Helvetalk

Screenshots

Real screens from the app

• Today — a short daily plan, counting down to your test date
• Speak — rehearse a spoken task out loud; recorded on your phone only
• Listen — listening tasks built on everyday Swiss situations
• Mock exam — in the order and timing of the real test
• Progress — see how freely you speak, week by week

What's inside

• 01

  Rehearse the fide speaking test out loud

• 02

  Everyday Swiss situations: housing, health, work…

• 03

  Listening, reading and writing tasks too

• 04

  Full mock exams, real order and timing

• 05

  German, French or Italian — one subscription

• 06

  Works offline; recordings stay on your phone

Why the speaking test is the hard part

For a C permit or Swiss citizenship you have to prove your everyday language through the fide test, and the part that unsettles people most is speaking — being asked, out loud and on the spot, to arrange a flat viewing or call a doctor in German, French or Italian. A course helps but is expensive, and reading a textbook does nothing to rehearse talking. Helvetalk is built around that gap: it gives you spoken tasks drawn from real Swiss situations, lets you answer out loud, play yourself back and read a transcript of what you actually said, and then tells you honestly how long and how freely you spoke and which key phrases you used — with model answers at A1, A2 and B1, and deliberately no invented pronunciation score or predicted level, because only the official fide test decides that. Your recordings and transcripts never leave your phone. It is an independent study aid, not affiliated with fide, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) or any Swiss authority, and it gives no legal or immigration advice.

ⓘ Helvetalk is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to fide, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) or any Swiss authority. It is practice material for the fide language test — only the official fide test decides your language level, and the cantonal authorities decide which level you need. Practising here produces no certificate, result or official status, and this is not legal or immigration advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fide test, and how does Helvetalk help?

The fide test is Switzerland's official everyday-language exam, used when you apply for a C permit (permanent residence) or for citizenship. Helvetalk lets you rehearse it on your phone — above all the speaking part, where most people feel least prepared — using tasks built on real Swiss situations like housing, health, work, authorities, school and shopping, with listening, reading and writing practice and full mock exams in the order and timing of the real test.

Is Helvetalk affiliated with fide or the Swiss authorities?

No. Helvetalk is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to fide, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) or any Swiss authority. Only the official fide test decides your level, and the cantonal authorities decide which level you need; practising here produces no certificate, result or official status, and it is not legal or immigration advice.

How does the speaking practice work — is my voice recorded or uploaded?

Your spoken answers are recorded to a file on your phone so you can play them back, and the transcript of what you said is produced by your phone's own speech recognition running on the device — your voice is never uploaded. If your phone has no offline speech model for that language, Helvetalk shows no transcript rather than sending your voice anywhere. You see how long and how freely you spoke and which key phrases you used, with model answers at A1, A2 and B1 — never a pronunciation score or a predicted exam level.

Which languages and exam parts does it cover?

Helvetalk prepares you for the test in German, French or Italian, in the Swiss usage of each, and the app's own screens are available in English, German, French and Italian. It covers all four skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing — plus full mock exams and a study section with Swiss words, grammar basics, and an 'about the test' guide.

Is Helvetalk free, and what does the subscription include?

Helvetalk is free to start, so you can try the speaking practice and the first scenario before deciding. One subscription, Helvetalk Pro, unlocks all the scenarios, all the mock exams and all the study material — in all three test languages at once. You can choose a monthly, quarterly or yearly plan, with a free trial on the yearly plan; it is billed by the app store, renews automatically, and you can cancel any time. There are no ads either way.

Is Helvetalk on Android and iPhone?

Helvetalk is live on Google Play for Android — search for it by name to install — and an iPhone version is coming soon to the App Store.