telc Deutsch B2 exam: pattern, pass marks, partial retakes and how to pass

telc Deutsch B2 certifies German at B2, a level that employers, universities and public authorities often ask for. Whoever asks for it decides whether this certificate is the one they accept, so check with them before you book. You sit the whole exam, written and oral, but a fail is not a disaster: within a year you can retake just the part you failed. No course is required, and telc gives away a full practice test with answers.

telc Deutsch B2 exam pattern

The written exam takes 140 minutes and the oral about 15 minutes for a pair. Sprachbausteine are grammar and vocabulary tasks: gaps in a text, filled by multiple choice in part 1 and from a box of words in part 2. Dictionaries and phones are not allowed.¹

telc offers the exam in three forms: digital, hybrid and on paper.²

The oral exam is held on the day of the written one or at most seven calendar days later.³

telc B2 pass marks

The exam is worth 300 points, 225 written and 75 oral. You must reach 60 % in each part, which is 135 written and 45 oral. Only then are the two added up and graded: 270–300 sehr gut, 240–269.5 gut, 210–239.5 befriedigend, 180–209.5 ausreichend. The written papers are scored centrally at telc; the oral is marked by the examiners who conduct it.^1·3

Retaking the written or oral part of telc B2

You can repeat the whole exam as often as you like, and every result stays valid. After a fail at B2 you may retake only the written or only the oral part and have the other credited. The retake must be within twelve months of the date on your result sheet, and you must ask for the credit when you register. A single subtest, such as listening alone, cannot be retaken. A part can also be credited afterwards (Nachträgliche Anrechnung) within one year of the certificate or result sheet, for a fee of 40 euros.³

Take a candidate with 140 of 225 written points and 42 oral points. The written part is passed, the oral is three points short, so the exam is failed even though the total is 182. If the oral retake brings 51, the credited 140 plus 51 make 191, which is ausreichend.

The 2019 practice test still describes an older rule, a retake by the end of the following calendar year.¹

The current telc rules, in force since 15 April 2025, set the twelve months. No expiry date is printed on the certificate; whoever asks for it decides whether it is recent enough.³

telc B2 writing: the letter

You have 30 minutes, and choosing between task A and task B comes out of that time, so decide fast. You write a semi-formal email, in the practice test a request for information or a complaint. Cover three of the four points given, or two of them plus one of your own, in at least 150 words, with a subject line, greeting, opening and closing.

Copy the number of your writing task onto the answer sheet. If it is missing or wrong, your text is not marked and the subtest scores zero.¹

A sample letter, phrases for the complaint and the information request, and the marking criteria are in the guide to telc B2 Schreiben.

telc B2 speaking in pairs

Speaking is normally done in pairs; with three candidates it takes about 25 minutes. A minute of getting to know each other opens the exam and is not marked. Then come three parts of about 5 minutes each.

1. Talking about experiences: you pick one of seven topics, usually prepared at home, speak for up to a minute and a half and answer your partner's questions.
2. Discussion: you comment briefly on a text about a controversial topic that you read during preparation, then argue it out.
3. Planning something together: the two of you organise an event, making suggestions and reacting to each other's.

You get 20 minutes to prepare parts 2 and 3. You may bring your notes in but should not read from them. Asking your partner questions and helping them out counts in your favour.¹

telc B2 exam dates, fees and results

Each licensed exam centre sets its own dates and fees. DeutschAkademie in Vienna runs telc exams several times a month, with B2 from 209 euros and a single part from 189.⁴

At the vhs exam office in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, B2 costs 175 euros for vhs course participants and 205 for external candidates, and results and certificates arrive after about six weeks.⁵

telc B2 practice test and how to prepare

telc's Übungstest 1 with its audio files is a free download. It has a complete exam with answers and explains how writing and speaking are marked.²

1. Do reading and Sprachbausteine in 90 minutes, listening in 20, and score yourself with the table in the practice test.
2. Write the letter in 30 minutes, including the choice of task, and check that three points are covered and you have 150 words.
3. Prepare two or three of the experience topics at home and talk about each for a minute and a half without reading.
4. Score the written and oral parts separately. Start with whichever is under 60 %, because extra points in the other part cannot make up for it.

The Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and the ÖSD B2 exam use different tasks and scoring; the Goethe, ÖSD and telc comparison sets out the differences, and all German exams are on the German certificates page.

Источники

· 5 проверены 08.11.2026

1. 1telc Deutsch B2: Übungstest 1, telc gGmbH
2. 2telc Deutsch B2, telc gGmbH
3. 3telc Prüfungsregularien, telc gGmbH · от 15.04.2025
4. 4telc Prüfungen in Wien, DeutschAkademie
5. 5telc Deutsch B2, vhs Prüfungszentrale Sprachen Baden-Württemberg