telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule: format, points and the official mock test

The telc exam German universities accept as proof of German, part by part: how many items, how many points, how long, how to pass, where the official mock test is, registration and fees. Based on telc's handbook, its preparation guide and its exam regulations.

By Olcay Sari, founder of Level Exams

Last updated: 2026-11-04

telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule is a C1 exam designed for people who want to study at a German-speaking university. Its texts and topics come from university, science and student life: a popular-science magazine article, a talk, a quotation fit for a seminar debate.

It shares its skeleton with the general telc C1; we compare the two in a separate guide. This page is about the Hochschule exam itself: format, points, pass rule, the official mock test, dates and fees.

Who is it for, and where does it count?

Admission is the university's decision; a programme may set a higher requirement or a minimum grade. Always read the language requirements page of the programme you are applying to.

The exam is listed as proof of German for university study in the framework regulations on German language exams (RO-DT, §8) of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and the Standing Conference of education ministers (KMK). According to telc, this has applied at all German higher education institutions since 12 February 2016: holders of the certificate do not need to provide any further proof of German.

In uni-assist's February 2026 table of German certificates, telc C1 Hochschule sits in the same category as DSH-2, TestDaF 4, Goethe C2 and ÖSD C2 (A: sufficient for study at most universities). The general telc C1 sits in category B with Goethe C1 and ÖSD C1: many universities accept it only for registering for the DSH exam. A striking detail: even telc C2 is not in A but in B+.

The exam can be paper-based, digital or hybrid; the test centre decides which it offers.

Exam format

The written exam has four sections and is taken in one sitting with a break; the oral exam may be on another day. Item counts and points come from telc's handbook and preparation guide.

Section	Task	Items	Points
Reading 1	Text reconstruction: put 6 of 8 sentences into the gaps of a text (2 sentences are left over)	6	12
Reading 2	Selective reading: find which of 5 paragraphs each of 6 statements refers to	6	12
Reading 3	11 statements: true / false / not in the text; then the best headline for the text (3 options)	12	24
Language elements	22 gaps in one text, four options each: vocabulary, grammar, spelling	22	22
Listening 1	8 short statements by 8 people; match one of 10 sentences to each (2 are left over)	8	8
Listening 2	An interview or discussion; 10 sentence beginnings, three possible endings each	10	20
Listening 3	A talk of about 10 minutes; 10 notes in a given outline	10	20
Writing	One of two tasks: an argumentative text on two opposing statements, about 350 words	1	48
Speaking 1A	A short presentation of about 3 minutes on one of two topics	–	6
Speaking 1B	Summarise your partner's presentation, ask and answer follow-up questions	–	4
Speaking 2	A discussion of about 6 minutes with your partner on a quotation	–	6
Speaking, language	Fluency, range, grammar, pronunciation (across the whole oral exam)	–	32
Total	Written 166 + oral 48		214

Timing

Reading and language elements: 90 minutes together, in any order. telc suggests keeping about 15 minutes for transferring answers to the answer sheet. All the texts together come to about 2,600 words.
Break: 20 minutes.
Listening: about 40 minutes, including 5 minutes to transfer answers. Each recording is played only once.
Writing: 70 minutes.
Speaking: 20 minutes of supervised preparation (no aids allowed), then about 16 minutes for a pair.

What makes it academic?

The reading texts are articles from newspapers, magazines and websites, popular-science texts and essays on academic, study-related and professional topics. According to telc's handbook, genuine specialist texts that need prior subject knowledge are deliberately avoided.

The last listening part is a talk or lecture: you listen for about ten minutes and take notes in an incomplete outline so that someone who was not there could follow them. Spelling mistakes cost nothing as long as the answer stays understandable.

In writing, the topic relates to university, science or study and you get two opposing statements. You are expected to weigh both and argue your own position; the text is marked on four criteria: task fulfilment, accuracy, range and communicative design.

In speaking, the presentation is framed as a short talk in a study-skills course; in preparation you may note only keywords, not write out a text to read. The discussion is about a quotation from a writer or scientist. The exam is taken in pairs; if you are the only candidate, one examiner acts as your partner.

How do you pass?

You need at least 60% of the total, about 128 of 214 points. The written part (166 points) and the oral part (48 points) must also each reach 60%: a high written score does not make up for a weak oral one.

If you fail only one part, you can retake that part on its own. Under telc's exam regulations in force since April 2025 this must happen within twelve months of the date on your results, and you tell the test centre at registration that you want the passed part credited. Individual sections (just listening, say) cannot be retaken.

Where to download the official mock test (Modelltest)

telc gives three documents free of charge in the download section of its exam page; model test books from publishers cost money.

Übungstest 1: a complete practice exam; the PDF and the audio files come together as a ZIP. Sit it under real conditions the first time: time yourself, do not pause the recording, transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Tipps zur Prüfungsvorbereitung (preparation tips): every task explained, suggested timings, sample written and spoken performances with their marks.
Handbuch (handbook): the exam's aims, task formats and marking criteria; the most detailed description of each task.

Dates, registration and fees

telc does not publish a central exam calendar. C1 Hochschule is run by centres telc has licensed as a „Kompetenzzentrum Hochschule“, mostly university language centres. telc's date search lists them by city, state and institution; telc does not guarantee the listed dates.

You register with the test centre, and according to telc registration closes 30 days before the exam; centres do not have to accept later registrations. If you have an application deadline, allow for the time results take and a possible resit.

The fee is set by the centre; telc gives no fee information. One example: TU Ilmenau's course page for winter semester 2026/27 lists an exam fee of €242. Ask the centre you register with for the exact amount.

Does Level Exams have a C1 Hochschule mock exam?

No. The C1 mock exams at Level Exams simulate the general telc Deutsch C1, not the Hochschule version.

According to telc's documents, the two exams have the same sections, item counts, points, timing and pass rule. So our general C1 mock exams let a Hochschule candidate practise exam flow, time management, the language elements section, the note-taking task and the oral threshold with real timing.

The world of the texts and topics differs: our mock exams draw on everyday and working life, Hochschule on academic life. For academic topics, be sure to also work through telc's official Übungstest.

Frequently asked questions

›Where can I download the telc C1 Hochschule mock test PDF?

Free from the exam page on telc's website: Übungstest 1 comes as a ZIP with the PDF and the audio files. The preparation tips and the handbook are there as PDFs too.

›When are the telc C1 Hochschule exam dates?

There is no central calendar; centres set their own dates, and the date search on telc's website lists them by city. Registration usually closes 30 days before the exam.

›How much does telc C1 Hochschule cost?

It depends on the centre; telc publishes no fees. As an example, TU Ilmenau charges €242 for 2026/27. Ask your centre for the exact amount.

›How many points do I need to pass?

At least 60% of 214 points, about 128. The written part (166 points) and the oral part (48 points) must also each reach 60%.

›Which universities accept it?

The exam is listed as proof of German for university study in the HRK/KMK framework regulations (RO-DT §8) and, according to telc, has applied at all German higher education institutions since 2016. Programmes may set higher requirements; read your programme's language page.

›Can I apply to university with the general telc C1?

At most universities, no. In uni-assist's table the general telc C1 is in the category many universities accept only for registering for the DSH. Details are in our C1 vs C1 Hochschule guide.

›Does Level Exams have a telc C1 Hochschule mock exam?

No, the C1 mock exams here simulate the general telc C1. Because the skeleton is the same, they work for timing and flow; for academic topics, sit the official Übungstest.

Try the C1 exam flow with real timing

Sign up and take a general telc C1 mock exam: reading, language elements, listening, writing and speaking in the real order and timing. Your results report shows which part fell below the threshold.

Start the free mock exam See packages