ÖSD Zertifikat C1 exam and online mock test

1. 1. deren — The gap is followed by 'Wasserrad sich seit über zweihundert Jahren dreht' with the finite verb at the end: this is a relative clause. 'Wasserrad' has no article, so the missing word both links the clause and answers 'whose wheel?': a genitive relative pronoun. Its form depends on the noun it refers back to, not on the noun that follows: 'unserer Mühle' (die Mühle, feminine) → deren Wasserrad. Writing 'dessen' because 'Wasserrad' is neuter is the classic trap in this task. 'die' or 'welche' do not work either, because 'Wasserrad' would then have no article. When a gap is followed by a noun without an article and the verb comes at the end, think of the genitive relative pronoun (dessen/deren).
2. 2. sondern — The 'nicht nur' at the start of the sentence needs its partner: 'nicht nur …, sondern auch …'. The 'auch' right after the gap confirms it. Both parts share the subject 'Sie', so it is not repeated and the verb follows 'sondern' directly: '… sondern schöpfen auch selbst ein Blatt'. 'aber' is wrong in this pattern (English 'not only … but also' makes the mistake tempting), and 'und' does not pair with 'nicht nur'. With paired connectors (sowohl … als auch, weder … noch, zwar … aber) the clue is often far from the gap, in the first half of the pattern, so go back to the start of the sentence before you write.
3. 3. Vorschein — In 'zum … kommen' the gap takes a noun, and 'zum' (zu dem) also tells you the noun is masculine or neuter. Meaning: when the dried sheet is held against the light, the watermark becomes visible, and the colon introduces what appears ('ein springender Hirsch'). The phrase for this is 'zum Vorschein kommen': something hidden comes into view. 'zur Geltung kommen' (to be shown to advantage) is close in meaning but needs 'zur', i.e. a feminine noun; 'zum Ausdruck kommen' is used for feelings and ideas. At C1, learn noun-verb combinations (Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen) together with their preposition and article: you can only find the one missing word if you know the whole phrase.
4. 4. tragen — The gap is in second position, with the subject 'wir' straight after it: the finite verb is missing. The noun at the end of the sentence decides which one: 'einer Sache Rechnung tragen' (to take something into account), and the dative 'den Bedürfnissen' is exactly the object this phrase needs. 'Rechnung' also appears in 'in Rechnung stellen' (to invoice), but that phrase needs 'in' and the accusative, and the meaning does not fit: a lift does not invoice anyone's needs. In support-verb constructions (Funktionsverbgefüge) the verb means almost nothing on its own; read to the end of the sentence and work back from the noun.
5. 5. Kosten — 'auf seine/ihre Kosten kommen' is an idiom meaning to get what you hoped for, to be satisfied. Promotional texts love it because it says 'there is something for everyone' in one sentence. The previous sentence sets it up (handmade cards in the shop, homemade cakes in the garden), and 'Groß und Klein' (young and old) and 'gleichermaßen' stress that everyone will be happy; 'ihre' matches the plural subject. Reading 'Kosten' literally as 'costs' and ruling it out is the trap: the idiom carries its meaning as a whole. Note phrases typical of advertising and promotional texts separately (auf seine Kosten kommen, keine Wünsche offenlassen, für jeden etwas dabei).

In the real exam the reading section has four tasks and 30 items in 90 minutes, and you may do the tasks in any order. In Teil 4 (Aufgabe 4 in ÖSD's documents) a promotional text has 15 gaps and you write a single word into each; no options are given. Your number of correct answers is converted with a table: 15 correct give 5 points, 12–14 give 4, 9–11 give 3, 6–8 give 2, 3–5 give 1 and 0–2 give 0. The five items in each of Teile 1, 2 and 3 count one point each; reading is marked out of 20 in total. Any word that fits in meaning and grammar is accepted, even if it is not in the key; spelling slips that leave the word intact (a doubled letter, k/ck, s/ß, capitalisation) are tolerated, but mixing up a/ä, o/ö or u/ü counts as wrong. A candidate with fewer than 10 points in reading fails the entire written module. The gaps take not only articles and prepositions but also verbs, nouns and parts of fixed phrases, so first work out the word class and its role in the sentence. This sample has five gaps; Level Exams' full mock exams have all 15 and the real 90-minute clock.

1. 1. b) sie sich für die Bahnen wirtschaftlich nicht lohnten. — Frau Hollerer first quotes a common view and rejects it: 'Viele glauben bis heute, die Züge seien damals leer gewesen. Das stimmt so nicht'; in summer the trains were often fully booked. So (a) is wrong. She then builds up the real reason (a sleeper carries few passengers, stands idle all day, flights got cheaper) and states it plainly: 'Für die Bahnen hat sich das Geschäft schlicht nicht mehr gerechnet.' 'sich rechnen' means the same as 'sich lohnen' in the option. 'nicht mehr zeitgemäß' in (c) is in the recording, but Herr Kastner says it about the old cars in use today; it has nothing to do with why the trains were cut. A view introduced with 'Viele glauben …, das stimmt so nicht' is not the speaker's own; the real answer comes after the rejection.
2. 2. c) weil sie Flugreisen bewusst vermeiden. — Herr Kastner describes the passengers at two points in time. Under 'früher' come older people afraid of flying and business travellers who wanted to arrive rested for a morning appointment: (a) and (b) are taken from these earlier groups. Under 'heute' he mentions 'viele junge Leute und Familien …, die ganz bewusst nicht mehr fliegen', and the 'heute' in the statement points to this group. 'Flugreisen bewusst vermeiden' in the option rephrases 'ganz bewusst nicht mehr fliegen'. When a speaker compares 'früher … heute', note which time each detail belongs to; the distractors often come from the other one.
3. 3. a) derzeit zu wenige Schlafwagen zur Verfügung stehen. — Here too Frau Hollerer first reports what others say, 'Oft heißt es, schuld seien die vielen Grenzen …', and judges it at once: 'Das ist mühsam, aber lösbar.' The borders are a difficulty, not the main cause, so (b) is wrong. The main cause follows: 'Der eigentliche Engpass sind die Wagen.' Only a few manufacturers build new sleepers, and anyone who orders now waits several years. Demand in (c) only comes up in the moderator's question ('wenn die Nachfrage so groß ist'); nobody says it is falling. Words such as 'eigentlich', 'vor allem' or 'entscheidend' show where the speaker puts the weight, so use these signals to choose in multiple-choice items.
4. 4. c) sie wegen einer Verspätung ihren Anschluss verpassen. — Herr Kastner lists three problems: air conditioning that fails in summer, no showers, and missed connections. About the air conditioning and the showers he says 'Darüber wundern sich manche' (some people are surprised), then draws the line clearly: 'aber richtig verärgert sind die Leute wegen etwas anderem.' That 'something else' is missing the connecting train in the morning because of a delay. (a) and (b) are real problems from the recording, but not what annoys people most. When a speaker lists several things and then says 'aber … etwas anderes', the answer is almost always that other thing, so do not mark the first problem you hear.
5. 5. b) alle Teilstrecken mit nur einem Ticket buchbar zu machen. — The moderator asks the question with two suggestions (more routes to the sea, cheaper fares); (a) and (c) come from them. Frau Hollerer politely sets both aside: more routes would be 'natürlich schön', and in surveys price is 'gar nicht an erster Stelle'. She then gives an example: to travel from Vienna to Brussels you often have to book separately with two railways, and if you miss the connection it is unclear who pays for the rest of the journey. Her conclusion: 'Eine einzige Buchung für die ganze Strecke wäre deshalb der wichtigste Schritt.' Suggestions in an interviewer's question can be the source of the distractors rather than the answer; wait for the speaker's final judgement ('deshalb', 'der wichtigste Schritt').

In the real exam the listening section has two tasks and 20 items and takes about 40 minutes; each correct answer is worth 1 point. In Teil 1 you listen to a long radio programme in which a presenter talks with guests and mark a, b or c for each of ten statements. You have 2 minutes to read the statements before it starts, and the recording is played twice; if you mark more than one answer for an item, that item scores 0. In Teil 2 you complete ten gaps in a set of notes while a single speaker gives a lecture (90 seconds of reading time, again played twice). Listening is marked out of 20, and a candidate with fewer than 10 points fails the entire written module. The traps in this sample are typical of C1: a speaker reports a view and rejects it, lists several things and singles out the main one with 'aber', or sets aside the presenter's suggestion. On the first listening mark the speaker's final judgement; use the second to check the reasoning. In Level Exams' full mock exams the audio cannot be paused and plays the set number of times, as in the real exam; the player on this page can be replayed freely.

In the real exam the writing section has two tasks in 90 minutes altogether, each worth 15 points. Aufgabe 1 is a formal reply to a letter from an institution, based on notes you are given, with no word limit. In Aufgabe 2, shown here, you choose one of three themes (for example a written summary of a talk, a position paper for a seminar or a commentary on a text); each theme has four points and you must write at least 250 words. On ÖSD's official rating sheet this task scores communicative appropriateness 2, text structure 3, vocabulary and expression 5 and formal accuracy 5 points. If the points are not covered in your own words and in enough depth, up to 3 points are deducted for the task criterion. Length brings its own deduction: 249–230 words −1, 229–210 words −2, 209–190 words −3, 189–170 words −4; a text under 170 words loses the task altogether. A score of 0 on any of the four criteria also makes the task 0. You need at least 7 points in each task and at least 15 in writing overall, or the written module is failed. The model text has 267 words and covers the four points in order. The instructions ask you to keep information apart from opinion: the views from the seminar are reported in Konjunktiv I ('bringe', 'entlaste', 'dürfe'; 'einsetzten', because the Konjunktiv I of 'einsetzen' looks like the indicative), and the writer's own view is clearly marked with 'bestärkt mich darin', 'Zwar … jedoch' and 'Hinzu kommt'. Phrases from the task sheet are not copied ('Eingriff in die persönliche Freiheit' → 'der Staat dürfe nicht über ein ganzes Lebensjahr … verfügen'). On Level Exams your word count is counted in code and your text is scored by AI against these criteria.

• Sich vorstellen und das Anliegen nennen „Grüß Gott, hier spricht Aylin Demir aus der Lindengasse vierzehn, Stiege zwei, Tür sieben. Ich rufe wegen der Installateurrechnung an, zu der ich heute Ihr Schreiben bekommen habe.“ — Say who you are and why you are calling in the first two sentences: name, address or contract details, and the matter. The other person should be able to find your file. 'Stiege' (staircase/block) and 'Tür' (flat number) are how addresses work in Austria, and 'Grüß Gott' is a common greeting there; 'Guten Tag' is fine anywhere. As ÖSD is Austrian, words like these can also turn up in the exam texts.
• Sich entschuldigen „Zuallererst möchte ich mich entschuldigen, dass ich Sie nicht vorher verständigt habe. Mir ist bewusst, dass ich laut Mietvertrag zuerst Ihre Notrufnummer hätte wählen müssen.“ — Owning the mistake clearly does not weaken your position in the negotiation; it answers the objection before it is made. The double infinitive in the subordinate clause ('dass ich … hätte wählen müssen') is a structure expected at C1: the finite verb 'hätte' goes before the two infinitives, not to the end. 'verständigen' is common in Austria for 'benachrichtigen' (to notify).
• Die Situation erklären „Es war Samstagabend, in der Wohnung hatte es nur noch vierzehn Grad, und mein Sohn war krank. In dieser Lage habe ich leider nur daran gedacht, dass es möglichst schnell wieder warm wird, und nicht an den Vertrag.“ — An explanation is not a list of excuses but concrete details that make your decision understandable: the time, the temperature, a sick child. 'In dieser Lage' links the situation to what you did, and 'nur an … gedacht … und nicht an …' explains your priority. 'Es hat vierzehn Grad' is the normal way to give a temperature in southern Germany and Austria.
• Eine Lösung vorschlagen „Wäre es denkbar, dass Sie zumindest den Betrag übernehmen, den Ihr Vertragsinstallateur verrechnet hätte? Den Zuschlag für den Wochenendeinsatz würde ich selbstverständlich selbst tragen.“ — The task asks you to negotiate: instead of 'you pay everything', bring a concrete proposal the other side can accept. Konjunktiv II ('Wäre es denkbar', 'würde ich … tragen') makes the proposal polite and flexible. Offering your own share up front ('den Zuschlag … selbst tragen') shows good will. In Austria 'verrechnen' means 'in Rechnung stellen' (to charge).
• Auf einen Einwand reagieren („Wenn wir bei Ihnen eine Ausnahme machen, kommen alle anderen auch.“) „Ich verstehe, dass Sie keinen Präzedenzfall schaffen möchten. Allerdings war es ein echter Notfall, und der Defekt lag eindeutig an der alten Therme, nicht an einem Fehler von mir.“ — The other side will object, and reacting appropriately is part of the communicative goal. First acknowledge the concern ('Ich verstehe, dass …'), then name what makes your case an exception ('Allerdings …'). 'Präzedenzfall' (precedent) is a useful word in formal calls like this; in Austria 'Therme' is a gas boiler.
• Die Einigung festhalten „Gut, dann halten wir fest: Sie übernehmen vierhundert Euro, den Rest zahle ich. Könnten Sie mir das bitte noch kurz schriftlich bestätigen?“ — Don't leave the negotiation open: sum up the result in one sentence and ask for written confirmation. 'Dann halten wir fest' wraps up the call and shows the task is complete. Ending with thanks and a goodbye belongs to the form of a phone call too: 'Vielen Dank für Ihr Entgegenkommen. Auf Wiederhören!'

In the real exam the oral exam is individual: across from you sits an examiner, not another candidate. It starts with 20 minutes of preparation, and you may use your notes during the exam. The exam takes 15–20 minutes and has three tasks: this phone call (Aufgabe 1, about 5 minutes), a discussion of which of two photos suits a publication better (Aufgabe 2, about 5 minutes) and a short presentation based on handouts (Aufgabe 3, about 10 minutes). On ÖSD's official rating sheet the communicative goal (Kommunikationsziel) of each task is worth up to 3 points; expression (Ausdruck), intelligibility and pronunciation, and formal accuracy are each assessed once across all three tasks, up to 7 points each. The oral module is worth 30 points and is passed on its own with at least 18; a candidate who scores 0 on any criterion fails the entire oral exam. In Aufgabe 1 the other side objects: after the apology and explanation, move to a concrete proposal and negotiate, then sum up the agreement. On Level Exams an AI plays the person on the phone with pre-recorded lines, there is no deleting a take to start over, and your speech is scored against these official criteria; the pronunciation score is an AI estimate.