telc Exam Guide: Which telc German Test Do You Need?

A telc exam is a German (or other language) certificate exam from telc gGmbH, a non-profit test provider in Bad Homburg, Germany. For German, telc offers more than a dozen exams from A1 to C2. There are general exams (Start Deutsch 1 and 2, telc Deutsch B1, B2, C1 and C2), an exam for university entry (C1 Hochschule), exams for work (the Beruf exams), one for nurses (B1·B2 Pflege) and three for doctors (the Medizin exams). You never book with telc directly. You book with one of its licensed exam centres, which also sets the fee.

The right exam depends on what the certificate is for. If someone has asked you for "telc B1" or "telc B2", that usually means the general exam at that level. If they named a purpose, such as nursing registration or university admission, the specialised exam may fit better. This guide lays out the whole family, how each one is passed, how long it takes, what it cost at three centres in India on 28 October 2026, and how results and retakes work.

Key numbers

telc German exams in four numbers

Four key numbers about telc exams: over 3,000 exam centres, 4 to 6 weeks for results, 60 percent per part from B1 to C2, 12 months for a partial retake

• 3,000+

  licensed exam centres

  worldwide, per telc

• 4 to 6

  weeks for results

  telc FAQ

• 60%

  per part, B1 to C2

  written and oral separately

• 12

  months for a partial retake

  B1 to C2, from the results sheet

Who Runs telc Exams

telc stands behind the exams, writes them and scores them centrally. It describes itself as a recognised non-profit education company, founded in 1968. Its only listed branches outside Germany are in Hungary and Poland.

The exams themselves take place at licensed exam centres, usually language schools, universities or chambers of commerce. telc says there are over 3,000 of them worldwide, and you find them through the centre finder on telc.net. The telc exam regulations let each centre set its own registration conditions and prices, which is why telc itself publishes no fees. Dates come from the centre too. A centre has to register each exam with telc 14 days before the date, so expect registration to close at least two weeks before the exam.

One thing telc does not offer for German is a remote exam from home. Its remote tests exist only for other languages.

The telc German Exam Family

As of 28 October 2026, these are the main German exams on telc.net, with the formats each exam page lists.

Comparison

The main telc German exams

Table of the main telc German exams with level, formats and whether a single part can be retaken

Row	Level	Formats	Retake one part
Start Deutsch 1	A1	Paper	No
Start Deutsch 2	A2	Paper	No
telc Deutsch A2·B1	A2 or B1	Digital, hybrid, paper	No
telc Deutsch B1	B1	Digital, hybrid, paper	Yes, 12 months
telc Deutsch B2	B2	Digital, hybrid, paper	Yes, 12 months
telc Deutsch C1	C1	Digital, hybrid, paper	Yes, 12 months
C1 Hochschule	C1	Digital, hybrid, paper	Yes, 12 months
telc Deutsch C2	C2	Paper	Yes, 12 months
B1·B2 Beruf	B1 or B2	Hybrid, paper	No
B1·B2 Pflege	B1 or B2	Digital, hybrid, paper	No
Medizin exams	B2 to C1	Paper	No

There are smaller ones too, such as school and junior versions and a separate A1 exam for immigrants. Two names you will see next to telc are not ordinary telc centre exams. The DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer) is the final exam of Germany's integration course. telc.net has no exam page for it, and the official DTZ information now comes from g.a.s.t.. The DTB (Deutsch-Tests für den Beruf) are the final exams of the government's job-related language courses. telc developed them, but only centres authorised by Germany's migration office (BAMF) may run them.

"Scaled" matters more than it looks. A scaled exam such as B1·B2 Pflege tests two levels at once, and your result decides which level goes on the certificate. Under the current exam regulations, scaled exams also cannot be retaken in parts.

Which telc Exam Fits Your Goal

Start from the document that asks for the certificate, not from the exam list.

Pass rule

Which telc exam fits your goal?

Decision flow from your goal to a telc exam: integration course, university, nursing, medicine, or a general level

1. 1

   Are you in a German integration course?

   Yes

   DTZ, held at your course provider

   Not an ordinary telc centre exam

   No
2. 2

   Is it for university admission?

   Yes

   telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule

   No
3. 3

   Is it for nursing recognition?

   Yes

   telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege, or general B2 if accepted

   No
4. 4

   Is it for a medical licence?

   Yes

   A Medizin exam, after asking your authority which one

   No

   General telc Deutsch exam at the level asked for

Residence, naturalisation or a general B1 requirement in Germany. telc Deutsch B1 is on the BAMF's list of recognised B1 certificates (as of July 2023), together with telc Deutsch A2·B1. Scoring for B1 is explained in detail in telc B1 Exam: 135 Written, 45 Oral. If you are in an integration course, your course ends with the DTZ, which is held at authorised course providers. Its rules are in our German guide to the DTZ.

University in Germany. telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule is built for this. According to its practice test, holders are exempt from proving their German for university study under the framework rules of Germany's rectors' conference (HRK) and education ministers' conference (KMK). The other common route is the TestDaF, compared in our TestDaF guide. Check your university's own page; some programmes name the certificates they accept.

Nursing. telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege uses texts from nursing work, and the writing task is an admission or biography report. Recognition authorities set their own lists. Hessen's nursing authority, for example, accepts telc Deutsch B2 as well as B2 Pflege. Our German for nurses guide covers the levels and routes.

Doctors. The three Medizin exams are separate products with different formats. I would ask the authority handling your medical licence which one it accepts before booking anything.

A job that just says "B1" or "B2". The general exams are the safe default. The Beruf exams test the same levels with workplace tasks, but they are scaled, which matters if you want a clean single-level result.

If nobody has named an exam, I would take the general one at the level asked for. It is the version most offices, employers and schools already know.

Paper, Hybrid or Digital

telc runs three formats, and it says they are equally recognised and have the same content.

• Paper. You write on paper and answer on an answer sheet. Only the answer sheet counts.
• Hybrid. The written part is on paper, and the oral exam is held with the examiners connected through conference software.
• Digital. The written part is also done on a computer at the centre, and answers go into the exam software.

Which formats you can actually book depends on the centre. On its page for centres applying to open branch sites, telc says all telc exams outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland are run digitally. That is consistent with what Indian centres advertise, for example "Digital A1 / A2" at PSG Coimbatore, even though telc's own A1 page lists only paper. If the format matters to you, ask the centre before you pay.

How Each Exam Is Passed

Here is the pass rule in one line each, as of 28 October 2026, from telc's free practice tests (Übungstests).

Comparison

How each telc exam is passed

Table of telc pass marks: written minimum, oral minimum and total minimum for A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C1 Hochschule and C2

Row	Written	Oral	Total
A1, A2	no separate line	no separate line	36 of 60
B1, B2	135 of 225	45 of 75	180 of 300
C1, C1 Hochschule	99 of 166	29 of 48	128 of 214
C2	72 of 120	24 of 40	96 of 160

• A1 and A2. 36 of 60 points, which is 60 percent.
• B1 and B2. 135 of 225 points in the written exam and 45 of 75 in the oral exam. Both lines count separately.
• C1 and C1 Hochschule. At least 128 of 214 points, with at least 99 written and 29 oral.
• C2. At least 96 of 160 points, with at least 72 written and 24 oral.
• A2·B1. For B1, 168 of 240 points (70 percent), 70 percent in three of the four subtests and at least 40 percent in every subtest. Below that, 96 points (40 percent) gives A2, again with minimums per subtest.
• Beruf, Pflege, Medizin. These scaled exams hinge on the oral part. Your Speaking result has to reach the level on the certificate, and a result below the lower level means no certificate at all.

What is the passing score for telc B1? At least 135 of 225 points in the written exam and at least 45 of 75 in the oral exam, both 60 percent. A strong written result cannot make up for a weak oral one, so 244 of 300 points can still be a fail.

One small detail in the C levels is worth knowing. In C1 the two part minimums, 99 and 29, add up to exactly 128, the total minimum. In C2, 72 and 24 make exactly 96. So in practice the total never decides on its own. Clear both parts and you have passed. In B1 and B2, 135 plus 45 is 180, the lowest passing grade.

How Long the Exams Take

How long does the telc B2 exam take? The written part is 140 minutes in one block, made up of 90 minutes for Reading and Sprachbausteine (language elements), about 20 minutes of Listening and 30 minutes of Writing. The oral exam takes about 15 minutes in pairs, after 20 minutes of preparation. The centre decides whether both happen on the same day, and if they don't, telc allows at most 7 days between them.

Comparison

How long telc exams take

Table of telc exam lengths: written minutes and oral minutes for A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2

Row	Written	Oral	Preparation
A1	about 65 min	about 15 min	none
A2	about 70 min	about 15 min	none
B1	150 min	about 15 min	20 min
B2	140 min	about 15 min	20 min
C1, C1 Hochschule	200 min plus break	about 16 min	20 min
C2	230 min plus break	about 15 min	20 min

As of 28 October 2026, the written exam lengths from the telc exam pages are these.

Zielor added up the parts listed on each page. Times marked "about" are approximate on telc's pages too, mostly because listening tracks vary.

Is telc Easier Than Goethe?

Neither is easier by design. Both test the same CEFR levels, and both are on the same BAMF list at B1. What differs is how points are added up, and that can suit one learner and not another.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 has four modules (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking). Each is passed on its own at 60 of 100 points, and you can retake any module on its own as often as your centre offers it. telc B1 and B2 have only two lines, written and oral. Inside the written exam, a weak skill can be carried by strong ones. There is no minimum for Listening or Reading alone.

So the honest answer is conditional. If one written skill lags far behind the others, telc's pooling is kinder. I think that single point decides more choices than any claim about one board being easier. If you want the option of retaking a single skill, Goethe's modules are more flexible, because telc only lets you retake a whole part (written or oral). Our guides to Goethe B1 and Goethe B2 show the Goethe side in detail, and the Goethe A1 guide covers the entry level.

telc Exams in India: Centres and Fees

There is no telc office in India, and telc publishes no count of Indian centres. On 28 October 2026 the telc centre finder listed seven locations in India, in Coimbatore, Kochi, Mumbai (two), Bangalore and Noida (two). Treat that as a snapshot, since the list changes.

How much does a German language exam cost in India? For telc, it depends on the centre and the level. These are the published fees at three centres from that list, as of 28 October 2026.

Comparison

telc exam fees at three centres in India

Table of telc exam fees on 28 October 2026 at PSG Coimbatore, Quadrigo Bangalore and Kochi, and BSLEU Noida for A1, B1, B2 and C1

Row	A1	B1	B2	C1
PSG, Coimbatore	Rs 11,500	Rs 19,000	Rs 19,000	Rs 22,000
Quadrigo, Bangalore and Kochi	Rs 10,300	Rs 20,800	Rs 20,800	not listed
BSLEU, Noida	Rs 20,060	Rs 21,240	Rs 21,240	Rs 23,600

Quadrigo and BSLEU state their fees including GST. Quadrigo's prices are from its November 2026 exam pages, and those dates were closed or sold out by early November, so check the price for the next date. Fees change, and the booking page on the day is what counts.

Across these three, A1 cost between ₹10,300 and ₹20,060 and B1 between ₹19,000 and ₹21,240. That spread is large enough to justify checking two or three centres if you can travel. Goethe exams in India have their own fee lists, which this guide did not check.

One caution. Some websites with "telc" in their name are run by training companies and are not telc. Before you pay, find the centre in the official centre finder.

Results, Certificates and Retakes

telc's FAQ says results can take 4 to 6 weeks. The Indian centres above quote between four and six weeks. telc says digital results have been its standard since the first quarter of 2026, so you get your certificate or results sheet as a PDF by email. Employers and offices can check a certificate at results.telc.net.

If you pass, you get a certificate. If you fail, you get a results sheet that breaks your result down by skill. The certificate has no expiry date. Whether an older one is still good enough is up to the institution asking for it.

The retake rules come from the telc exam regulations, valid from 15 April 2025.

• You can retake the whole exam as often as you like. Every result stays valid.
• Partial retakes exist only at B1, B2, C1 and C2. If you passed one part and failed the other, you can retake just the written or just the oral exam within twelve months of the date on your results sheet. Tell the centre when you register.
• Not for A1, A2 or scaled exams. A2·B1, B1·B2 and B2·C1 exams have to be retaken in full.
• No single subtests. You cannot retake only Listening, for example.

Older practice tests still mention a calendar-year deadline. The regulations above are newer. If you think something went wrong in the marking, you can ask telc for a result review within six weeks. It costs 40 euros, and the new result applies even if it is lower.

How I Would Choose

I haven't taken these exams, and Zielor doesn't rank providers. If I were choosing, I would work through it in this order.

1. Read the exact wording of the requirement. "Level B1" and "telc Deutsch B1" are different requests.
2. Pick the general exam unless a purpose exam is named. C1 Hochschule for universities, Pflege or Medizin when an authority asks for them.
3. Check the format and the date with the centre. Digital or paper, same-day oral or not, and how long results take right now.
4. Do the free practice test first. The main telc exam pages link a free Übungstest with audio. Score it with the pass rule above.
5. Leave buffer for results. Four to six weeks is the official range, so do not book an exam a week before a visa appointment.

Zielor is a German exam practice app in development, independent of telc. Its exercises use the same task types as the real exams and are written by Zielor. If you would like to try it when it opens, you can join the waitlist on this site.

---

How this article was made: drafted with AI assistance from the official telc pages, practice tests and exam regulations linked below, and checked by Kevin Gabeci on 28 October 2026. Durations and fee ranges are Zielor's own sums from those pages. Indian fees come from the three centres' own pages on that date.

Sources

• telc: Prüfungsordnung (exam regulations), valid from 15 April 2025
• telc: German exams overview
• telc: Zertifikat Deutsch / telc Deutsch B1
• telc: telc Deutsch B2
• telc: telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
• telc: telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege
• telc: Paper-based, hybrid and digital exams
• telc: Find an exam centre
• telc: Exams support and FAQ
• telc: Digital certificates
• g.a.s.t.: Der DTZ auf einen Blick
• BAMF: Overview of recognised B1 certificates (as of July 2023)
• Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat B1 Terms and Conditions for Exam Administration
• PSG Institute of Advanced Studies: telc exams
• Quadrigo: telc B1 exam, 13 November 2026
• BSLEU Akademie: levels and fees