education and the school system
Sample proposal: Para reducir el fracaso escolar en secundaria se proponen: a) reducir el número de alumnos por aula; b) implantar tutorías obligatorias; c) eliminar los deberes; d) ampliar las becas a familias con bajos ingresos; e) introducir asignaturas optativas vocacionales; f) ampliar el horario lectivo.
Key vocabulary: alumnado, profesorado, tasa de abandono, ratio alumno-profesor, currículo, becas, expediente académico, plan de estudios, repetir curso, formación profesional, titulación.
Opener phrase: “En lo que se refiere a la propuesta de…“
2. Employment and youth unemployment
Sample proposal: Para combatir el desempleo juvenil: a) bonificar a las empresas que contraten a menores de 30 años; b) crear contratos en prácticas remunerados con tutor; c) microcréditos sin aval para emprender; d) impulsar la FP dual; e) subvencionar prácticas en el extranjero; f) reducir la cuota de autónomos.
Key vocabulary: tasa de paro, contrato indefinido, jornada laboral, conciliación, brecha salarial, autónomo, becario, convenio colectivo, baja por maternidad, teletrabajo, finiquito.
Opener phrase: “No cabe duda de que este es uno de los problemas estructurales más graves…“
3. Environment and waste
Sample proposal: Para reducir los residuos plásticos: a) prohibir el plástico de un solo uso; b) implantar el sistema de depósito-devolución (SDDR); c) campañas en colegios; d) penalizar a empresas contaminantes; e) bonificar envases reutilizables; f) más contenedores selectivos.
Key vocabulary: huella ecológica, residuos, vertedero, contaminación atmosférica, gases de efecto invernadero, sostenibilidad, biodegradable, reciclaje selectivo, emisiones, combustibles fósiles.
Opener phrase: “A largo plazo, esta medida tendría un impacto considerable en…“
4. Technology, smartphones and social media
Sample proposal: Para reducir el uso problemático del móvil entre adolescentes: a) prohibirlo en centros educativos; b) limitar el tiempo diario con control parental; c) educación digital obligatoria; d) elevar la edad mínima en redes; e) crear espacios sin wifi en casa; f) talleres para padres.
Key vocabulary: brecha digital, alfabetización digital, adicción, ciberacoso, bulo, desinformación, algoritmo, intimidad, datos personales, sedentarismo digital.
Opener phrase: “Si bien es cierto que… no es menos cierto que…“
5. Health, nutrition and habits
Sample proposal: Para combatir la obesidad infantil: a) subir impuestos al azúcar; b) prohibir publicidad de comida basura para menores; c) más horas de educación física; d) menús escolares más saludables; e) huertos urbanos en colegios; f) educación nutricional obligatoria.
Key vocabulary: dieta equilibrada, ultraprocesados, comida basura, sedentarismo, esperanza de vida, obesidad, ejercicio aeróbico, prevención, atención primaria, lista de espera.
Opener phrase: “Conviene subrayar que…“
6. Housing and rental access
Sample proposal: Para facilitar el acceso a la vivienda joven: a) limitar el precio del alquiler; b) construir más vivienda pública; c) ayudas al alquiler para menores de 35; d) penalizar pisos vacíos; e) regular apartamentos turísticos; f) cooperativas de cesión de uso.
Key vocabulary: alquiler, hipoteca, propietario, inquilino, fianza, arrendamiento, emancipación, pisos turísticos, gentrificación, zonas tensionadas.
Opener phrase: “Hay que tener en cuenta que…“
7. Tourism, leisure and culture
Sample proposal: Para combatir el turismo masivo en ciudades históricas: a) cobrar tasa turística; b) limitar cruceros; c) regular los pisos turísticos; d) promover destinos menos conocidos; e) limitar visitantes en monumentos; f) campañas de turismo responsable.
Key vocabulary: turismo de masas, sobreturismo, temporada alta, pernoctación, patrimonio, ruta cultural, ocio nocturno, oferta cultural.
Opener phrase: “En cuanto al impacto que esto puede tener…“
8. Personal relationships and family
Sample proposal: Para mejorar la convivencia intergeneracional: a) viviendas compartidas mayores-estudiantes; b) actividades intergeneracionales en barrios; c) ampliar permisos para cuidar a mayores; d) teleasistencia; e) ayudas a cuidadores familiares; f) centros de día gratuitos.
Key vocabulary: convivencia, dependencia, cuidador, soledad no deseada, brecha generacional, pareja de hecho, custodia compartida, familia monoparental.
Opener phrase: “Desde mi punto de vista…” (this one works here because personal relationships is a subjective domain).
9. Gender equality and co-responsibility
Sample proposal: Para reducir la brecha salarial: a) transparencia salarial obligatoria; b) auditorías de igualdad; c) cuotas en cargos directivos; d) permisos parentales iguales e intransferibles; e) sanciones a empresas que discriminen; f) coeducación desde primaria.
Key vocabulary: brecha salarial, techo de cristal, corresponsabilidad, paridad, permiso parental, estereotipo de género, violencia de género, igualdad efectiva.
Opener phrase: “Es preciso señalar que…“
10. Media and news consumption
Sample proposal: Para fomentar el consumo de información de calidad: a) financiación pública del periodismo independiente; b) educación mediática en secundaria; c) etiquetar contenido patrocinado; d) regular algoritmos de recomendación; e) apoyar prensa local; f) sancionar la difusión de bulos.
Key vocabulary: audiencia, cobertura, editorial, telediario, sensacionalismo, prime time, suscripción, libertad de prensa, censura, pluralidad.
Opener phrase: “Por lo que se refiere a…”
The 6 topics you will NOT get (even if you studied them)
This is what no competitor will tell you. If you spend hours on these areas, you are wasting time:
- Specific party politics. You will never see “evaluate the current government’s measures”. The PCIC’s “Government and society” domain is treated in the abstract.
- Specific religion. Domain 19 exists in the PCIC, but the Cervantes avoids it in B2 speaking out of cultural sensitivity.
- Current geopolitical conflicts (Ukraine, Gaza, etc.). Off-limits to avoid putting the candidate in a difficult spot.
- Abstract philosophy or classical literature. That’s C1–C2.
- Macroeconomics (public debt, interest rates). At B2 you’ll see “labor market”, not “monetary policy”.
- Spanish history as a debate topic. You may get a cultural cue in a photo, never a debate about the Civil War.
If an academy sells you a DELE B2 course with modules on any of these six, be suspicious.
Task 1 model monologue (2:45 min)
Use it as a mental template, not a script to memorize (more on this in the next section). Topic: youth unemployment.
“El tema que se plantea, el desempleo juvenil, es sin duda uno de los problemas estructurales más graves de la sociedad española actual. En lo que respecta a las propuestas, voy a comentar las cuatro que me parecen más relevantes.
En primer lugar, la propuesta de bonificar a las empresas que contraten a menores de treinta años tiene la ventaja evidente de que reduce el coste de la contratación. Sin embargo, cabe destacar que muchas veces estas bonificaciones generan contratación precaria: la empresa contrata mientras dura la bonificación y después despide. Por tanto, habría que vincular la ayuda a la conversión en contrato indefinido.
En segundo lugar, los contratos en prácticas remunerados me parecen una de las mejores opciones, ya que combinan formación y experiencia real. No obstante, hay que tener en cuenta que en muchos sectores se ha abusado de esta figura para encubrir puestos de trabajo ordinarios sin pagar el sueldo correspondiente.
Por otra parte, en cuanto a la Formación Profesional Dual, considero que es probablemente la propuesta más sólida a largo plazo. Países como Alemania llevan décadas aplicándola con tasas de paro juvenil muy bajas. El único inconveniente es que requiere un tejido empresarial dispuesto a invertir en formación.
Finalmente, subvencionar la movilidad internacional amplía el horizonte del joven y mejora sus competencias lingüísticas. Ahora bien, perjudica a quien no tiene esa posibilidad por motivos familiares o económicos, y contribuye a la llamada fuga de cerebros.
Para terminar, en mi opinión, la combinación más eficaz sería la FP dual reforzada y los contratos en prácticas bien regulados, ya que atacan la raíz del problema: la desconexión entre formación y mercado laboral.”
Note the mechanics: four proposals commented, a different opening connector for each, one upside + one nuance per proposal, and a closing with a reasoned opinion.
The template trap: why memorizing will sink you
DELE examiners are trained to spot memorized answers. Not a myth, not a legend. The tells are concrete:
- Unnatural speed and flat prosody in an isolated fragment.
- Over-engineered connectors that don’t fit the rest of the speech (“habida cuenta de que…” followed by A2 vocabulary).
- Pre-fabricated theses that don’t match the proposal you actually received.
- Zero nuance: absolute opinions like “the only valid option is…”.
What gets penalized specifically is the range criterion (lexical breadth) and pragmatic competence (discourse adequacy). On the 0–3 scale, a candidate flagged as “memorizing” usually caps at 2.
The fix? Internalize the argumentative mechanics (opener → proposal
- nuance × 4 → closing) and a flexible arsenal of connectors, not a closed monologue. That’s why this article gives you sample proposals and vocabulary per theme, not scripts to recite.
How to tell if your answer is a 2 or a 3
The DELE B2 analytic scale grades four criteria from 0 to 3. To pass you need to average 2. Practical difference:
| Criterion | 2 (sufficient) | 3 (good) |
|---|---|---|
| Coherence | Clear plan but jumps between ideas | Visible structure (opener, 4 proposals, closing), explicit transitions |
| Fluency | Hesitates, repeats the connector, pauses to find a word | Near-continuous speech, natural pauses, self-rephrases without freezing |
| Accuracy | Occasional errors that don’t block understanding | Rare errors, spontaneous self-correction, appropriate register |
| Range | Enough vocab, but reuses crutch verbs (“hacer”, “tener”) | Topic-specific lexicon (huella ecológica, fianza, telediario…), synonyms |
Express diagnostic: record your monologue, transcribe it, underline every verb. If more than 25% are ser, estar, hacer, tener, poder, you’re at 2. Swap 4–5 of them for more specific verbs before exam day (implantar, fomentar, perjudicar, vincular, abusar de) and you move up to 3.
Topic-specific mistakes (the ones that drop your score most)
- Technology: falling for the “things were better before” cliché. The examiner wants nuance, not a rant.
- Environment: using A2 vocabulary (“la basura”, “tirar cosas”). Move up to residuos, vertido, gestionar la fracción orgánica.
- Education: comparing only with your country without mentioning the Spanish system. Better: “En mi país… mientras que en España…”.
- Work: criticizing a specific political party or union by name. DELE grades language, not ideology.
- Housing: transposing prices from your city without context (dollars, pounds, cultural setting).
- Task 2 (photo): describing clothing and colors instead of imagining who they are, what they’re doing and why. The criterion is called “imagine a situation”, not “describe a photo”.
- Task 3 (survey): lying in your answers to sound “more Spanish”. Tell the truth — it makes comparing with the real data easier.
How OralPrep helps
OralPrep drills you with real proposals from all 10 areas above and scores you on the same analytic scale Cervantes uses: coherence, fluency, accuracy and range, 0 to 3. You record your answer, we return a transcript, a per-criterion score and the concrete errors to fix. No waiting list, no scheduling a tutor.
Practice the 10 real topics before exam day
DELE B2 simulations across all 3 tasks with official timing and AI feedback per criterion.
Start for freeFrequently asked questions
What are the most common DELE B2 oral exam topics?
Education, employment, environment, technology and social media, health and nutrition, housing, tourism, personal relationships, gender equality and media. They come from Inventory 9 of the Instituto Cervantes’ Plan Curricular.
How long is the DELE B2 oral exam?
20 minutes of exam plus 20 minutes of preparation for Tasks 1 and 2. Task 3 has no preparation time.
Can I read my notes during the exam?
You can consult them, but not read them verbatim. The Cervantes Guide states explicitly: “candidates may not limit themselves to reading them”.
What happens if I get a topic I haven’t prepared?
The 10 topics above cover over 90% of recent sessions. If you get an outlier, apply the argumentative mechanic (opener → 4 proposals with nuance → closing) with general vocabulary; you lose some range but keep the structure.
Should I memorize a model monologue or improvise?
Neither. Memorizing penalizes you if you’re spotted; pure improvisation hurts coherence. The right strategy is to internalize the schema (opener + 4 proposals + closing) and carry a flexible toolkit of connectors.
What level of vocabulary is expected?
B2, not A2. Trade “hacer cosas” for “adoptar medidas”, “la basura” for “los residuos”, “trabajar desde casa” for “el teletrabajo”.
Is the DELE B2 speaking exam different in Spain vs. abroad?
No. The tests are identical and graded centrally by Cervantes Madrid. Only the exam date calendar changes.