DTZ Guides
DTZ Listening and Reading: Overview of Task Types and How to Practice Them
By PreparaioEditorial team & sourcesUpdated
Listening and Reading are the two receptive skills of the DTZ. The tasks are evaluated objectively; in the results, Listening and Reading are subsequently combined into a single result area.
According to the current g.a.s.t. overview, Listening comprises 20 tasks and Reading comprises 25 tasks. Practice with current official material, as older practice materials may differ in procedural details.
Contents
Listening: The Overview
In Listening, you will complete 20 tasks based on everyday listening situations. It is crucial to read the instructions for each part of the task carefully and to specifically listen for the requested information.
Typical content includes short announcements, conversations, and longer everyday audio texts.
- Short announcements and public address messages – pay attention to specific information such as times, places, or changes.
- Everyday dialogues – distinguish between main statements and relevant details.
- Longer audio texts – grasp the topic, viewpoints, and individual pieces of information.
Listening: Training Strategy
Do not try to understand every single word. Read the task before the audio text, mark keywords, and listen specifically for the information being asked for.
- Regularly work with the current official DTZ practice material from g.a.s.t.
- Specifically practice numbers, times, places, and names – such details are easily missed under time pressure.
- In dialogues, pay attention to agreement, contradiction, and changes to a previous statement.
- After an exercise, don't just check the solution, but note the reason for the mistake: Did you miss information, misread the task, or choose a distractor option?
Reading: The Overview
In Reading, you will complete 25 tasks on various everyday text types. These include short notices and advertisements as well as longer informational texts.
You should practice the exact task arrangement with the current official practice material so that you don't lose time understanding the format on the exam day.
- Short everyday texts such as advertisements, notices, or memos – assign matching information.
- Emails and letters – extract detailed information.
- Factual and informational texts – understand main statements and relevant details.
- Part 5: Letter cloze test with six gaps; for each gap, three answer options are available.
Reading Part 5 in Detail: The Letter Cloze Test
The letter cloze test combines reading comprehension with vocabulary and grammar in context. For six gaps, you choose the most suitable solution from three options each.
- Grammar in the sentence: for example, connectors, prepositions, or verb forms.
- Vocabulary in context: Which option semantically fits the statement?
- Text logic: Which solution fits the entire letter and not just the individual sentence?
Reading: Training Strategy
- First skim the text for orientation, then read the task and specifically look for the relevant passage.
- For true/false or multiple-choice tasks, only evaluate what is actually stated in the text.
- If a task is difficult, do not get stuck for too long; mark it and return later.
- For Part 5, specifically practice cloze tests in letter context and categorize errors by grammar, vocabulary, or text logic.
Why Listening and Reading are Reported Together
Although you train Listening and Reading as two skills, they appear as a single combined result area, Listening and Reading, in the DTZ. This combined area can be crucial for an overall B1 result.
For overall B1, you need B1 in Sprechen and additionally B1 in either the combined Listening and Reading area or in Schreiben.
How to Prepare Effectively
Listening and Reading reward regular practice. Short, focused sessions followed by error analysis are usually more helpful than infrequent long sessions.
Use current official DTZ materials as a format anchor and supplement them with additional language training at your level.
Frequently asked questions
How many times are the listening recordings played?
For such procedural details, rely on the current exam instructions and the current official g.a.s.t. practice material. Older materials may differ in specific details from the current standard.
How many tasks are there in Listening?
The current g.a.s.t. overview indicates 20 tasks in Listening.
How many tasks are there in Reading?
The current g.a.s.t. overview indicates 25 tasks in Reading.
Are Listening and Reading reported separately on the result?
No. Listening and Reading are combined into a single result area.
Is there a separate grammar section in the DTZ?
No. Grammar is tested within the linguistic tasks; there is no standalone grammar or Sprachbausteine section.
Sources & currency
- Exam version
- Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ), as of 2026
- Editorial check
- Source check by the Preparaio editorial team ()
- Author
- Preparaio RedaktionEditorial team, fact-checking against official primary sources
- Reviewed by
- Source-checked by PreparaioSource comparison with the exam providers' own pages
- Fact-check status
- Source check in progress ()
- Content version
- 2026-07-31
How we check: Every exam-relevant fact is compared with the exam providers' official pages (g.a.s.t./TestDaF-Institut, BAMF, ETS, IELTS Partners, telc). The check is editorial, supported by AI and automated test gates; it is not a review by certified examiners.
The hard exam facts in this article were verified against the official primary sources linked below on the date shown. This is not a review by an examination body and does not replace information from your test centre. Fees, dates and local procedures are set by the test centres themselves.
Official primary sources
- Der DTZ auf einen Blick — g.a.s.t. / TestDaF-Institut · gast.de · official primary source · checked on
- Abschlussprüfung im Integrationskurs — Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) · bamf.de · official primary source · checked on
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