telc Deutsch B2 exam

1. 1. c) Mieterverein Nordstadt — The situation has two conditions: the bill is for heating and water, i.e. service charges (Nebenkosten), and the check should be cheap. Ad c) names the 'Nebenkostenabrechnung' directly, says 'Unsere Fachleute prüfen Ihre Unterlagen', and advice is free for members (annual fee 65 euros). The distractor is e), the law firm: it also gives advice, but only on employment and family law, and the first meeting costs 95 euros, so both conditions fail.
2. 2. x) keine passende Anzeige — Only one ad is about a choir: d), the Männerchor. It fails on two separate conditions: (1) it only wants male voices ('Männerchor', 'Sänger', 'Tenöre und Bässe'); (2) rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings ('jeden Dienstag von 19.30 bis 21.30 Uhr'), not at the weekend. No other ad offers a choir, so the answer is x. The trap: the word 'Singen' and the welcoming 'Notenkenntnisse sind nicht nötig' make the ad look suitable.
3. 3. a) Pfotenhotel Waldblick — Your colleague is abroad for three weeks and her dog needs looking after during that time. Ad a) says 'Aufnahme ab einer Nacht, auch für mehrere Wochen' and 'rund um die Uhr betreut'. The distractor b), the dog school, is also about dogs, but it offers training, not boarding. Matching only the word 'Hund' leads to b; the need, not the topic, decides.

In the real exam this part has 10 situations and 12 ads (a–l); each correct match is worth 2.5 points. A situation may have no matching ad, in which case you mark x. First identify every condition in the situation (who, when, at what price), then check each one in the ad: one shared word is not enough. In the real exam, Reading and Language Elements together take 90 minutes.

1. 1. b) AUFGRUND — '… gesetzlicher Vorgaben müssen … ausgetauscht werden': the gap needs a preposition followed by the genitive (gesetzlicher). The list has two genitive prepositions: aufgrund ('because of') and trotz ('despite'). The meters are replaced BECAUSE of legal rules. 'Trotz' fits the grammar but reverses the meaning; that is the trap in this gap.
2. 2. c) ETWA — '… dauern pro Wohnung … zwanzig Minuten': the gap needs an adverb before the number. 'etwa' means 'about'. No other word in the list can sensibly stand before a number, so this gap can also be solved by elimination.
3. 3. g) VERFÜGUNG — 'zur Verfügung stehen' (to be available) is a fixed expression. 'zur' (= zu der) contains an article, so a noun must follow; 'verfügbar' is an adjective and cannot stand here. A noun and an adjective from the same root are placed side by side: that is the trap.
4. 4. e) ÜBERGEBEN — '… Sie bitte Ihren Wohnungsschlüssel einer Nachbarin …': 'Sie bitte' forms a polite imperative, so the gap needs the verb. Two candidates: übergeben and abgeben. 'abgeben' is separable; in this position it would have to split into 'geben Sie … ab', which does not fit one gap. 'übergeben' is inseparable: 'übergeben Sie' is correct.

In the real exam this part has 10 gaps and 15 words (a–o); each word fits only once, so 5 words are left over. Each correct gap is worth 1.5 points. First check which word class the gap needs (a noun after 'zur', a finite verb at the start of a clause), then check the meaning and cross out the word you used. In this sample each of the three leftover words (abgeben, trotz, verfügbar) almost fits a gap.

1. 1. Falsch — She learned sign language as a student, in an evening class, because of a deaf fellow student: 'Im Studium … Also habe ich einen Abendkurs besucht'. She also says 'bei uns zu Hause konnte niemand gebärden'. The trap is an assumption: that someone in this job learned sign language at home as a child. The recording says the opposite.
2. 2. Falsch — 'Das Fernsehen ist nur ein kleiner Teil, auch wenn die meisten Leute nur das kennen.' Most of her work is at the doctor's, at parents' evenings and at public offices. The trap: you do hear the word 'Fernsehen', but hearing the word does not make the statement true; listen for 'nur ein kleiner Teil' in front of it.
3. 3. Richtig — 'Längere Termine übernehmen wir immer zu zweit und wechseln uns alle zwanzig Minuten ab.' The statement gives the same information in other words: 'zu zweit' + 'abwechseln' = twenty minutes for her, then her colleague takes over. At B2, spotting the true statement often means recognising a paraphrase like this.

In the real exam the interview is much longer and there are 10 statements; the recording is played ONLY ONCE. Before it starts you have 60 seconds to read the statements: use them to mark the key word in each one (here 'aufgewachsen', 'vor allem', 'jeweils zwanzig Minuten'). Hearing a word from the statement does not make it true; check whether the meaning matches. Each statement is worth 2.5 points. You can replay the audio on this page, but in Level Exams' full mock exams it plays only once after the reading time, as in the real exam.

In the real exam you first choose between Aufgabe A and Aufgabe B, and you need to decide quickly: the whole part takes 30 minutes. A is a (semi-)formal request for information, B a complaint. Cover at least three of the four points, or two plus an aspect of your own; write at least 150 words. The text is marked on three criteria (task completion, communicative form such as text type, greeting and linking, and formal accuracy), each on a four-level scale (A–D), for a total of 45 points. A text that misses the topic entirely scores zero on all three. This sample covers all four points. On Level Exams your text is scored by AI against the official criteria for this level.

• Inhalt kurz wiedergeben „In dem Text geht es um die Frage, ob Supermärkte auch sonntags öffnen sollten. Genannt werden Vorteile für Berufstätige, aber auch Nachteile für die Beschäftigten im Handel.“ — Don't read the text aloud; sum it up in two sentences in your own words. 'In dem Text geht es um …' and 'Der Autor ist der Ansicht, dass …' are useful openers.
• Meinung äußern und begründen „Ich persönlich halte nicht viel davon, weil ein gemeinsamer freier Tag für Familien wichtiger ist als ein paar zusätzliche Einkaufsstunden.“ — An opinion alone is not enough; add a reason with 'weil', 'da' or 'denn'. The task-completion criterion looks for exactly that.
• Widersprechen „Da muss ich dir teilweise widersprechen: Für Pflegekräfte im Schichtdienst ist der Sonntag oft der einzige Tag, an dem sie in Ruhe einkaufen könnten.“ — 'teilweise' softens the disagreement; 'Das mag stimmen, aber …' is another good option. Addressing your partner as 'Sie' is always safe; if you use 'du', stay consistent.
• Eigene Erfahrung einbringen „Als ich in Istanbul gewohnt habe, konnte ich auch sonntags einkaufen, und am Anfang habe ich das hier sehr vermisst.“ — The instructions ask for your own experience too. A past example with 'als' covers the task and naturally shows the past tenses.
• Nachfragen „Wie stellst du dir das konkret vor – sollen dann alle Geschäfte öffnen oder nur die großen Supermärkte?“ — This is a discussion: reacting to your partner's argument and asking questions scores points, not just talking.
• Kompromiss vorschlagen „Wie wäre es mit einem Mittelweg: einige verkaufsoffene Sonntage im Jahr, aber an allen anderen bleibt es ruhig?“ — A suggestion with Konjunktiv II: 'Wie wäre es mit …?', 'Man könnte …'. Polite and typical of B2.
• Zusammenfassen „Wir sind uns also einig, dass die Beschäftigten geschützt werden müssen – wir sehen nur unterschiedlich, ob dafür ein generelles Verbot nötig ist.“ — A short joint summary shows you can manage the discussion. You don't have to agree; stating the difference clearly is fine too.

The real exam is taken in pairs and has three parts. In Teil 2 both candidates read the same short text; you first comment briefly on its content and then discuss it, bringing in your own experience and opinions. Here the text's claims are given in shortened form. There are 20 minutes of preparation time for Teil 2 and 3 before the exam. Each part is worth up to 25 points: 7 each for range of expression, task completion and formal accuracy, and 4 for pronunciation and intonation. To pass the oral exam you need at least 60% of the 75 points. On Level Exams an AI partner plays the other role and your speaking is scored against the official criteria for this level.