How to pass an oral exam

If you are taking an exam in German then don't be afraid of telling lies. The exam is about your ability in German. The examiner does not want to get to know you. They are just there to examine your ability.

You can use words because you are good at saying that word. You may have a favourite German word. You can also use words because they are bound to lead to further questions and you can prepare for the subsequent question. One person told me they had thirteen sisters. They meant to say three but you would definitely be asked about thirteen sisters. You could prepare answers about the size of your house, number of bedrooms etc.

You are going to be asked your name. Ich heiße ... oder Mein Name ist ... If you have an unusual first name you might want to say Ich heiße... mit Vornamen - (My first name is ...) If your name is unusual then be ready for the next question, and be prepared to say something about your name.

A common question is "how are you?" If you answer es geht mir nicht gut, you are bound to be asked was ist los? and you can also have this question prepared. You could say Ich bin müde or mir ist kalt, but you would then have to answer the question "why are you tired?" or "why are you cold?" A few more questions like this and you have controlled the whole exam and passed it.

Bis bald