telc B1 listening: the three parts and exercises with answers
The telc B1 listening part takes about half an hour and has three parts; all 20 items are true/false. Below you will find what you hear in each part, how often it is played and a worked example for each.
By Olcay Sari, founder of Level Exams
Last updated: 2026-11-12
The listening part (Hörverstehen) is worth 75 points and belongs to the written exam. The recording plays from start to finish without a break: instructions, reading time and repeats are part of it, and you cannot pause or rewind.
The key difference between the three parts is the number of plays: you hear the texts in the first part only once, those in the other two parts twice. In the Level Exams mock exam the audio plays in the same way.
The three parts at a glance
| Part | What you hear | Items | Plays | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1: Global understanding | Five short opinions on one topic; one statement for each | 5 | 1 | 25 |
| Teil 2: Detailed understanding | An interview or a longer conversation; the statements follow its order | 10 | 2 | 25 |
| Teil 3: Selective understanding | Five short texts: announcement, voicemail message, radio notice; one statement for each | 5 | 2 | 25 |
Teil 1: Short opinions
Five people speak briefly about the same topic. There is one statement for each speaker, and it asks about the general direction: is the person in favour, satisfied, doing something or not.
Because the text is played once, reading the statements beforehand is essential. Speakers often start in one direction and then give their real view after “aber”, “trotzdem” or “am Ende”; what is said last decides the answer.
Worked example: Hören Teil 1
Task: Sie hören einen kurzen Text nur einmal. Ist die Aussage richtig oder falsch?
Sie hören: „Ich habe lange überlegt, ob ich mir einen Hund kaufen soll. Meine Wohnung ist klein, und ich bin den ganzen Tag bei der Arbeit. Am Ende habe ich mich dagegen entschieden. Jetzt gehe ich zweimal pro Woche mit dem Hund meiner Nachbarin spazieren, und das reicht mir völlig.“ Aussage: Die Sprecherin hat seit Kurzem einen eigenen Hund.
- Answer: falsch. The speaker thought about buying a dog but “dagegen entschieden”; the dog she walks belongs to her neighbour.
- The word “Hund” is in both the statement and the text: hearing the word is not the answer, hearing the decision is.
- The turning point comes with “Am Ende”.
Teil 2: The interview
You hear a radio interview or a longer conversation and decide whether the statements are true or false. The statements follow the order of the conversation.
The conversation is played twice. On the first play, mark what you are sure about and put a sign next to the ones you are unsure about; on the second play, concentrate only on those. The statements put the text in other words.
Worked example: Hören Teil 2
Task: Sie hören ein Gespräch zweimal. Sind die Aussagen 1 und 2 richtig oder falsch?
Moderator: Herr Yıldız, Sie leiten seit fünf Jahren eine Fahrradwerkstatt, in der Jugendliche mitarbeiten. Wie kamen Sie auf die Idee? Herr Yıldız: Ich war früher Lehrer und habe gesehen, dass viele Jugendliche nach der Schule nichts zu tun hatten. In der Werkstatt lernen sie, etwas mit den Händen zu machen. Moderator: Bekommen die Jugendlichen dafür Geld? Herr Yıldız: Nein, Geld gibt es nicht. Aber wer drei Monate regelmäßig kommt, darf sich ein eigenes Fahrrad zusammenbauen und es behalten. 1. Herr Yıldız hat früher an einer Schule gearbeitet. 2. Die Jugendlichen verdienen in der Werkstatt etwas Geld.
- Statement 1: richtig. “Ich war früher Lehrer” → “an einer Schule gearbeitet”.
- Statement 2: falsch. “Geld gibt es nicht”; instead they build a bicycle of their own and keep it.
- In the exam the conversation is longer; the order of the statements is the order of the conversation.
Teil 3: Announcements and messages
You hear five short texts: a voicemail message, an announcement in a shop or at a station, a radio notice. There is one statement for each, and it asks for one piece of information: day, time, place, what to do.
These texts mention several days or times; the statement targets one of them. Before you listen, work out the key information in the statement; on the second play, check only that.
Worked example: Hören Teil 3
Task: Sie hören einen kurzen Text zweimal. Ist die Aussage richtig oder falsch?
Sie hören: „Guten Tag, hier spricht die Stadtbibliothek Lindau. Das Buch, das Sie bestellt haben, liegt ab morgen für Sie bereit. Bitte holen Sie es innerhalb von zehn Tagen ab, danach geben wir es an den nächsten Leser weiter. Wir haben dienstags bis samstags geöffnet, montags ist die Bibliothek geschlossen.“ Aussage: Man kann das Buch auch am Montag abholen.
- Answer: falsch. The library is open “dienstags bis samstags”; “montags … geschlossen”.
- The text gives three pieces of time information (tomorrow, ten days, the days of the week); the statement asks about only one.
- The book being ready and the library being open are separate facts; the statement targets the second.
Five habits that help while listening
- Use the reading time to mark the keywords in the statements: who, what, when.
- Watch for negations and limiting words: nicht, kein, nur, erst, nicht mehr.
- If you miss an item, let it go and move on; the recording does not wait.
- In the first part, which is played once, decide straight away; in the parts played twice, use the first play for the general picture.
- Leave no item blank: with true/false a guess is right half the time.
How is it scored?
Each item in Teil 1 and Teil 3 is worth 5 points and each item in Teil 2 2.5; each of the three parts adds up to 25 points, and the total is 75.
So one statement on a short text is worth as much as two statements on the interview; in the first part, which is played once, a lapse of attention is expensive.
Listening counts towards the 225 points of the written exam; you need at least 135 of them to pass.
Common mistakes
- Waiting during the reading time instead of reading the statements.
- Marking “richtig” as soon as a word from the text appears in the statement.
- Waiting for a second play in the first part: there is none.
- Dwelling on a missed item and missing the next one too.
- Not noting days, times and numbers.
- Leaving an item blank.
Sample question paper (PDF) and mock exam
More practice: the telc B1 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 long is the telc B1 listening part?
About half an hour. The recording sets the time; when it ends, the part ends.
›How often are the texts played?
The short texts in the first part are played 1 time, the conversation in the second part 2 times, and the short texts in the third part 2 times.
›How many questions are there, and are they all true/false?
Yes. There are 20 statements in total, and for each you mark “richtig” or “falsch”.
›Can I pause or rewind the audio?
No. As in the real exam, the recording in the Level Exams mock exam plays without a break.
›How can I improve my listening?
Listen to short announcements and radio interviews, and try to catch just one piece of information each time (day, time, decision). Then get used to the exam routine with a timed mock exam.
›Is there a PDF or sample exam for telc B1 listening?
Yes. The telc B1 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 listening part as in the exam
In the free telc B1 mock exam the listening part plays as in the exam: reading time and repeats are part of the recording. The result shows the correct answer for every statement.