DTZ Exam: Format, A2/B1 Scoring and Preparation
The DTZ is the scaled A2/B1 test at the end of the German integration course. Here is the full format, how the A2/B1 scoring works, and how to prepare part by part.
The Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) is the exam most people in Germany actually sit — not the Goethe-Zertifikat, not telc B1, but the scaled A2/B1 test at the end of the integration course. This guide explains the format, the scoring, and how to prepare for it.
What the DTZ is
The DTZ is the standard final language test of the BAMF integration course. Unlike a Goethe or telc certificate, it does not test a single level. One paper covers both A2 and B1, and your certificate states the level you actually reached — separately for the written and the oral part.
That single detail changes how you should prepare: you are not trying to "pass", you are trying to push each part over the B1 threshold.
How the DTZ result actually works
The DTZ is one exam reported on two levels. The written part runs 100 minutes and covers listening, reading and a short letter; the oral part takes about 15 minutes. To be certified at a level you have to reach it in Sprechen and in at least one of the other parts — which is why a certificate showing B1 speaking and A2 writing is completely normal (BAMF, Abschlussprüfung).
The certificate states B1 or A2 as the overall result. Below A2 you receive only an Ergebnismitteilung rather than a certificate, and the Zertifikat Integrationskurs requires B1 overall. If you fall short, the integration course allows a one-off repeat of up to 300 course hours, which includes one free repeat of the exam.
The four parts
| Part | Time | What you do | |---|---|---| | Lesen | ~45 min | Notices, adverts, emails, short articles, and a language-in-use section | | Hören | ~25 min | Announcements, phone messages, conversations, radio extracts | | Schreiben | ~30 min | One formal or semi-formal letter or email | | Sprechen | ~16 min | Introduce yourself, describe a picture, plan something together with a partner |
The written parts (Lesen, Hören, Schreiben) run together as one block of roughly 100 minutes. The oral exam is taken in pairs on a separate schedule.
How the scoring works
- 60% or more in a part → certified B1
- 30% or more in a part → certified A2
- Below that → no level certified for that part
The written and oral parts are scored independently. It is completely normal to be certified B1 in Sprechen and A2 in Schreiben, or the reverse. For most naturalisation and permanent-residence applications you need B1, which in practice means B1 in both parts.
DTZ vs telc vs Goethe
- DTZ — dual-level A2/B1, tied to the integration course, everyday and workplace themes, paired speaking exam.
- telc Deutsch B1 — single level, pass or fail, similar task types, widely used for the same purposes.
- Goethe-Zertifikat B1 — single level, modular (you can retake single modules), internationally recognised.
If you are in an integration course, the DTZ is the exam you will be registered for. If you are preparing independently, telc or Goethe may be easier to book.
How to prepare
- Take a full mock test under time pressure first. You need a baseline per part, because your A2/B1 result is decided part by part.
- Work the weakest part hardest. A strong Lesen score does not lift a weak Schreiben score — they are certified separately.
- Practise the letter with feedback. The Schreiben task is highly formulaic: greeting, reason for writing, the three bullet points, closing. Getting corrections on structure and register moves you over the B1 line faster than extra vocabulary.
- Speak out loud, in the exam sequence. The "gemeinsam etwas planen" task rewards asking questions and reacting to your partner, not monologues.
- Train listening with only two plays. In the real exam some parts are played once.
Practising the DTZ on ExamDeutsch
ExamDeutsch has ten exam-style DTZ mock tests with full Lesen and Hören sections, real audio, AI-graded Schreiben and Sprechen, and a results report that shows your A2/B1 certification per part. Several tests are free, and standalone Lesen and Hören practice in the DTZ format is available for each Teil.
Start at /dtz or jump straight into DTZ practice.
ExamDeutsch is an independent preparation platform and is not affiliated with the BAMF, telc GmbH or the Goethe-Institut. Our tests are exam-style mock tests modeled on the published DTZ format.