telc sample exam: where to get the PDF and how to use it
The official practice test is free and comes from telc's own site. The real question is how you use it: keeping time, not pausing the audio, and being able to score it.
Last updated: 2026-09-14
'telc b1 modelltest pdf', 'telc a1 sample paper', 'german exam model papers with answers' are among the most searched phrases. The good news: telc publishes at least one official practice test (Übungstest / Modelltest) for every level free of charge — the question booklet as a PDF, the listening recordings as audio files, with an answer key. Some levels also have versions whose instructions are translated.
The bad news: a PDF is only half of an exam. Who keeps the time, who plays the recording exactly twice and stops there, who notices when you forget to transfer answers to the answer sheet, who scores the letter you wrote? This guide covers where to get the PDF and how to use it, then what a PDF cannot measure.
Where to download the official practice test
- Every level's page on telc's own site has an 'Übungstest' / 'Modelltest' link; the PDF and audio are free and no registration is needed.
- For A1, A2, B1 and C1 there are versions with translated instructions (including Turkish), which is a good way to see the format without fighting the German rubric.
- The answer key and the assessment criteria for writing and speaking are usually at the end of the same file.
- Download the listening audio separately: solving the listening section by reading a transcript is not practising listening.
- Course websites and forums republish the same PDFs. When the source is unclear, prefer telc's own file: older editions may not match the current format.
Six rules for sitting a model test properly
- Do it in one sitting. Spreading the sections over days hides exactly the fatigue you will feel on exam day.
- Start the clock and do not extend it. When a section's time is up, put the pen down; however many items are blank, that is your real picture.
- Do not rewind or pause the audio. Using a right you will not have in the exam creates a false sense of readiness.
- Mark answers on a separate numbered sheet, Antwortbogen style. Writing in the booklet and forgetting to transfer is the most common loss of points in the real exam.
- Stick to the answer key when scoring. Adding points because 'I actually knew that' ruins the measurement.
- Do not skip writing and speaking. Even if you cannot score them, write within the time and record yourself speaking; those two are the hard part anyway.
What a model test contains at each level
| Level | Sections | Objective items | Written time | Mock exams here | Free mock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| telc A1 | Hören · Lesen · Schreiben · Sprechen | 35 | ≈ 65 min | 40 | yes |
| telc A2 | Hören · Lesen · Schreiben · Sprechen | 35 | ≈ 70 min | 60 | yes |
| telc B1 | Leseverstehen · Sprachbausteine · Hörverstehen · Schriftlicher Ausdruck · Mündlicher Ausdruck | 60 | ≈ 150 min | 40 | yes |
| telc B2 | Leseverstehen · Sprachbausteine · Hörverstehen · Schriftlicher Ausdruck · Mündlicher Ausdruck | 60 | ≈ 150 min | 60 | yes |
| telc C1 | Leseverstehen · Sprachbausteine · Hörverstehen · Schriftlicher Ausdruck · Mündlicher Ausdruck | 74 | ≈ 200 min | 60 | yes |
| telc C2 | Leseverstehen · Hörverstehen und Schreiben · Schriftlicher Ausdruck · Mündlicher Ausdruck | 25 | ≈ 230 min | 60 | yes |
The table is generated live from the format files and the database of the Level Exams mock exams. 'Objective items' are the items scored against an answer key (multiple choice, true/false, matching, gaps); writing and speaking are not included because they are assessed against criteria. 'Written time' includes the length of the listening recording and is approximate.
Four things a PDF cannot measure
- Time pressure: a clock you keep yourself quietly stretches when you get stuck. A clock that runs on a server does not.
- Loss of control in listening: not pausing the audio that came with the PDF is a matter of willpower; in the exam it is a rule.
- A writing and speaking score: there is no answer key. 'That looks nice' is not a measurement; you need a score per criterion against the level's official assessment grid.
- Repetition and trend: solve the same PDF twice and the second time you remember the items. To see progress you need different mock exams of the same difficulty.
Where Level Exams fits in
Level Exams does not replace the official PDFs; it closes the part they cannot cover. You sit the same format in your browser with real timing kept on the server, listening that cannot be paused and automatic scoring; your writing and speaking answers are scored by AI against the level's official criteria and you get corrections in your own language.
There are twenty separate mock exams at every level, all with original content written section by section against telc's official Übungstest. That way you measure progress across attempts instead of memorising one paper. The first mock exam is free; signing up is enough.
A practical routine: study the official PDF first to learn the format, then measure yourself under real conditions here, go back to the lessons for whatever came out weak, and measure again two weeks later with a different mock exam.
Frequently asked questions
›Is the telc sample exam PDF free?
Yes. telc publishes at least one official practice test per level as a PDF with audio, free and without registration. Some levels also have versions with translated instructions.
›Where can I find past papers?
telc does not publish past exams; what is published are official practice tests (Übungstest). Files circulating online as 'past papers' are usually those practice tests, or copies of unclear origin.
›How many mock exams should I do?
Conditions matter more than the number. Three mocks done under real timing teach more than ten done without a clock. Spending the last two weeks on full mock exams only is a common and effective plan.
›Does my mock score predict the real exam?
Approximately. With the same format and the same pass rule it is a good estimate, but nerves, sleep and assessor judgement can move the result by a few points on the day. If you are just above the threshold, do not consider yourself ready.
›How do I score my own writing and speaking?
Use the assessment criteria at the end of the official practice test: were all the given points covered, is the text type right, does it communicate. It is hard alone; on Level Exams those two sections are scored per criterion and returned with corrections.
You have seen the PDF; now measure under real conditions
Sign up, take your level's free mock exam with real timing and see your score section by section.