telc A2 reading: the three parts and exercises with answers
The telc A2 reading part has 15 items in three parts: a store directory, a newspaper article and small adverts. Below you will find what each part asks for, how to solve it and a worked example for each.
By Olcay Sari, founder of Level Exams
Last updated: 2026-11-12
telc Deutsch A2 is also called “Start Deutsch 2”. The reading part is worth 15 points; the whole exam has 60 points and you need at least 36 to pass.
In the official exam, reading and writing are one block and you divide the time yourself. In the Level Exams mock exam the reading part has 25 minutes. The Goethe A2 reading part is different: it has four parts.
The three parts at a glance
| Part | What you read and do | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1: Store directory | You look at the directory of a department store and choose the right floor for each situation | 5 | 5 |
| Teil 2: Newspaper article | You read a short news item: are the statements true or false | 5 | 5 |
| Teil 3: Adverts | You find the right advert for each situation; one situation has none, and there you write x | 5 | 5 |
Teil 1: The store directory
You are given a list showing what is on which floor of a department store. In each situation you are looking for something and mark one of three options: two floors and “anderes Stockwerk” (another floor).
The thing you want is not listed under the same word; you have to find the group it belongs to: a jigsaw puzzle is under “Spielwaren”, a ballpoint pen under “Schreibwaren”. Knowing the names of product groups is the key to this part.
Worked example: Lesen Teil 1
Task: Lesen Sie die Situationen 1 und 2 und die Information aus dem Kaufhaus. In welches Stockwerk gehen Sie? Kreuzen Sie an: a, b oder c.
3. Stock: Restaurant, Kundentoiletten, Spielwaren 2. Stock: Herrenmode, Sportartikel, Schuhe 1. Stock: Damenmode, Kindermode, Bücher Erdgeschoss: Information, Zeitschriften, Schreibwaren, Blumen 1. Sie suchen ein Geschenk für Ihre Nichte. Sie wünscht sich ein Puzzle. a) 1. Stock b) 3. Stock c) anderes Stockwerk 2. Sie brauchen einen Kugelschreiber und Briefumschläge. a) 1. Stock b) 2. Stock c) anderes Stockwerk
- Situation 1: b. A jigsaw puzzle is a toy; “Spielwaren” is on the third floor.
- Situation 2: c. Pens and envelopes are “Schreibwaren” and are on the ground floor (“Erdgeschoss”); the ground floor is not among the options, so the answer is “anderes Stockwerk”.
- The trap: “Bücher” on the first floor. People assume stationery is next to the books.
Teil 2: The newspaper article
You read a local news item: a new course, a market that is moving, changed opening hours. The statements follow the order of the text and are marked true or false.
The statements give the information in other words or change a detail: day, time, place. Find the sentence in the text for each statement; watch for words such as “gleich”, “länger” and “nicht mehr”.
Worked example: Lesen Teil 2
Task: Lesen Sie den Text und die Aussagen 1–3. Sind die Aussagen richtig oder falsch?
Wochenmarkt zieht um Der Wochenmarkt von Hofheim findet ab April nicht mehr auf dem Rathausplatz statt. Wegen der Bauarbeiten am Rathaus zieht er für ein Jahr auf den Parkplatz an der Sporthalle um. Die Markttage bleiben gleich: Mittwoch und Samstag. Neu ist, dass der Markt am Samstag eine Stunde länger dauert, bis 14 Uhr. „Am neuen Ort haben wir mehr Platz, deshalb kommen drei neue Stände dazu“, sagt die Organisatorin Paula Reich. 1. Der Markt findet ab April an einem anderen Ort statt. 2. Der Markt ist jetzt an anderen Tagen. 3. Am Samstag ist der Markt kürzer als früher.
- Statement 1: richtig. From April the market is no longer on the square but in the car park at the sports hall.
- Statement 2: falsch. “Die Markttage bleiben gleich”.
- Statement 3: falsch. On Saturday the market lasts “eine Stunde länger”.
Teil 3: Adverts
You get situations and small adverts and find the right advert for each situation. For one of the situations there is no matching advert; there you write x.
Look in the advert for all the conditions of the situation: what, when, for whom. An advert that fits the topic but not the day or the job is not the answer.
Worked example: Lesen Teil 3
Task: Lesen Sie die Situationen 1 und 2 und die Anzeigen a–c. Welche Anzeige passt? Für eine Situation gibt es keine Anzeige. Schreiben Sie hier x.
1. Sie möchten am Wochenende als Kellner oder Kellnerin arbeiten. 2. Sie suchen einen Babysitter für Freitagabend. a) Café Lotte sucht Aushilfe für den Service, samstags und sonntags. Erfahrung ist nicht nötig. b) Studentin (22) passt auf Ihre Kinder auf. Montag bis Donnerstag am Nachmittag. c) Restaurant Adria: Koch oder Köchin gesucht, Vollzeit, Dienstag bis Samstag.
- Situation 1: a. Help is wanted for waiting tables at the weekend: “Aushilfe für den Service, samstags und sonntags”.
- Situation 2: x. The student in advert b looks after children, but only Monday to Thursday in the afternoon; Friday evening does not fit.
- Advert c is also a restaurant job, but for a cook and full-time: not waiting tables.
How should I divide the time?
- In the official exam reading and writing share one time; do not spend more than half of it on reading, so that time is left for writing.
- In the store directory, read the situation first and then look for the product group in the list.
- For the adverts, mark the keywords of the situations first and then scan the adverts.
- Leave no item blank: a wrong answer costs no points.
How is it scored?
Each item is worth 1 point; the three parts add up to 15 points.
To pass the exam you need at least 36 of the 60 points across the four parts.
Common mistakes
- Looking for the exact word in the store directory: find the product group.
- Forgetting the option “anderes Stockwerk”.
- Marking a statement on the newspaper article without checking it against the text.
- Trying to find an advert for every situation: one of them is x.
- Leaving an item blank.
Sample question paper (PDF) and mock exam
More practice: the telc A2 page has sample questions with answers that you can do without signing in, and a sample exam (question paper with answers) as a PDF; both are free.
Frequently asked questions
›How many questions are there in telc A2 reading?
15 items in three parts: 5 in Teil 1, 5 in Teil 2 and 5 in Teil 3.
›How long is the reading part?
In the official exam, reading and writing are one block. In the Level Exams mock exam the reading part is 25 minutes.
›When do I write x?
In the third part, when no advert meets all the conditions of a situation. Every exam has one such situation.
›Is the reading part the same in telc A2 and Goethe A2?
No. Goethe A2 has four reading parts and different task types. This page describes telc A2 (Start Deutsch 2).
›Does a wrong answer cost points?
No. Wrong and blank count the same, so mark an answer even if you are not sure.
›Is there a PDF or sample exam for telc A2 reading?
Yes. The telc A2 page has free sample questions with answers and a sample exam as a PDF. For the full exam routine, use the free online mock exam.
Do the reading part under time
In the free telc A2 mock exam you do the reading part with the real timing; the result shows the correct answer and an explanation for every item.