telc A1 Deutsch-Prüfung
Your first official German certification — free AI-graded mock exams for Lesen, Hören & Schreiben.
telc Deutsch A1 word list as PDF
280 words · article, plural, example · print-friendly
telc Deutsch A1 exam guide as PDF
Format · strategy for every part · sample questions with answers
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telc A1 exam-day time plan
Worked sample questions
Click each subtest to expand the example items and explanations.
Lesen (Reading)
— ~25 min within the 45-min Lesen+Schreiben block, 15 items, 15 pts
Lesen (Reading)
— ~25 min within the 45-min Lesen+Schreiben block, 15 items, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Richtig/Falsch on two personal messages (2 + 3 items)
Read two short personal e-mails or letters (2 statements on the first, 3 on the second). Decide whether each statement is Richtig (R) or Falsch (F). Tests literal comprehension of everyday correspondence.
Hallo Maria, ich komme am Samstag um 18 Uhr nach Berlin. Mein Zug kommt am Hauptbahnhof an. Kannst du mich abholen? Liebe Grüße, Anna
Statement: 1. Anna kommt am Sonntag nach Berlin.
Answer: Falsch
The note says "am Samstag" (Saturday), not "am Sonntag" (Sunday). At A1 the trap is almost always a single swapped detail — day of the week, time, or place. Underline the time/date phrases on first read.
Teil 2 — Multiple choice 2-way: which ad fits? (5 items)
Read a short situation, then look at TWO short ads (a/b). Pick the ad that matches the situation. Only one fits.
Situation: You want to learn German on Tuesday evenings. You are a beginner.
- a) Sprachschule Berlin — Deutschkurs für Anfänger. Dienstag 18–20 Uhr. 80 € pro Monat.
- b) Sprachschule München — Deutschkurs B2. Montag und Mittwoch. 120 € pro Monat.
Answer: a
Match three keywords from the situation: "Anfänger" (beginner) → ad a says "für Anfänger"; "Tuesday evening" → ad a says "Dienstag 18–20 Uhr". Ad b is B2 (wrong level) and the wrong day. At A1, all three keywords usually need to match — one mismatch and the ad is wrong.
Teil 3 — Richtig/Falsch on Schilder (signs) (5 items)
Read a short public sign or notice. Decide whether the statement is Richtig or Falsch. Tests recognition of common public-life signage.
Sign at a supermarket entrance: "Geöffnet von Montag bis Samstag, 8.00 – 20.00 Uhr. Sonntag geschlossen."
Statement: 11. Der Supermarkt ist am Sonntag offen.
Answer: Falsch
"Sonntag geschlossen" = closed on Sundays. Memorise the high-frequency Schilder vocabulary: geöffnet / geschlossen, Eingang / Ausgang, kein Eintritt, Vorsicht. Almost every A1 exam tests at least one of these word pairs.
Hören (Listening)
— ~20 min, 15 items, 15 pts
Hören (Listening)
— ~20 min, 15 items, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Multiple choice with images (6 items, audio plays 2×)
Listen to 6 short conversations or announcements. For each, pick the correct image from 3 options (a/b/c). Audio plays TWICE. Tests numbers, times, prices, food, weather.
"Ein Kaffee und ein Stück Kuchen, bitte. — Das macht 4 Euro 50."
Question: 1. How much does the order cost?
- a) 4,15 €
- b) 4,50 €
- c) 14,50 €
Answer: b
"Vier Euro fünfzig" = 4,50 €. The classic A1 distractor pairs are 4,15 vs 4,50 (fünfzehn vs fünfzig) and 14 vs 40 (vierzehn vs vierzig). Drill these number minimal pairs out loud — your ear, not your eye, has to win on test day.
Teil 2 — Richtig/Falsch on public announcements (4 items, audio plays 1×)
Listen to 4 short station- or store-style announcements. Decide whether each statement is Richtig or Falsch. Audio plays ONCE — listen carefully.
Bahnhofs-Durchsage: "Achtung! Der Regionalzug nach Hamburg, Abfahrt 10.15 Uhr von Gleis 3, hat heute 15 Minuten Verspätung."
Question: 7. Der Zug nach Hamburg fährt pünktlich ab.
Answer: Falsch
"15 Minuten Verspätung" = 15 minutes delayed = NOT pünktlich (on time). The most common Teil 2 trap is a delay or platform change announced at the END of the audio that overrides what was said at the start. Wait for the full announcement before deciding.
Teil 3 — Telephone messages, multiple choice text-only (5 items, audio plays 2×)
Listen to 5 short telephone or answering-machine messages — one speaker each. For each, pick the correct text answer from 3 options (a/b/c). Audio plays TWICE.
Answering machine: "Hallo Lisa, hier ist Tom. Am Samstag kann ich leider nicht ins Kino gehen — ich besuche meine Eltern in Köln. Gehen wir am Sonntag? Ruf mich bitte an. Tschüs!"
Question: 11. Was macht Tom am Samstag?
- a) Er geht ins Kino.
- b) Er besucht seine Eltern.
- c) Er ruft Lisa am Sonntag an.
Answer: b
Tom mentions the cinema first, but only to cancel it ("kann ich leider nicht"); on Saturday he visits his parents in Köln. Option c mixes two details: Sunday is his new cinema suggestion, and he asks Lisa to call HIM. At A1 the first thing you hear is often the plan that gets cancelled — listen for "leider nicht", "doch" and the new time.
Schreiben (Writing)
— ~20 min within the combined block, 2 tasks, 15 pts
Schreiben (Writing)
— ~20 min within the combined block, 2 tasks, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Form fill (Formular ausfüllen, 5 fields, 1 pt each)
Read a short situation. Fill in the 5 missing fields of a registration form (name, address, date of birth, etc.). Each field is 1 point. No prose, just the right word in the right slot.
Context: Anna Weber wants to register for a yoga course. Fill in the missing fields on the registration form.
Anmeldeformular Yogakurs Familienname: __(1)__ Vorname: Anna Geburtsdatum: __(2)__ Straße / Hausnummer: __(3)__ Postleitzahl / Wohnort: 10115 Berlin Telefonnummer: __(4)__ E-Mail: __(5)__ Kurs: Yoga für Anfänger
Source: Anna says: "Ich heiße Anna Weber. Ich bin am 14.05.1995 geboren. Ich wohne in der Goethestraße 12, 10115 Berlin. Meine Nummer ist 030-1234567 und meine E-Mail ist anna.weber@mail.de."
Answers: (1) Weber (2) 14.05.1995 (3) Goethestraße 12 (4) 030-1234567 (5) anna.weber@mail.de
Each field maps to a single fact in the source text. Copy spelling and punctuation EXACTLY — at A1 even a missing dot in the date (14.05 vs 1405) can lose the point. Postleitzahl + Wohnort are already filled; do not re-write them.
Teil 2 — Short message (Mitteilung, ~30 words)
Write a short message of about 30 words to a stated recipient. You must address ALL 3 bullet points and include a greeting (Anfang) and sign-off (Gruß). Scored on 3 content bullets (3 × 3 pts = 9) + 1 form point (greeting/sign-off) = 10 pts.
Schreiben Sie eine SMS an Ihre Freundin Sabine. Sie wollen sich am Samstag treffen. • Wo wollen Sie sich treffen? • Um wie viel Uhr? • Was wollen Sie zusammen machen? Vergessen Sie Anfang und Gruß nicht. Schreiben Sie ca. 30 Wörter.
Sample answer:
Hallo Sabine, treffen wir uns am Samstag im Café Schiller? Ich bin um 15 Uhr da. Wir können Kaffee trinken und danach ins Kino gehen. Liebe Grüße, Tom
Hit all 3 bullets — Café Schiller (where) + 15 Uhr (time) + Kaffee trinken / ins Kino (what). Add "Hallo Sabine" + "Liebe Grüße, Tom" for the form point. Each bullet is rated 3 (fully done), 1.5 (only partly done) or 0, and the greeting/sign-off point 1, 0.5 or 0 — so a half-answered bullet still earns something, but a skipped one earns nothing. Stay close to 30 words; long messages with grammar errors lose more than short correct ones.
Frequently asked questions
How is the telc A1 Deutsch-Prüfung structured?
Three written subtests plus an oral exam: Hören (~20 minutes, 15 items), Lesen + Schreiben combined block (45 minutes — 15 reading items and 2 writing tasks), and a group oral exam (~15 minutes in groups of up to 4 candidates). There is no conversion: the 60 raw points (Hören 15, Lesen 15, Schreiben 15, Sprechen 15) are your final score. The official grade table starts "ausreichend" at 36 of 60 points (60 %) — that is the pass mark, and there is NO independent per-subtest threshold at A1.
Is telc A1 the same as Goethe Start Deutsch 1?
Yes — telc A1 and Goethe Start Deutsch 1 are the same joint exam, co-developed by telc gGmbH and the Goethe-Institut. The format, item counts, and scoring are identical. The certificate name on your document depends on which provider you registered with, but the proficiency level and recognition (e.g. for German family-reunification visas) are equivalent.
Does telc A1 have Sprachbausteine?
No. Sprachbausteine (the dedicated grammar/vocabulary subtest) only exists at telc B1, B2 and C1. At A1, grammar and vocabulary are tested implicitly through the Lesen tasks (Richtig/Falsch on personal notes and Schilder) and the Schreiben Teil 1 form-fill. Drilling A1 word lists and basic sentence grammar in context is more useful than searching for a separate Sprachbausteine block.
I need A1 for a German family-reunification visa — is telc A1 accepted?
Yes. The German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) accepts both telc Deutsch A1 and Goethe Start Deutsch 1 as proof of the A1 language requirement for spouse-of-a-German-citizen and other family-reunification visa categories. The certificate must be issued within the last 12 months in most consulates — check your local German embassy guidance for the exact validity window.
Can children take telc A1 or is it adults-only?
telc A1 is the adult version (Erwachsene). For children and teenagers, telc offers a separate format — telc Deutsch A1 Junior — with age-appropriate topics (school, hobbies, family) but the same A1 CEFR level. Both certificates are recognised at A1; pick the version that matches the candidate's age band.
Is there an online or at-home version of telc A1?
No. telc A1 is administered exclusively in-person at licensed test centres. The oral exam is conducted face-to-face in groups of up to 4 candidates. Online or at-home administration is not currently approved for A1. Volkshochschulen (VHS) in Germany and accredited language schools abroad are the most common centres.
How much does the telc A1 exam cost and how do I register?
Each exam centre sets its own fee — telc gGmbH publishes no prices, so ask the centre for its current price list. Register directly with a licensed telc test centre — there is no central online registration through telc gGmbH. Bring valid photo ID on the test day. Results are typically issued 4–6 weeks after the exam date.