ÖSD Zertifikat B2 exam: pattern, pass marks, Vienna dates and how to pass

The ÖSD Zertifikat B2, from the Austrian exam body ÖSD (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch), certifies German at B2. Whether a university, employer or authority accepts it is their decision, so ask before you book. The exam has two modules, written and oral, that are scored separately, and a failed module is retaken on its own. You do not need a course: ÖSD gives away an official model test with audio.

ÖSD B2 exam pattern

The written module covers reading, listening and writing and takes about 210 minutes, with a break of at least 15 minutes after listening. The oral module is taken in pairs or alone. You can sit the two modules together or separately.¹

Dictionaries are allowed during the exam, monolingual or bilingual but not specialist ones, and they are checked for loose sheets and notes before the start. Since 1 January 2024 the exam also runs on computer, with the same structure and task types as on paper.¹

Reading has four tasks and listening two: you hear the radio programme twice and the conversation only once.²

ÖSD B2 pass marks

To pass the written module you need at least 42 of 70 points and also the minimum in every subtest: 10 in reading, 10 in listening and 15 in writing. The oral module is passed with 18 of 30. Written grades are 70–62 sehr gut, 61–53 gut and 52–42 bestanden; oral grades 30–27, 26–23 and 22–18.³

Say you score 17 in reading, 20 in writing and 9 in listening. That is 46, above 42, but listening is one point short of its 10, so the written module is failed. A strong subtest does not make up for a weak one.

ÖSD B2 writing: complaint and opinion

There are two tasks worth 15 points each. In task 1 you write an email about a situation, working from notes you are given; in the model test it is a complaint. Cover every note in your own words, about 120 words, with a greeting and a sign-off. In task 2 you choose between topic A and topic B and give your opinion, again in about 120 words.²

Two raters mark each text, first separately and then agreeing on the points together. If they cannot agree, the person in charge of the exam at the centre marks it a third time.¹

ÖSD B2 speaking

You get 15 minutes to prepare and may use your notes in the exam. A short warm-up chat is not marked, and the exam is recorded. Then come three tasks of about 5 minutes each.

1. Meeting someone and giving advice: on an imaginary journey you ask about each other's destination and purpose, swap experiences and give tips.
2. Describing and interpreting a picture: each of you picks one of three pictures, explains the choice, describes and interprets it, then answers questions.
3. Exchanging views: you argue from the position of a person you were assigned beforehand and respond to the other side's arguments.

The pair exam takes about 20 minutes, the single exam about 15; alone, you talk with an examiner in tasks 1 and 3.¹

Retakes and the full ÖSD B2 certificate

You can take and retake each module as often as you like. Pass both modules on one date, or within one year at the same exam centre, and you receive one full certificate; otherwise you get a certificate for each module. After a fail ÖSD recommends waiting at least four weeks before sitting again. No expiry date is printed on the certificate; the body that asks for it decides how long it counts.⁴

ÖSD B2 exam dates and fees

ÖSD exams are held only at licensed exam centres, and there are such centres around the world. You register with the centre on its own terms, and each centre sets its own fee, so dates and prices where you live can be quite different from Vienna's. All centres and their dates are listed on osd.at.⁴

Take one centre in Vienna as an example. At the University of Vienna's Language Centre (Sprachenzentrum), ÖSD B2 costs 165 euros for the written module and 65 for the oral in 2026. Exams run four times a year, in November, March, May or June and August, with extra dates when there is demand. The 2026 dates are 7 and 14 March, 6 and 13 June, 19 and 20 August, and 7 and 14 November; online registration for November closed on 19 October, and the 2027 dates are not on the page yet. Candidates must be at least 16 and bring photo ID.⁵

In Vienna that rhythm helps with retakes: a module you fail can be sat again at a later session at the same centre, and within a year you still get the full certificate.

ÖSD B2 model test and how to prepare

The official ÖSD Zertifikat B2 model test is a free zip download with PDF and audio files, covering every written subtest and the speaking tasks.²

1. Do reading and listening with a dictionary in 90 and 30 minutes and score each subtest on its own. Work first on any that falls below its minimum.
2. Write both texts in 90 minutes, then check that every note is covered and the email has a greeting and sign-off.
3. Describe one of the pictures aloud: why you chose it, what it shows, what it means.
4. If one module is ready before the other, sit it first and take the second within a year at the same centre.

The Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and telc Deutsch B2 are different exams with their own tasks; the Goethe, ÖSD and telc comparison sets out how they differ. One level up is the ÖSD C1 exam, and all German exams are on the German certificates page.

Источники

· 5 проверены 08.11.2026

1. 1ÖSD Zertifikat B2: Durchführungsbestimmungen, ÖSD
2. 2ÖSD Zertifikat B2: Modellsatz, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch
3. 3ÖSD Zertifikat B2: Gesamtbogen, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch
4. 4ÖSD-Prüfungsordnung, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch · от 01.08.2026
5. 5ÖSD-Prüfungen, Sprachenzentrum der Universität Wien