telc Deutsch B1 exam
telc Deutsch B1, also called Zertifikat Deutsch, is an exam in general German at level B1. It has a written and an oral part, and you must pass both.
Practise for telc Deutsch B1
The exam at a glance
- Reading and language elements3 + 2 parts, 20 + 20 questions, 90 minutes in total
- Listening3 parts, 20 true/false statements, about 30 minutes
- Writingone email on four points in 30 minutes
- Speaking3 parts, about 15 minutes, usually in pairs, after 20 minutes of preparation
- Points300, of which 225 written and 75 oral
- FeeSet by each test centre
The parts in brief
| Part | What you do | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Reading 1 | Match 5 short texts to one of ten headlines each | 25 |
| Reading 2 | 5 questions on a newspaper article, three answers each | 25 |
| Reading 3 | Match 10 situations to suitable adverts; if none fits, you mark x | 25 |
| Language elements 1 | 10 gaps in a letter: grammar, three words to choose from | 15 |
| Language elements 2 | 10 gaps in a text: vocabulary from a word list (a–o) | 15 |
| Listening 1 | 5 short radio texts, heard once: true or false | 25 |
| Listening 2 | A conversation, heard twice: 10 statements, true or false | 25 |
| Listening 3 | 5 short announcements, each heard twice: true or false | 25 |
| Writing | A personal or semi-formal email in reply; write about all four points | 45 |
| Speaking 1 | Get to know each other, about 3 minutes | 15 |
| Speaking 2 | Talk about a topic: report opinions and your own experience, about 6 minutes | 30 |
| Speaking 3 | Plan something together, about 6 minutes | 30 |
Reading, language elements, listening and writing take 150 minutes together. Dictionaries and phones are not allowed.
Passing and grades
You pass if you reach 60% in the written and in the oral exam: 135 of 225 and 45 of 75 points. Your grade depends on the total:
| Points | Grade |
|---|---|
| 270 or more | sehr gut (very good) |
| 240 or more | gut (good) |
| 210 or more | befriedigend (satisfactory) |
| 180 or more | ausreichend (pass) |
| below 180 | nicht bestanden (fail) |
Cost
telc publishes no single price: each test centre sets its own fee. Ask your centre what the exam costs when you register.
Good to know
- Retake one part: if you failed only the written or only the oral exam, you can retake that part alone within 12 months. Say so when you register; single subtests cannot be retaken.
- Whole exam: can be retaken as often as you like; every result stays valid.
- Validity: the certificate shows no expiry date. Whether an older certificate is accepted is up to the institution that asks for it.
- Re-mark: a review of your result costs €40.
- Format: the exam is offered digitally, in a hybrid form and on paper.
- Citizenship: the federal interior ministry’s guidance names the Zertifikat Deutsch as proof of B1. Our German B1 guide explains what else counts.
Independent practice
Our exercises are our own, written from the public structure of telc Deutsch B1; they are not official model tests, and we do not compute telc points. FreeExamPath is not affiliated with telc gGmbH.
Official information
Questions about telc Deutsch B1
How long is the telc B1 exam?
The written exam takes 150 minutes: 90 for reading and language elements, about 30 for listening and 30 for writing. The oral exam takes about 15 minutes, after 20 minutes of preparation.
How many points do I need to pass?
135 of 225 points in the written exam and 45 of 75 in the oral exam, that is 60% in each.
How much does telc Deutsch B1 cost?
Each test centre sets its own fee; telc publishes no single price.
Are these official model tests?
No. They are FreeExamPath’s own exercises in the telc Deutsch B1 format. A free official practice test with audio files is available on the telc website.
Official sources (4)
- Zertifikat Deutsch / telc Deutsch B1 — telc gGmbH — telc.net, checked 17 October 2026
- Zertifikat Deutsch / telc Deutsch B1 — Übungstest 1 (mock examination, PDF + audio in ZIP) — telc gGmbH — telc.net, checked 17 October 2026
- telc Prüfungsregularien (AGB, Allgemeine Richtlinien, Prüfungsordnung) — telc gGmbH — telc.net, checked 19 October 2026
- Deutsch: Zertifikatsprüfungen von telc (overview of all German exams) — telc gGmbH — telc.net, checked 19 October 2026