All levels · resource
Exam Overview (Goethe & telc)
What the A1–B2 exams test, how they are scored and how to prepare.
Main exam providers
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2. Every level tests listening, reading, writing and speaking. At many levels you can take the modules together or individually, depending on the test centre.
- telc: telc Deutsch A1 to C2, with a written and an oral exam. At B1 the written part contains reading, language elements, listening and writing.
- ÖSD (Austria) and TestDaF / DSH (university entry, B2–C1) are other common options.
Typical Goethe structure (B1 and B2)
| Module | B1 | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Lesen (Reading) | about 65 min | about 65 min |
| Hören (Listening) | about 40 min | about 40 min |
| Schreiben (Writing) | about 60 min | about 75 min |
| Sprechen (Speaking) | about 15 min, in pairs | about 15 min, in pairs, with preparation time |
Each Goethe module is usually scored out of 100 points, and 60 points are needed to pass it.
What the writing and speaking tasks look like
- B1 writing: informal and formal messages and a short opinion text.
- B2 writing: a forum post giving your opinion (about 150 words) and a message to a person such as a manager or teacher (about 100 words).
- B2 speaking: a short presentation followed by a discussion with your partner.
Important
Formats, timings and scoring change between exam versions and test centres, and the numbers above are approximate. Always check the current information on the official Goethe or telc website and download the sample papers (Modellsatz) for your level.
Preparation checklist
- Do one full sample test under time conditions every two weeks.
- Review every mistake and write the correct sentence in a notebook.
- Practise writing tasks with the templates in this app and ask a teacher or tutor to correct them.
- Practise speaking out loud, ideally with a partner, since the exam is in pairs.
- Learn the connectors from the Connectors & Word Order resource.