How the Sproochentest Is Scored

Here is the most misunderstood fact about the Sproochentest, and the most reassuring one:

You can score badly on listening and still pass, as long as you reach 50% on the speaking test.

The exam has two parts, each worth 100 points. (Source: INLL.)

The pass rule

• Score at least 50% on the speaking test and you pass the whole exam, whatever your listening score.
• If speaking is below 50%, you can still pass: the average of speaking and listening must reach 50%.

A strong speaking score is the clean path; a decent listening score is your safety net. This is the reverse of how most people prepare, pouring time into listening and treating speaking as the scary unknown. Flip it. The full strategy is in our pillar guide.

What the examiners actually grade

Speaking is assessed at A2, basic conversation. The official criteria (Règlement grand-ducal du 22 juillet 2019, Article 5) reward communication, not perfection:

• Can people understand you?
• Do you have enough everyday vocabulary?
• Can you form correct simple sentences?
• Do you speak clearly, without long hesitation?
• Do you answer the actual question?
• Do your answers make sense?
• Do you interact like a real conversation?

Notice what is not on the list: flawless grammar, rich vocabulary, clever sentences. A candidate who speaks simply and steadily scores better than one who reaches for complexity and stalls. Interactivity is graded too, so treat it like a friendly chat, make eye contact, and if you are stuck, say so.

What this means for your prep

• Protect the speaking score above all. It trains fastest and passes you outright.
• Keep answers simple and fluent. Short, correct sentences beat ambitious ones. Answer at your level.
• Treat listening as insurance. Twenty minutes a day keeps it healthy without eating your speaking time.

You only get a final score per section, not a breakdown by criterion. So do not optimise for any single thing. Just keep talking, clearly and on topic.