telc B1 — frequently asked questions

telc B1 is offered by numerous certified examination centers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and internationally. Each center sets its own examination fees and dates; only the official pages of the examination centers in your city are reliable. We deliberately do not state specific prices here because they are adjusted at least once a year and vary by city.

For the written exam, you should generally register at least 3–4 weeks before your desired date. In metropolitan areas, popular dates can be full even earlier. The oral exam often takes place on the same day or within a close timeframe.

To pass, you need at least 60% of the points in the written part and 60% in the oral part, evaluated separately. The written part consists of reading comprehension, language elements, listening comprehension, and written expression; the four areas are aggregated into a total written score.

The certificate shows the percentage achieved and the grade level: very good (85%+), good (75%+), satisfactory (65%+), sufficient (60%+), failed (below 60%). For most purposes, the grade level doesn't matter — passed is passed.

There is no formal upper limit for retakes. If you score below 60% in only one of the two sections (written or oral) and above 60% in the other, many centers allow you to schedule a retake for the failed section; the exact deadlines and conditions are set by each center. If both parts are failed, the entire exam must be retaken.

telc B1 is accepted in Germany for many residence-related purposes (settlement permit, naturalization — each in addition to other requirements). It is an internationally recognized B1 proof according to CEFR and is accepted by numerous universities and professional recognition bodies as proof of language proficiency. The specific recognition is always a matter for the accepting institution — ask if the required standard does not explicitly mention telc or "B1 CEFR".

Preparaio offers practice exercises for all four parts of the telc B1 exam and mock tests under real time conditions. Writing and speaking feedback is aligned with the exam's evaluation criteria. We are not an examination center — the exam results on Preparaio are preparation indicators, not official scores.