B1 exam in 30 days: a study plan for DTZ, telc and Goethe

Is B1 in 30 days realistic?

That depends on where you are today. 30 days are exam training, not a language course from the start. If you already understand simple texts on everyday topics and can talk about work, family and housing, in one month you can win back points that you lose through lack of routine: poor timing, unfamiliar task types, nerves in speaking.

If, on the other hand, you have to guess in most tasks, one month is usually too short. Then a later exam date is the more honest choice. No study plan can give a guarantee; this plan makes sure you use the 30 days for what counts in the result.

Our tip for the decision: on day 1, do the first three versions of each reading and listening part of your exam and count your mistakes. If you do well in at least two out of three versions in most parts, the 30-day plan is worth it. If not, use the four weeks as a start and move your exam date.

How does the plan change depending on the exam?

The DTZ, telc Deutsch B1 and the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 test the same level, but they score differently. This decides where you invest most of your time.

So if you are taking the DTZ, do not spend three weeks only on reading: without B1 in speaking there is no B1 certificate. With telc, a strong subtest balances a weak one, as long as the written exam reaches 135 points altogether. With the Goethe-Zertifikat, the modules count separately. All exam figures in this table come from the official practice materials; details are in DTZ B1 exam, telc B1 exam and the comparison of the B1 exams.

What does the plan look like week by week?

Each week has one goal. The columns list the LexDeutsch pages that match your exam. The guides explain the format and strategy, the exercises train the tasks.

For writing in the DTZ and telc: read the four Leitpunkte (task points) and write something about each one. In the DTZ you choose Aufgabe A or B (task A or B), in telc there is one email with no choice, in the Goethe-Zertifikat three tasks in 60 minutes. Structure and useful phrases for the letter are explained in Writing a letter at B1.

How do I divide 30–45 minutes a day?

Our tip: better short and every day than three hours on Sunday. Every study day has four fixed blocks. You do not need a textbook for this, just a ballpoint pen, a notebook for mistakes and a timer.

An example for day 9 of the DTZ plan, if Lesen Teil 2 is your weakest part: five minutes of words from adverts (Miete, Kaution, Probezeit – rent, deposit, probation period), 20 minutes for one Lesen Teil 2 task, ten minutes of review – marking the conditions in each situation –, ten minutes of Sprechen Teil 1 out loud. 45 minutes in total.

At the weekend you can do a longer block of 60–90 minutes: two parts one after the other, as in the exam. Once a week, speak with a partner, for example someone from your course; Teil 3 (planning together) is better practised with a second person, because there you react to suggestions.

Which checkpoints show whether the plan is working?

Three checkpoints are enough. Write down the result so that you can see your progress.

1. Day 1 – starting point: the first three versions of each reading and listening part on LexDeutsch; count the mistakes per part.
2. Day 14 – halfway: one official test against the clock. The providers offer free practice tests: the DTZ-Übungssatz 1 by g.a.s.t. (without the audio file, so reading and writing), the Übungstest telc Deutsch B1 with audio (ZIP) and the Übungssatz Goethe-Zertifikat B1.
3. Day 25 or 26 – dress rehearsal: the second official test or, for telc, the telc B1 simulation (VIP), which puts reading, Sprachbausteine and listening together with a timer.

Compare your result with the official pass mark: in the DTZ 33 of 45 points in "Hören und Lesen" (with the practice set without audio you only evaluate reading, so the mark is just a guide), in telc 135 of 225 in the written exam, in the Goethe-Zertifikat 60 of 100 per module. How to evaluate the telc practice test is explained in telc B1 Modelltest.

Our tip: if on day 14 you are far below the pass mark in one part, move week 3 back by a few days and stay with that part. Then practise writing and speaking for a shorter time in week 4, but do not leave them out.

What do I do in the last week?

In the last week you do not learn anything new. You revise what is in your mistakes notebook and get used to the exam conditions.

• Day 25 or 26: dress rehearsal with a timer. After that, only short tasks.
• Day 27–29: every day 20 minutes with your mistakes notebook and 10 minutes of speaking out loud, especially introducing yourself and planning.
• The day before, pack your ID and a ballpoint pen. In the DTZ and the Goethe-Zertifikat you do not mark answers with a pencil; dictionaries and mobile phones are not allowed in any of the three exams.
• Preparation time for speaking: telc 20 minutes, notes only on the stamped sheet, do not read them out; Goethe-Zertifikat 15 minutes; for the DTZ the official practice set gives no preparation time.
• Day 30: no new task. Our tip: read your five most common mistakes once more, and then stop.

If the result is not enough after that: how to read your result sheet (Ergebnisbogen), which parts you can retake and which deadlines apply is explained in Failed the B1 exam?.

What is free on LexDeutsch and what is part of VIP?

On LexDeutsch the first three versions of each part in Lesen, Hören and Sprachbausteine are free without signing up; for day 1 of the plan, that is enough. Further versions and the telc B1 simulation are part of VIP. The Musterbriefe B1 (sample letters) in the DTZ section are all free.

The site does not record your voice and does not correct freely written texts. For writing and speaking you therefore need a second person: a teacher, someone from your course or a study partner. The exercises are our own tasks in the exam format, not original tasks from the providers.