DTZ Hören B1 (Listening): Teil 1–4 with Strategy and Examples

How is listening in the DTZ structured?

Listening is the first part of the written exam, followed by reading and writing; all three parts together take 100 minutes without a break. About 25 minutes are planned for listening. You work only on the tasks of this part: you may not turn ahead, and time you lose cannot be made up later. You mark your answers on the same answer sheet (Antwortbogen) as for reading, with a black or blue ballpoint pen.

For the result, listening and reading count together: 45 tasks, one point each. With 33–45 points you reach B1 in this partial result, with 20–32 points A2. So you can make up for weak listening with strong reading, and the other way round. Our guide DTZ B1 exam explains how the three partial results lead to the A2 or B1 certificate.

How many times do you hear the recordings in the DTZ?

The official practice set (Übungssatz) by g.a.s.t. does not say. Neither the description of the test format nor the instructions for the four parts give a number. So do not rely on statements like “you always hear Teil 1 twice”. In the exam, listen carefully to the instruction at the start of each part.

Our tip: practise as if you hear each recording only once. If you decide on the first listening, you have time to check if the recording is repeated. If you wait for a repeat, you only half listen the first time. One thing in the practice set is certain: before Teil 4 you have one minute to read sentences a–f.

What traps are there in all four parts?

The listening tasks rarely repeat the words from the recording. Usually the task sheet has a different word with the same meaning. Wrong answers, on the other hand, often contain exactly the words you hear. If you only look for the same words, you often end up with the wrong answer.

• Negation and restriction: “nicht”, “kein”, “nicht mehr” or “noch nicht” (not, no, no longer, not yet) turn the meaning around; “erst” and “nur” (not until, only) narrow it. “Die Apotheke öffnet heute erst um zehn” means: before that it is closed (the pharmacy does not open until ten today).
• Change of plan: first comes the old plan, then the change. Signal words are “eigentlich”, “aber”, “doch”, “stattdessen”, “sondern” and “fällt aus” (actually, but, yet, instead, but rather, is cancelled). The question then usually asks about the new plan.
• Who says what: in conversations, one person suggests something and the other says no. But the task asks about one particular person.
• Numbers and times: you often hear two or three times, prices or platforms. Only one fits the question.
• Heard, but not asked: a word from the recording is in one of the answers, but that answer replies to a different question.

Our tip for every task: underline two things in the question – who does something and what this person should do („Was soll Frau Kaya machen?“ – What should Ms Kaya do?). Then, in the answers, mark only the difference between a, b and c. That way you know before you listen which information matters.

DTZ Hören Teil 1: How do I solve phone messages and announcements?

In Teil 1 you hear four short texts: messages on an answering machine, for example from a doctor’s practice or a garage, and announcements, for example at the station or in the supermarket. For each text there is one question with three answers. The question is usually about an action (What should the person do?), a time or a place.

1. Before the text: read the question, underline the person and the verb, and mark the difference in a, b and c (day? time? action?).
2. While listening: pay attention to signal words for changes. In phone messages the most important request often comes at the end („Bitte rufen Sie uns … zurück“ – please call us back …).
3. After the text: decide at once and go to the next question. Otherwise an open question from Teil 1 takes attention away from the next text.

Example (our own exercise): „Guten Tag, Frau Kaya, hier ist die Praxis Dr. Albers. Ihr Termin am Donnerstag um 9 Uhr muss leider ausfallen, die Ärztin ist auf einer Fortbildung. Wir können Ihnen Freitag um halb elf anbieten. Bitte rufen Sie uns bis morgen Mittag zurück, damit wir den Termin für Sie reservieren können.“ – Was soll Frau Kaya tun? a) Am Donnerstag um 9 Uhr kommen. b) Die Praxis bis morgen Mittag anrufen. c) Am Freitag ohne Anruf in die Praxis kommen. (A practice cancels Ms Kaya’s Thursday appointment, offers Friday at 10:30 and asks her to call back by midday tomorrow. What should she do?)

Correct: b. Option a is the old plan („muss leider ausfallen“ – unfortunately has to be cancelled). Option c gives the correct new day, but the practice has only offered the appointment – Ms Kaya must confirm it by phone first. The question asks about an action, and the action is in the last sentence.

DTZ Hören Teil 2: What should I listen for in radio reports?

In Teil 2 you hear five short pieces of information from the radio, for example traffic reports, the weather forecast, a tip for consumers or news from the town. For each report you solve one task with a, b or c. The reports are denser than the announcements in Teil 1: a few sentences contain several places, numbers or dates.

• Traffic: several roads are mentioned, but the question is about only one – or about a recommendation.
• Weather: the question is often about a day or a region („im Norden“ – in the north, „am Wochenende“ – at the weekend).
• Events: place, time and price come close together; listen for changes like „wegen Regen in der Halle“ (indoors because of rain).
• General terms: the answer has a general word („eine andere Strecke“ – a different route), the report a specific name („über die A6“ – via the A6).

Example (our own exercise): „Und nun der Verkehr: Auf der A3 zwischen Würzburg und Nürnberg staut es sich nach einem Unfall auf acht Kilometern. Die A9 bei Ingolstadt ist wieder frei. Wer heute Richtung Nürnberg unterwegs ist, fährt am besten über die A6.“ – Was empfiehlt der Sprecher? a) Die A3 nehmen. b) Die A9 nehmen. c) Eine andere Strecke fahren. (An 8 km traffic jam on the A3 after an accident; the A9 near Ingolstadt is clear again; drivers to Nuremberg should take the A6. What does the speaker recommend?)

Correct: c. „Über die A6 fahren“ is the different route – a general term replaces the name. Option b is a trap: the sentence about the A9 is true, but it is not a recommendation. The motorway with the traffic jam is option a. Our tip: read the question word carefully. „Was empfiehlt …?“ (What does … recommend?), „Was ist passiert?“ (What happened?) and „Wo gibt es Probleme?“ (Where are there problems?) lead to three different answers for the same report.

DTZ Hören Teil 3: How do I keep track in everyday conversations?

In Teil 3 you hear four everyday conversations, for example at the doctor’s, in a shop, at a public office or between colleagues. For each conversation there are two tasks: first a statement that is true or false (richtig/falsch), then a question with a, b or c. That makes eight points – the biggest part of listening.

1. Read both tasks for the conversation before it starts. The true/false statement often gives away the topic.
2. The answers usually come in the order of the tasks: first the information for the statement, later the information for the a, b, c question.
3. Remember who is speaking. Write a short “F” (Frau – woman) or “M” (Mann – man) next to the question when you hear something that fits it.
4. Listen for “aber” (but) in the second person’s reply. A suggestion is not yet a decision.

Example (our own exercise): Frau: „Ich möchte meine neue Adresse anmelden. Hier ist mein Pass.“ – Mann: „Haben Sie auch die Wohnungsgeberbestätigung vom Vermieter?“ – Frau: „Die wollte er mir heute schicken, aber sie ist noch nicht da.“ – Mann: „Dann kann ich Sie leider noch nicht anmelden. Buchen Sie online einen neuen Termin und bringen Sie die Bestätigung mit.“ (A woman wants to register her new address, but the landlord’s confirmation form has not arrived yet; the officer tells her to book a new appointment online and bring the confirmation.)

Statement: „Die Frau kann sich heute anmelden.“ (The woman can register today.) – false („noch nicht“ – not yet). Question: Was soll die Frau machen? a) Den Vermieter anrufen. b) Einen neuen Termin vereinbaren. c) Ihren Pass verlängern. Answer: b. The landlord is mentioned in the conversation, but nobody says she should call him. The passport is only shown. „Online einen Termin buchen“ (book an appointment online) becomes „einen Termin vereinbaren“ (make an appointment) in the answer.

DTZ Hören Teil 4: How do I match opinions to sentences a–f?

In Teil 4 three people give their views on a topic. The task sheet has six sentences a–f. One sentence fits each person, and three sentences are left over. Before listening you have one minute to read the sentences. Teil 4 has only three points, but it is demanding, because the extra sentences sound very similar to the opinions.

• A situation is not an opinion: a person first describes how things are for them. Their opinion comes after that, often with „ich finde“ (I think), „für mich“ (for me) or „am Ende“ (in the end).
• Word from the recording, different statement: a sentence contains a word from the recording but says the opposite.
• Partial agreement: „Ja, aber nur …“ (Yes, but only …) – the right sentence includes the limitation.
• Use the minute: in each sentence, mark the key word and the direction (for, against, with a condition).

Example (our own exercise) on the topic „Sollen Kinder ein eigenes Handy haben?“ (Should children have their own mobile phone?): „Meine Tochter ist zehn, und in ihrer Klasse haben schon fast alle ein Smartphone. Ich habe lange gezögert. Am Ende habe ich ihr ein einfaches Handy gekauft, zum Telefonieren und für Nachrichten, ohne Internet. Ich will, dass sie mich erreichen kann. Stundenlang Videos schauen soll sie aber nicht.“ (A mother of a ten-year-old bought her a simple phone for calls and messages, without internet: she wants to be reachable, but no hours of videos.)

Which sentences fit? a) Kinder brauchen ein Smartphone, damit sie in der Klasse nicht allein sind. b) Ein Handy ja, aber nur mit wenigen Funktionen. c) Kinder unter zwölf sollten gar kein Handy haben. Answer: b. Sentence a picks up the situation („fast alle in der Klasse“ – almost everyone in the class), not the opinion. Sentence c is the opposite: the person did buy their daughter a phone. The opinion comes at the end: reachable yes, internet no.

How do I practise DTZ Hören with LexDeutsch?

The DTZ Hören trainer has 133 of our own tasks in the exam format: Teil 1 with 38 versions, Teil 2 with 29, Teil 3 with 13 and Teil 4 with 53. Each task has a recording, an explanation after “Prüfen” (check) and, in the transcript, the highlighted line with the answer. The first three versions of each part are free and need no sign-up; further versions are part of VIP access.

The recording in the trainer plays without reading pauses, and you can pause or restart it. In the exam you cannot. So use the pause button only when you go back over a task, not on your first try.

1. In every part, do the three free versions without pausing and without the transcript. Note in which part you lose the most points.
2. After “Prüfen”, read the highlighted line in the transcript: which word showed the answer, and which word tempted you into the wrong answer?
3. Write such pairs in a list („verschoben“ = „findet später statt“ – postponed = takes place later). This list is your personal synonym vocabulary.
4. Listen to the same recording again the next day without the text. Do you understand the part with the answer now?
5. Practise Teil 4 with a time limit: one minute for sentences a–f, then listen through without pausing.

You can train reading with our guide DTZ Lesen B1 and the exercises for Lesen Teil 1–5. Whether the DTZ is the right exam for you is shown in the comparison Which B1 exam is right for me?. The exercises on LexDeutsch are our own tasks, not tasks from the exam. The official practice set with the listening texts (as text, no audio) is free from g.a.s.t.