telc A2 Deutsch-Prüfung
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telc Deutsch A2 word list as PDF
329 words · article, plural, example · print-friendly
telc Deutsch A2 exam guide as PDF
Format · strategy for every part · sample questions with answers
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telc A2 exam-day time plan
Worked sample questions
Click each subtest to expand the example items and explanations.
Lesen (Reading)
— shares the 50-min block with Schreiben, 3 Teile, 15 items, 15 pts
Lesen (Reading)
— shares the 50-min block with Schreiben, 3 Teile, 15 items, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Kaufhaus directory (5 MC items, 1–5)
You are given a department-store floor directory ("Kaufhaus Waldheim") and 5 short situations. For each situation, choose which floor (a/b/c) the person needs.
Erdgeschoss: Lebensmittel, Bäckerei, Zeitungen. 1. Stock: Damen- und Herrenmode. 2. Stock: Bücher, Spielzeug, Schreibwaren. 3. Stock: Restaurant.
Question: 1. Frau Becker möchte ein Geburtstagsgeschenk für ihren siebenjährigen Sohn kaufen.
- a) Erdgeschoss
- b) 2. Stock
- c) 3. Stock
Answer: b
Keyword chain: "Geschenk für siebenjährigen Sohn" → "Spielzeug" (toys), which the directory places on the 2. Stock. Trap: candidates pick "Erdgeschoss" because they see "Geburtstag" and free-associate with cake. Anchor on the concrete noun, not the situational framing.
Teil 2 — Richtig/Falsch (5 items, 6–10)
Read one short press-style text (~150 words) and decide whether each of 5 statements is Richtig (R) or Falsch (F). Statements appear in the same order as the information in the text.
Die Stadtbibliothek Hamburg hat seit Januar neue Öffnungszeiten. Sie ist jetzt von Montag bis Freitag von 9 bis 19 Uhr geöffnet, samstags von 10 bis 14 Uhr. Sonntags bleibt die Bibliothek geschlossen. Mitglieder unter 18 Jahren zahlen keinen Mitgliedsbeitrag.
Statement: 6. Die Bibliothek ist auch sonntags geöffnet.
Answer: Falsch
"Sonntags bleibt die Bibliothek geschlossen" directly contradicts the statement. A2 R/F traps tend to flip a single negation ("auch" / "nicht" / "nur") — slow down on these signal words.
Teil 3 — Anzeigen-Zuordnung (5 items, 11–15, a–h pool)
Read 5 situations and 8 short ads (a–h). Match each situation to the most relevant ad. One situation has NO matching ad — mark it with X. Each ad is used at most once.
Situation: 11. Sie suchen einen gebrauchten Kinderwagen für unter 50 Euro.
Ads: a) Buggy, fast neu, 80 Euro VHB. d) Kinderwagen, 3 Jahre alt, gut erhalten, 45 €. Tel: 0177-... g) Babykleidung, Größe 56-68, 15 €.
Answer: d
Match BOTH constraints: "Kinderwagen" (stroller) AND price under €50. Ad (a) is a stroller but €80 — too expensive. Ad (g) is in budget but is clothing, not a stroller. Only (d) satisfies both. A2 ad-matching always tests two filters at once.
Hören (Listening)
— ~20 min, 3 Teile, 15 items, 15 pts
Hören (Listening)
— ~20 min, 3 Teile, 15 items, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Notizen ergänzen (5 items, 1–5)
You hear 5 short phone messages or announcements. Fill in the missing word on a notepad-style form. Audio plays TWICE. Spelling mistakes normally do not cost the point — the official marking accepts "Donerstach" for "Donnerstag" — so write what you hear and move on.
Hallo, hier ist Tina. Ich rufe wegen unseres Treffens am Samstag an. Können wir uns um 15 Uhr am Hauptbahnhof treffen statt am Rathaus? Bis dann!
Notiz: 1. Treffpunkt am Samstag: ____________________ (around 15:00)
Answer: Hauptbahnhof
The note already shows the time (15:00) and the day (Samstag) — what is being TESTED is the new meeting place. A2 candidates often write "Rathaus" (the original location). Listen for the contrast word "statt" (instead of) — whatever follows is the new answer.
Teil 2 — Multiple choice (5 items, 6–10)
You hear 5 short radio announcements (~30 seconds each). For each, choose the correct option from 3 (a/b/c). Audio plays ONCE only — no second chance.
Wetterbericht für Norddeutschland: Heute Nachmittag wird es bewölkt mit leichtem Regen. Die Temperaturen erreichen 14 Grad. Morgen wird es sonnig und wärmer.
Question: 6. Wie wird das Wetter morgen?
- a) Es regnet.
- b) Es ist sonnig.
- c) Es ist bewölkt.
Answer: b
Two days are mentioned — "heute" (rain, clouds) and "morgen" (sunny). The question asks specifically about "morgen". A2 Teil 2 traps always include a distractor pulled from elsewhere in the same audio. Train your ear to pin the timeframe before you commit.
Teil 3 — Pool matching a–i (5 items, 11–15)
You hear ONE longer dialogue (4–5 people discussing weekend plans). For each of the 5 named persons, assign the destination they are going to from a 9-letter pool (a–i: one is used by the example, so 3 are distractors). Audio plays TWICE.
— "Klaus, wo fährst du am Wochenende hin?" — "Ich besuche meine Schwester in München." — "Und Maria?" — "Maria bleibt zu Hause, sie ist krank."
a) Berlin b) München c) Hamburg d) zu Hause e) Wien f) Paris g) Köln h) Salzburg i) Frankfurt
Answers: 11. Klaus = b (München), 12. Maria = d (zu Hause)
"Bleibt zu Hause" is technically not a destination but a non-trip — it still counts as a pool answer. Strategy: write each person's name in the margin BEFORE the first play, then fill the letter after the second play. Don't try to do both passes simultaneously.
Schreiben (Writing)
— shares the 50-min block with Lesen, 2 Teile, 15 pts
Schreiben (Writing)
— shares the 50-min block with Lesen, 2 Teile, 15 ptsTeil 1 — Formular ausfüllen (5 fields × 1 pt = 5 pts)
A registration form (e.g., Sprachkurs-Anmeldung, Bibliotheksausweis) has 5 missing fields. You are given a short biographical paragraph about the candidate and must fill in: Wohnort, Geburtsdatum, Geburtsort, Familienstand, Fremdsprachen.
Input: Anna Müller wurde am 14. März 1992 in Salzburg geboren. Heute lebt sie in Hamburg. Sie ist verheiratet und spricht Deutsch und Englisch.
Correctly filled:
- Wohnort: Hamburg
- Geburtsdatum: 14.03.1992
- Geburtsort: Salzburg
- Familienstand: verheiratet
- Fremdsprachen: Englisch (Deutsch is her main language, not a "Fremdsprache")
Tricky field: "Fremdsprachen" (foreign languages) — never list Deutsch even if the input paragraph names it, because Deutsch is the test language by definition. Date format must be DD.MM.YYYY (German convention), not MM/DD/YYYY.
Teil 2 — Antwortbrief (ca. 40 Wörter, 10 pts)
Reply to a private invitation. Four points are printed; you choose THREE of them and write one or two sentences for each, with a greeting and a sign-off. About 40 words. Graded on the same 4-criterion grid as A1 (3 content bullets × 0/1.5/3 + Kommunikative Gestaltung × 0/0.5/1 = 10 pts).
Ihre Freundin Lisa lädt Sie zu ihrer Geburtstagsparty am Samstag ein. Antworten Sie mit einem Brief. Hier finden Sie vier Punkte. Wählen Sie drei aus. Schreiben Sie ca. 40 Wörter.
Leitpunkte:
- Dank für die Einladung
- Sie kommen später
- Was möchten Sie mitbringen?
- Wie kommen Sie zur Party?
Model answer (about forty words):
Liebe Lisa, vielen Dank für deine Einladung! Ich komme gern, aber erst um neun Uhr, weil ich bis acht arbeiten muss. Soll ich einen Kuchen mitbringen? Ich backe gern einen Apfelkuchen für dich. Bis Samstag! Liebe Grüße, Anna
Pick the three points you can write most safely and give each one or two sentences — only the three chosen points are rated, each 3, 1.5 or 0 points. This answer covers thanks, arriving later and what to bring, and skips the fourth point. About 40 words is the target. Use an informal greeting ("Liebe Lisa") and closing ("Liebe Grüße") because this is a friend, not a Behörde.
Frequently asked questions
How is the telc A2 Deutsch-Prüfung different from telc A1?
A2 (Start Deutsch 2) shares the same joint Goethe-Institut + telc gGmbH format as A1, but with longer texts, faster audio, and more nuanced situations. The Lesen+Schreiben combined block expands from 45 to 50 minutes, the Sprechen exam moves from a group of 4 to a paired or individual format, and Schreiben Teil 2 becomes a reply letter of about 40 words in which you choose three of four points (A1: a shorter message with three fixed points). Scoring is the same as at A1: 60 raw points with no conversion, and 36 of them (60 %) to pass.
Who actually needs the telc A2 certificate?
A2 is not the level for permanent settlement: the standard Niederlassungserlaubnis under §9 AufenthG requires "ausreichende Kenntnisse der deutschen Sprache", legally defined as B1 — and German naturalisation also requires B1. A2 is only sufficient for permanent residence in specific exception cases (e.g. recognised refugees and certain beneficiaries of protection). A2 is likewise not the legal minimum for spouse/family reunification (Ehegattennachzug) — that minimum is A1, though a higher level than A1 can support the application. Where A2 genuinely counts is as a documented integration-course milestone, for some Aufenthaltserlaubnis renewals and job/Ausbildung contexts, and as the natural stepping stone toward the B1 needed for settlement and naturalisation.
Can I skip A2 and go directly to telc B1?
Legally yes — there is no prerequisite chain. Practically, candidates who skip A2 fail telc B1 Hörverstehen at noticeably higher rates because B1 audio runs at near-native pace and assumes A2 vocabulary as a baseline. If your A1 was recent and confident, sit one A2 timed mock exam first; if you score above 80% in Hören and Lesen, you are likely ready to skip ahead.
Does telc A2 have a Sprachbausteine section?
No. Sprachbausteine ("language building blocks") only appears at telc B1, B2 and C1. At A2 the Lesen and Schreiben tasks themselves carry the grammar and vocabulary load — there is no separate grammar subtest. This is one of the key structural differences when stepping up from A2 to B1.
How many practice exams should I complete before the real A2 test?
Three full timed mock exams is the sweet spot for A2. The first establishes a baseline; the next two target your weakest of the three written subtests (typically Hören Teil 1 Notizen ergänzen — candidates lose points by writing down the first detail they hear instead of the corrected one). Doing more than five mocks at A2 yields diminishing returns; rotate to vocabulary drills instead.
How do I manage time on the Lesen + Schreiben combined 50-minute block?
The 50 minutes are not split officially — you divide them yourself. A sensible plan: about thirty minutes on Lesen (Teile 1–3) first, because the directory MC and Richtig/Falsch tasks are fast and high-yield, then about twenty minutes on Schreiben (5 form fields plus a reply of about 40 words). Do NOT start with Schreiben — running out of time means losing 5 cheap Lesen points instead of 1–2 hard-won writing points.
Can a strong Hören score compensate for a weak Schreiben result?
Within the written part, yes: there is no separate threshold for Hören, Lesen or Schreiben, so a strong Hören score can offset a weak Schreiben task. But A2 is not a single overall threshold either. You need 36 of 60 points (60 %) in total AND the required minimum in BOTH parts — the written exam and the oral exam; the official booklet does not publish that per-part minimum as a number. If you fail, you retake the whole exam (written and oral) — telc A2 gives no credit for a part you passed.