Which German exam?
Choose the certificate by the decision in front of you
The right German exam depends on the required level, the named board and the paper you can rehearse before the live seat. Use three questions to make that choice concrete.
Start with the receiving organisation, not with a favourite app. A university, employer, authority or course may name a level, a board, a certificate age or a combination of those details.
If the board is open, compare the paper route and the available centre date. Goethe and telc can certify the same CEFR level while asking different tasks, clocks and score checks.
Once the board is chosen, keep it visible in practice. A correct answer in the wrong board format still leaves you with a format gap on exam day.
Use the final booking handoff for current fees, dates and centres. This page helps you decide what to look for, not promise a seat or an outcome.
Write the requirement in one line before you compare pages: board, level, certificate name and any recency rule. If one word is missing, that is the question to send to the receiving organisation.
For example, a B1 request with no board named leads to a real paper choice. Compare Goethe's three writing tasks with telc's one writing task and language-elements block, then choose the route you can rehearse consistently.
Finish with a small readiness check: name the board, explain its reading response types, and complete one timed task in that format. Only then use the live date and fee list to choose a centre.
Do not let one comfortable skill choose the board for you. A paper that feels easy in Lesen may still ask for a different Schreiben clock, a separate speaking route or a score check you have not rehearsed.
Before booking, write a four-line comparison: paper parts, writing job, speaking job and score decision. Take that note to the exact guide and use its module map for the first week of practice.
If you are still unsure, make the decision reversible for one week: practise one representative task from each board, write down the clock and response shape, and ask the receiving body the one rule you cannot infer. Then commit to one paper.
A final choice should leave you with a board name, a level, a first task and one question for the centre.
Keep that note with the booking confirmation so the practice target and the certificate request stay together.
Decide in 3 questions
Question 1 of 3
What did the receiving organisation actually name?
What paper can you practise before the date?
What is the practical constraint?
Your answers so far
Answer each question to see the next step
Side by side
The decision in one view
| Question | Why it matters | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Named board | Goethe and telc use different parts, clocks and score rules | Open the matching guide |
| Named level | A1, A2, B1 and B2 ask different language jobs | Read the CEFR descriptor and paper map |
| Certificate age | The receiving body decides how recent its evidence must be | Ask it before booking |
| Paper shape | Response types decide how you spend time | Practise the exact board route |
| Centre and date | Fees, dates and availability change by location | Use the live BookGermanTest list |
| Weak skill | One missed module or component can change the result | Choose a focused practice route |
| Mock scope | telc written mocks keep Sprechen separate | Read the guide's product boundary |
Who should pick which
Two routes, one decision
Choose Goethe when
The receiving body names Goethe, the Goethe paper is the one your centre offers at the needed time, or the module model matches the way you want to rehearse. Read the exact level guide before you book.
Choose telc when
The receiving body names telc, a telc centre gives you the usable date, or the telc task route is the one you can practise consistently. At B1 and B2, plan the language-elements block and the separate speaking paper.
Your next step
Where to go from here
Where each goal usually starts
Useful starting points, not acceptance promises. Your authority, institution or employer has the final word.
- Auswärtiges Amt visa guidanceFamily or residence process: accepted German certificates for visa procedures. (opens in a new tab)
- Goethe A1 guideFamily or residence process: often A1, exceptions matter.
- telc A1 guideFamily or residence process: the telc A1 paper.
- Plan your AusbildungAusbildung: commonly B1 or B2, the employer sets the bar. (opens in a new tab)
- B1 level explainedAusbildung: what B1 German means.
- B2 level explainedAusbildung, university or Studienkolleg: what B2 German means.
- uni-assist language certificate guidanceUniversity or Studienkolleg: often B2 or C1, the university decides. (opens in a new tab)
- C1 level explainedUniversity or Studienkolleg: what C1 German means.
- Anerkennung in Deutschland guidanceWork or professional recognition: the competent authority decides. (opens in a new tab)
- See all exam guidesEvery Goethe and telc guide from A1 to B2.
- Understand German levelsThe six CEFR levels explained.
- Find where to bookDates, fees and centres for both boards on BookGermanTest. (opens in a new tab)
Questions
What people ask before they decide
Does Goethe or telc prove a higher CEFR level?
The board does not change the CEFR level named on the certificate. The paper, score rules and receiving organisation's certificate rule still need to be checked separately.
Where do I check fees, dates and centres?
BookGermanTest carries current listings by location. The dates and fees on a static comparison page would go stale, so use the handoff before you book.
Should I practise both boards?
Practise the board you plan to sit. If the receiving organisation accepts either board, compare the paper and live seat first, then keep one board's part order visible.
Does a mock result equal a certificate result?
No. A mock is a preparation signal.
The exam centre sets the official result, and the receiving organisation decides how it uses that certificate.
Is one board always easier?
The papers use different task shapes, but a universal easier label is not a useful fact. Familiarity with the board's response types and clocks is the safer preparation decision.
Continue
Sources: Council of Europe CEFR and Sprachpass exam-shape and public-guide sources.
All sources
- Council of Europe CEFR 3.3 Global Scale
- Sprachpass public exam facts registry (src/lib/exams/exam-facts.ts)
- Sprachpass exam shape registry (src/lib/exam-shape-data.ts)
- Sprachpass mock composition and written-only result handling (src/lib/api/mock.ts)
- Public pages v4 typed content and word floors (.github/feature-plans/public-pages-v4/SPEC.md)
Ready when you are
Open the paper that fits your requirement
Choose the board and level first, then keep that paper visible in practice and in the live booking handoff.
