telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege: the German exam for nurses

The telc exam that tests the German of people who will work in nursing and care, part by part: how many items, how long, which scores give B1 or B2, where the official mock test is and which level recognition requires. Based on telc's exam page, the official Übungstest and documents from state authorities.

By Olcay Sari, founder of Level Exams

Last updated: 2026-11-04

telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege is a professional exam that tests the German of people who want to work in Germany as nurses or care workers. Its texts and tasks come from everyday care work: messages by phone, ward rounds and shift handovers, a care plan, an admission report.

There is no separate B1 or B2 exam: everyone sits the same exam, and depending on the scores the result is B2, B1 or no certificate. Below you will find the format, how the result is worked out and what recognition requires.

Who is it for, and what does it do for recognition?

Which certificates are accepted is decided by the recognition authority of the state you apply in, and the lists differ from state to state. The examples below are for information, not legal advice; check the authority's current list before you apply.

To have a foreign nursing qualification recognised in Germany (Anerkennung) and receive the professional title, German at level B2 is usually required. For example, Bavaria's care authority (October 2024) requires a B2 certificate for the title Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann, lists telc B2 Pflege among the accepted certificates and currently requires no separate specialist language exam.

Berlin also requires B2 for recognising qualifications from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and the certificate must not be older than three years. So the target for recognition is usually a B2 result; ask the authority you apply to whether a B1 result is enough.

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

Exam format

The written exam covers listening, reading, language elements and writing; the oral exam is taken in pairs. Item counts come from telc's official mock test (Übungstest 1) and exam page.

Section	Task	Items
Listening 1	Phone messages, three options each	4
Listening 2	Five short workplace conversations (ward round, handover, with patients and relatives); each with one true/false and one a/b/c item	10
Listening 3	A team meeting, three options each	6
Listening 4	Different opinions on one topic; match statements to speakers	3
Reading 1	Find the right subject line for e-mails	4
Reading 2	Care plan: match statements to sections of the plan	5
Reading 3	Three different texts (leaflet, circular, regulation and similar), three options each	6
Reading 4	Information text, true/false	3
Language elements 1	Connectors and adverbs in a report, from a box of ten words	8
Language elements 2	Professional vocabulary in a report, three options each	10
Writing	Admission report (Aufnahmebericht) or biography report: one of two tasks, based on form and note information	1
Speaking 1	Interpret a care situation from a picture, then the examiner's questions	–
Speaking 2	Short presentation on one of two topics, then questions	–
Speaking 3	Discussion with your partner on a controversial topic	–

Timing

Listening: 25 minutes, no break. Each recording is played only once.
Reading and language elements: 60 minutes together.
Writing: 30 minutes; you choose one of two tasks, the target is about 120–170 words.
Speaking: 20 minutes of preparation (no dictionary, no talking to your partner), then about 16 minutes for a pair.
No partial exam: you cannot retake a single part; you sit the whole exam again.

How is the B1 or B2 result decided?

Scores are added up in three components, and each component counts as B2, B1 or below B1 according to its own band. Each objective item is worth 1 point. Writing is marked on four criteria (content, communicative design, accuracy, vocabulary), 5 points each. In speaking, task fulfilment gives 50 points, pronunciation 15, fluency 10, accuracy 10 and vocabulary 15.

Component	Total	B2	B1
Listening + reading + language elements	59	43–59	27–42
Writing	20	15–20	7–14
Speaking	100	75–100	35–74.5

Certificate rule

B2 certificate: speaking at B2, and one of the two written components at B2 with the other at least B1.
B1 certificate: speaking at least B1 and one written component at least B1. Even if the other is below B1, it must reach a floor: at least 19 points if it is listening, reading and language elements, at least 4 if it is writing.
If speaking is below B1, no certificate is issued, however good the written parts are.
A zero for content in writing makes the whole writing score zero. A candidate who reads the presentation off the page from start to finish is scored at A2 at most.

Where is the official mock test (Übungstest)?

telc gives two documents free of charge on its exam page; the printed Übungstest and preparation books are sold in telc's shop.

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 (each one plays once), transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Tipps zur Prüfungsvorbereitung (preparation tips): the tasks explained, the solutions and how the written and oral parts are marked.

Dates, registration and fees

The exam is run by test centres licensed by telc; each centre sets its own dates and fees. Before registering, ask the centre on which dates and in which format (paper or digital) it offers the Pflege exam, and when results arrive.

This is not the only exam for nursing: Bavaria's list also includes the Goethe-Institut's „Goethe-Zertifikat B2 PRO Pflege“. The same list also accepts the general telc B2, Goethe B2 and ÖSD B2 certificates.

Does Level Exams have a Pflege mock exam?

Not yet. The telc mock exams at Level Exams simulate the general telc Deutsch B1 and B2 exams; they do not contain the Pflege exam's professional texts or its B1/B2 result rule.

The general B2 and B1 mocks still help: they train listening, reading, language elements, writing and speaking with real timing and show your weakest part. The general telc B2 certificate is also accepted on some states' lists (Bavaria, for example).

For the professional language (care plans, admission reports, handovers), be sure to work through telc's official Pflege Übungstest.

Frequently asked questions

›Are telc Pflege B1 and B2 separate exams?

No. There is one exam; depending on the scores the result is B2, B1 or no certificate. You do not choose a level before the exam.

›Is B1 enough for nurse recognition?

In most cases no: recognition authorities usually require B2 (Bavaria and Berlin, for example). Ask the authority of the state you apply in for the exact requirement.

›How many points do I need for B2 in telc Pflege?

At least 75 of 100 in speaking, plus B2 in one of the two written components (at least 43 of 59 in listening, reading and language elements, or at least 15 of 20 in writing) and at least B1 in the other (27 or 7).

›Where can I download the telc Pflege mock test PDF?

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

›If I fail one part, can I retake just that part?

No. According to telc this exam cannot be taken as a partial exam; you sit the whole exam again.

›Does Level Exams have a telc Pflege mock exam?

Not yet. The telc mocks here simulate the general B1 and B2 exams; for professional language, work through the official Pflege Übungstest.

Try the general B2 format with real timing

Sign up and take a general telc B2 mock exam: listening, reading, language elements, writing and speaking in the real order and timing. Your results report shows which part fell below the threshold.

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