telc B1 reading and Sprachbausteine: the parts and exercises with answers
The telc B1 reading part has three tasks and 20 items; it is followed by two Sprachbausteine tasks (grammar and vocabulary). Below you will find what each task asks for, how to solve it and a short worked example.
By Olcay Sari, founder of Level Exams
Last updated: 2026-11-12
The reading part (Leseverstehen) is worth 75 points and Sprachbausteine 30. Both belong to the written exam; the written parts add up to 225 points and you need at least 135 of them to pass.
In the official exam, reading and Sprachbausteine form one block and you divide the time yourself. In the Level Exams mock exam, reading has 45 minutes and Sprachbausteine 45; the total is the same.
Reading and Sprachbausteine at a glance
| Task | What you do | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesen Teil 1: Matching headings | You find the right heading out of ten for each of five short texts. | 5 | 25 |
| Lesen Teil 2: Detail questions | You read a longer text and answer three-option questions. | 5 | 25 |
| Lesen Teil 3: Matching adverts | For each situation you find the right advert out of twelve; if none fits, you mark x. | 10 | 25 |
| Sprachbausteine Teil 1: Grammar | You choose the right option out of three for each gap in a letter. | 10 | 15 |
| Sprachbausteine Teil 2: Vocabulary | You fill the gaps in a text with the right words out of fifteen. | 10 | 15 |
Lesen Teil 1: Matching headings
This task tests global understanding (Globalverstehen): you need to find what the text is about, not its details. Five of the ten headings fit no text, and each heading is used at most once.
Read the headings first and mark the keywords. Then look at the first and last sentence of each text; the main idea is usually there. A heading that repeats a word from the text can be a trap: the right heading usually sums the text up in other words.
Worked example: Lesen Teil 1
Task: Lesen Sie den Text und die Überschriften a–d. Welche Überschrift passt am besten zum Text?
Seit drei Jahren treffen sich in Neustadt jeden Samstag Menschen, um kaputte Geräte gemeinsam zu reparieren. Fachleute im Ruhestand zeigen, wie man einen Toaster öffnet oder ein Kabel austauscht. Bezahlen muss niemand, nur die Ersatzteile kosten etwas. Die Organisatoren zählen inzwischen mehr als vierzig Besucher pro Termin und suchen deshalb einen größeren Raum. a) Neustadt verbietet den Verkauf alter Elektrogeräte b) Reparaturtreff wird zu klein für seine Besucher c) Rentner eröffnen Fachgeschäft für Ersatzteile d) Immer weniger Menschen wollen Geräte reparieren
- Answer: b. The main idea is in the last sentence: visitor numbers have grown and a bigger room is needed.
- a is wrong: there is no ban in the text. c is wrong: the retired experts help, they do not open a shop. d says the opposite of the text.
- In the exam there are five texts and ten headings; the method is the same.
Lesen Teil 2: Detail questions
This task tests detailed understanding (Detailverstehen). The questions follow the order of the text: the answer to the first is near the beginning, the answer to the last near the end. Reading the question first and then the matching paragraph saves time.
Wrong options are usually built from words that appear in the text but say something else. The right option gives the information in different words. Before you mark an option, find the sentence in the text that supports it.
Worked example: Lesen Teil 2
Task: Lesen Sie den Text und die Aufgaben 1 und 2. Welche Lösung (a, b oder c) ist jeweils richtig?
Vor zwei Jahren hat Jana Brückner ihre Stelle in einer Bank gekündigt und eine Ausbildung zur Tischlerin begonnen. „Im Büro habe ich gut verdient, aber abends wusste ich nie, was ich eigentlich geschafft hatte“, sagt die 34-Jährige. In der Werkstatt ist das anders: Am Ende des Tages steht ein Regal oder ein Tisch vor ihr. Leicht war der Wechsel nicht. Ihr Gehalt ist heute deutlich niedriger, und in der Berufsschule sitzt sie neben Sechzehnjährigen. Trotzdem bereut sie nichts. Nach der Prüfung möchte sie zunächst in ihrem Ausbildungsbetrieb bleiben und Erfahrung sammeln. 1. Warum hat Jana Brückner den Beruf gewechselt? a) Sie hat in der Bank zu wenig verdient. b) Sie wollte das Ergebnis ihrer Arbeit sehen. c) Sie hat ihre Stelle in der Bank verloren. 2. Was plant sie für die Zeit nach der Prüfung? a) Sie will eine eigene Werkstatt eröffnen. b) Sie will wieder in einem Büro arbeiten. c) Sie will weiter in ihrem Betrieb arbeiten.
- Question 1: b. Support: “abends wusste ich nie, was ich eigentlich geschafft hatte”; in the workshop a shelf or a table stands in front of her at the end of the day. a contradicts the text (“gut verdient”), and so does c: she resigned herself (“gekündigt”).
- Question 2: c. Support: “zunächst in ihrem Ausbildungsbetrieb bleiben”. Her own workshop or a return to the office is not mentioned.
- The right options put the text in other words: “das Ergebnis ihrer Arbeit sehen”, “weiter in ihrem Betrieb arbeiten”.
Lesen Teil 3: Matching adverts
This task tests selective reading (Selektives Verstehen): instead of reading every advert from start to finish, you scan for the information you need. Each situation has two or three conditions (for whom, when, where); the advert must meet all of them.
For at least one situation there is no matching advert; there you mark x. If an advert fits the topic but fails one condition (wrong day, wrong age group), it 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 zu welcher Situation? Wenn keine Anzeige passt, schreiben Sie x.
1. Ihre Nachbarin sucht für ihren Sohn, der die siebte Klasse besucht, Nachhilfe in Mathematik, am liebsten bei sich zu Hause. 2. Sie möchten abends nach der Arbeit einen Schwimmkurs für Erwachsene besuchen. a) Student gibt Nachhilfe in Mathe und Physik, Klassen 5 bis 10. Ich komme zu Ihnen nach Hause. Erste Stunde kostenlos. b) Schwimmschule Delfin: Kurse für Kinder von vier bis acht Jahren, samstags am Vormittag. Jetzt anmelden. c) Nachhilfe-Institut im Zentrum: Englisch und Französisch in kleinen Gruppen, täglich von 14 bis 18 Uhr.
- Situation 1: a. All three conditions are met: maths, year seven and tutoring at home.
- Situation 2: x. Advert b is a swimming course, but for children and on Saturday morning; the conditions “adults” and “evening” are not met.
- Advert c contains “Nachhilfe” but offers only foreign languages: a matching word is not enough.
Sprachbausteine: grammar and vocabulary
In the first task you get three options for each gap in a letter or e-mail; the gaps mostly test prepositions, connectors, adjective endings and verb forms. Look before and after the gap: if the verb is at the end of the clause, you need a subordinating connector; if there is a particular verb, you need its preposition.
In the second task there are more words than gaps; the extra ones are not used, and each word is used once. Fill the gaps you are sure about first and cross out the words you have used; that leaves fewer options for the rest.
Worked example: Sprachbausteine Teil 1
Task: Lesen Sie die E-Mail. Welches Wort (a, b oder c) passt in die Lücken 1–3?
Sehr geehrte Frau Albers, vielen Dank (1) ___ Ihre schnelle Antwort. Leider kann ich am Montag nicht kommen, (2) ___ ich an diesem Tag arbeiten muss. Wäre es möglich, den Termin (3) ___ Mittwoch zu verschieben? Mit freundlichen Grüßen Jonas Reuter (1) a) an b) für c) über (2) a) weil b) deshalb c) denn (3) a) am b) auf c) im
- (1) b: the pattern is “danken für”; what you are thankful for takes “für”.
- (2) a: the verb is at the end of the clause (“arbeiten muss”), so it is a subordinate clause and needs “weil”. With “denn” and “deshalb” the verb does not go to the end.
- (3) b: moving an appointment to another day is “auf … verschieben”.
How should I divide the time?
- Give the three reading tasks roughly equal time; the second task with the long text takes the most.
- In the third task, skim the adverts once and note their topics in the margin; then match the situations one by one.
- In the official exam the time is shared, so time left over from Sprachbausteine can go to reading items you were unsure about. In the Level Exams mock exam the two parts are timed separately.
- Leave no item blank: a wrong answer costs no points.
How is it scored?
In reading, each item in the first two tasks is worth 5 points and each item in the third 2.5; the total is 75 points. In Sprachbausteine each item is worth 1.5 points; the total is 30.
So one heading or one detail question is worth more than three Sprachbausteine items. If you run short of time, give priority to the reading items.
To pass the written exam you need at least 135 of the 225 points across reading, Sprachbausteine, listening and writing.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the heading that contains the same word as the text in Teil 1.
- Reading the whole text twice in Teil 2 and using up the time: read the question first.
- Trying to find an advert for every situation in Teil 3: at least one is x.
- Using the same word twice in Sprachbausteine Teil 2.
- Getting stuck on an unknown word: most items do not depend on it.
- 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 many questions are there in telc B1 reading?
Reading has three tasks and 20 items; Sprachbausteine has two tasks and 20 items.
›How long is the reading part?
In the official exam there is one shared time for reading and Sprachbausteine. In the Level Exams mock exam reading is 45 minutes and Sprachbausteine 45.
›When do I mark x?
In the third task, when no advert meets all the conditions of a situation. Every exam has at least one such situation.
›Does a wrong answer cost points?
No. Wrong and blank count the same, so mark an answer even if you are not sure.
›How should I prepare for Sprachbausteine?
Revise verbs with prepositions (danken für, warten auf), connectors (weil, obwohl, deshalb) and adjective endings; the task tests them directly.
›Is there a PDF or sample exam for telc B1 reading?
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 reading part under time
In the free telc B1 mock exam you do reading and Sprachbausteine with the real timing; the result shows the correct answer and an explanation for every item.