Failed the B1 exam? What to do after DTZ, telc or Goethe

What does "failed" mean in the DTZ, telc B1 and Goethe B1?

The three B1 exams calculate the result in different ways. So "failed" does not mean the same thing everywhere, and the rules for retakes are different too. The table sums up the official rules; the sources are at the end of the page.

Important for telc: you cannot retake single subtests, for example only listening (Hörverstehen) – only the whole written or the whole oral exam. If you want a partial result to be carried over, tell the exam centre when you register. For the Goethe-Zertifikat: you get a certificate for every passed module; modules you pass later can be combined with it.

DTZ: I only got A2 – what exactly does that mean?

The DTZ is one exam with two possible levels. Three partial results decide: "Hören und Lesen" (listening and reading), "Schreiben" (writing) and "Sprechen" (speaking). For the B1 certificate you need B1 in speaking and also B1 in "Hören und Lesen" or in writing. If that is not enough, you get the A2 certificate if speaking is at least A2 and one other part is at least A2. If speaking is "unter A2" (below A2), there is no certificate, only a result sheet.

An example: 31 points in "Hören und Lesen" (A2), 16 points in writing (B1) and 72 points in speaking (A2). Writing is B1, but the result is still only A2 – because speaking is not B1. Here three points in speaking are missing. More reading practice would not have changed this result.

• g.a.s.t. also issues a DTZ certificate for A2. But for the "Zertifikat Integrationskurs" (integration course certificate) you need B1 in the DTZ and a pass in the test "Leben in Deutschland".
• According to the BAMF, under certain conditions you can repeat up to 300 lessons; this approval includes one free repeat of the language exam. Ask your Kursträger (course provider) whether this applies to you.
• g.a.s.t. writes: with a Berechtigungsschein (eligibility certificate) the BAMF pays the fee for the first final test and for one attempt in the repeat procedure. If you took the DTZ before the end of your course hours, the BAMF also pays for a second attempt.
• In a retake you do the complete exam again, written and oral. Partial results from earlier exams are not carried over.

What A2 means in law: the law calls A2 "hinreichende" (adequate) knowledge of German (§ 2 Abs. 10 AufenthG) and B1 "ausreichende" (sufficient) knowledge (§ 2 Abs. 11). Which proof is accepted for your application is decided by your Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) or Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalisation office). This page is not legal advice.

How do I read my result sheet?

Do not look only at the word "A2" or "nicht bestanden" (failed) – look at the points for each part. Work out how far you are from the pass mark. Then you can see where four weeks of training will pay off most.

1. For each part, write down: points reached, pass mark, difference.
2. Mark the part that decides the result. In the DTZ, check speaking first: without B1 in speaking there is no B1 certificate.
3. Check the second route: in the DTZ, besides B1 in speaking you need only one more part at B1: "Hören und Lesen" or writing. Choose the part where you are missing fewer points.
4. With telc the total counts: a weak subtest can be balanced by a strong one, as long as the written exam reaches 135 points altogether.
5. With the Goethe-Zertifikat you only need to plan again for the modules with fewer than 60 points.

A telc example: written 128 of 225, oral 52 of 75. The oral exam is passed, the written exam is 7 points short. Within twelve months you can retake only the written exam; the oral result is carried over if you say so when you register. How the 225 points are made up (reading 75, Sprachbausteine 30, listening 75, writing 45) is explained in the guide telc B1 exam.

Can I have my result checked?

Yes, but the procedures and deadlines are different for each provider. When you view your papers (Einsichtnahme), you see your own exam documents – for the DTZ, for example, the answer sheets, the writing sheet (Schreibbogen) and the marking of speaking. g.a.s.t. and the Goethe-Institut do not show the exam tasks or the answers; with telc there are no copies and no advice session.

There are two rules you should know before you write. With telc (objection to how the exam was run) and the Goethe-Institut (objection to the result), "I am only one point short" is explicitly not a sufficient reason. And with telc, a new marking can also turn out worse; the revised result then applies. If telc changes the result, you get the cost of the review back.

Our tip: use the viewing mainly to understand where you lost points – for example whether a Leitpunkt (task point) was missing in writing. For an objection you need a concrete reason, for example a disturbance during listening. Your Prüfstelle or exam centre can tell you the exact procedure; the official rules are in the FAQ zum DTZ (g.a.s.t. FAQ), the telc Prüfungsregularien (telc exam regulations) and the Prüfungsordnung des Goethe-Instituts (Goethe-Institut exam regulations).

What went wrong? Typical causes by exam part

The following table is not an official statistic. It shows patterns that we see as typical in practice (our tip) – as a checklist, not as a rule.

In the DTZ a lot depends on the criterion "Aufgabenbewältigung" (task completion): in speaking it gives 50 of the 100 points, spread over the parts (Teil 1A and 1B 5 each, Teil 2A and 2B 10 each, Teil 3 20). So if you hardly speak in Teil 3, you lose a lot. In writing, criterion I checks whether all four Leitpunkte are covered. How speaking Teil 1 and 2 work is shown in DTZ Sprechen Teil 1 and DTZ B1 picture description.

In telc B1 the weighting is different: reading and listening count 75 points each, Sprachbausteine 30, writing 45. So weak listening costs more than weak Sprachbausteine. In the oral exam all three parts are marked separately; Teil 2 and Teil 3 count 30 points each, Teil 1 15.

What does a 4-week plan before the retake look like?

Four weeks are not enough to learn a whole level again. But they can be enough to win a few missing points in one part if you practise in a targeted way. Plan for 30–45 minutes a day. The plan starts from your result sheet: week 1 to find the gap, week 2 for the deciding part, week 3 for the second route, week 4 for exam conditions.

On LexDeutsch the first three versions of each part in Lesen, Hören and Sprachbausteine are free without signing up, further versions and the telc B1 simulation are part of VIP; the Musterbriefe B1 in the DTZ section are all freely available. For the Goethe-Zertifikat there is no speaking practice on LexDeutsch, and for the DTZ only speaking Teil 1. If you have more time or are taking the exam for the first time, use the detailed plan B1 exam in 30 days.

Our tip for week 4: do your dress rehearsal not on the day before the exam, but a few days before. Then you still have time to look at your last mistakes again. Nobody can guarantee success, but targeted practice improves your chances.

When can I take the exam again, and what do I need to organise?

You do not get the exam date from LexDeutsch, but from the organisation that runs the exam. Also plan for the time you wait for the result.

• DTZ: according to g.a.s.t., exams take place every two weeks; the Prüfstelle can register you up to 21 days before the date. After the exam, g.a.s.t. usually sends the results to the BAMF after about two and a half weeks, then the BAMF checks them. You get the certificate through your Prüfstelle.
• telc Deutsch B1: the exam centre tells you the dates and fees; telc itself gives no information on costs. According to telc, the result arrives after 4 to 6 weeks. You can retake the part exam (Teilprüfung) within twelve months after the first exam.
• Goethe-Zertifikat B1: the exam centre sets the dates and, if applicable, deadlines for retakes, and points them out with the result. An overall certificate with the best results of the four modules is possible if all four are passed within one year – with conditions depending on the exam location.

Our tip: if you need B1 for an application, ask the authority early whether and until when you can hand in a new result later. Which proof is accepted is decided by your Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) or Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalisation office).