Start with the decision that changes the paper
If an authority, employer, university or course named the board, open that board's guide first. If it named only a level, compare the task route and the live seat before you choose.
German exam guides
Choose the paper before you practise it
Goethe and telc use the same CEFR ladder but different task routes. Start with the board, level, timing and score rules that belong to the certificate in front of you.
About this page
A certificate request usually names a level, and sometimes a board. The right guide keeps those two decisions together so your reading, listening, writing and speaking practice follows the paper you will actually meet.
Use the index to open a board-specific guide, or start with the comparison pages when you are still deciding. Fees, dates and centres change by location, so the final booking handoff goes to BookGermanTest.
The level ladder runs from A1 to C2. This public guide set covers exam format and practice routes through A1 to B2, while C1 and C2 pages explain the level without pretending that a live target is already offered.
A good first session has one concrete question: which task type costs me time? Open the matching guide, read the module map, then use the target-specific practice route before you book.
Use the comparison table inside each guide for numbers, and use the level pages when you need a plain description of what A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2 means. That split keeps format facts and level language easy to check.
Bruno's tip. The board is part of the task. Pick Goethe or telc before you start a practice run, then keep the same part order in your notes.
What you will find here
Goethe A1
The first Goethe paper: four skills, one combined result and concrete everyday tasks.
GoetheA1entryOpen
Goethe A2
Four modules, written and oral floors, and the step before the Independent User levels.
GoetheA2everydayOpen
Goethe B1
Four independently certified modules with planning, presentation, feedback and questions in Sprechen.
GoetheB1independentOpenGoethe B2
Longer complex texts, structured writing and a presentation followed by discussion.
GoetheB2complexOpentelc A1
A concrete paper with source choices, a shared Lesen and Schreiben clock and group Sprechen.
telcA1sourceOpentelc A2
Practical directories, connected texts, eight advertisements and a shared 50-minute block.
telcA2practicalOpentelc B1
Three Lesen parts, two Sprachbausteine parts and a written result with a separate oral paper.
telcB1writtenOpentelc B2
A B2 written route with language elements, one-play listening and separate Sprechen.
telcB2writtenOpenWhich German exam?
A decision route built around the receiving body, the paper and the live seat.
decisionboardOpenGerman levels
A1 to C2 descriptors with clear boundaries between level meaning and product targets.
CEFRlevelsOpen
The numbers
In numbers
BoardsGoethe and telc guides use their own paper shapes
Level ladderA1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 on the CEFR scale
SkillsHören, Lesen, Schreiben and Sprechen
Live detailsDates, fees and centres hand off to BookGermanTest
How to use it
Step by step, inside your week
Step 1: Step 1: write down the requested board, level and certificate recency rule.
Step 2: Step 2: open the guide for that board and level, then read the module table before the study plan.
Step 3: Step 3: note the paper's clocks, part types and score thresholds on one page.
Step 4: Step 4: practise the weakest task in the target-specific route while the board stays visible.
Step 5: Step 5: use the mock only after the task route feels familiar, and record whether you used Practice mode or Real exam mode.
Step 6: Step 6: check the live BookGermanTest listing for dates, fees and centres.
Step 7: Step 7: send the certificate question to the receiving organisation before you book.
Step 8: Step 8: keep the next level separate from the certificate you are booking now.
Step 9: Step 9: after a practice result, write one action in plain language, such as review source choice or ask a partner a follow-up question.
Step 10: Step 10: return to the same guide after the next run so your comparison remains between like papers.
Bruno's tip. Dates and fees belong to the booking handoff. A format guide can stay useful while a centre list changes.
Choose your target
Where do you want to go?
Cells carry the level tone and the live state. Pick one and the button keeps your board and level.
- A1GoethePractice and mocks live
- A2GoethePractice and mocks live
- B1GoethePractice and mocks live
- B2GoethePractice and mocks live
- A1telcPractice and mocks live
- A2telcPractice and mocks live
- B1telcPractice and mocks live
- B2telcPractice and mocks live
- C1Goethe or telcLevel guide
- C2Goethe or telcLevel guide
Open the exam guide: Goethe A1
Hover or tap a cell to keep its board and level in the button.
Questions
What people ask first
Should I choose Goethe or telc first?
Start with the receiving organisation's wording. If it accepts more than one board, compare the paper shape, live centre date and the format you can rehearse.
Does the same CEFR level mean the same exam?
No. The CEFR describes the level, while Goethe and telc set different parts, clocks, response types and score rules.
Open the board guide before you practise.
Where do I find fees and exam dates?
BookGermanTest carries the current list of dates, fees and centres. The public guides keep those details as a handoff because they change by location.
Does Sprachpass cover every level on this index?
The guide index explains A1 to B2 exam formats and shows the practice routes currently offered for a selected board and level. C1 and C2 pages are informational level pages and do not promise a live practice target.
How should I use a mock?
Learn the route in Practice mode, then use the same clocks and audio in Real exam mode when you want a clean check. Results appear at the end, and telc written mocks keep Sprechen separate.
What does a certificate prove?
It provides evidence for the level and board named on the certificate. The organisation receiving it decides how that evidence fits its own admission, employment, recognition or residence process.
Continue
Sources: Council of Europe CEFR, official Goethe and telc exam documents, and Sprachpass exam-shape sources.
All sources
- Council of Europe CEFR 3.3 Global Scale
- Goethe-Zertifikat A1 Start Deutsch 1 exam rules (Durchführungsbestimmungen)
- Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam rules (Durchführungsbestimmungen)
- Goethe-Zertifikat B2 exam rules (Durchführungsbestimmungen)
- Official telc Deutsch A1 (Start Deutsch 1) exam page
- Official telc Deutsch A2 (Start Deutsch 2) exam page
- Official telc Deutsch B1 exam page
- Official telc Deutsch B2 exam page
- Sprachpass exam shape registry (src/lib/exam-shape-data.ts)
- Sprachpass public exam facts registry (src/lib/exams/exam-facts.ts)
- Public pages v4 typed content and word floors (.github/feature-plans/public-pages-v4/SPEC.md)
Ready when you are
Start with the board and level
Open the decision page when the requirement is unclear, or go straight to a board-specific guide and target-specific practice route.
