This guide prepares you for the reading paper of both big B1 exams: Goethe B1 Lesen (Goethe-Zertifikat B1) and telc B1 Leseverstehen plus the telc B1 Sprachbausteine (telc Deutsch B1 / Zertifikat Deutsch). You will find the exact structure of each paper, a method for every Teil, the signal words that decide many answers, a short practice set with solutions, and a weekly plan. If you are looking for B1 reading practice or German B1 reading exam tips that go beyond “read more”, start here. The two exams test the same level, but they reward slightly different habits, so it pays to know which one you are taking.
What the exam looks like
Both exams test whether you can understand everyday texts: blog posts, newspaper articles, ads, readers’ opinions and rules. The telc exam also contains the Sprachbausteine, a short grammar and vocabulary section that shares its time block with reading.
| Goethe-Zertifikat B1 – Lesen | telc Deutsch B1 – Leseverstehen + Sprachbausteine | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 65 minutes | 90 minutes for both subtests together, no break |
| Parts | 5 Teile | Leseverstehen: 3 Teile; Sprachbausteine: 2 Teile |
| Items | 30 | 20 (reading) + 20 (Sprachbausteine) |
| Teil 1 | Personal blog entry – Richtig/Falsch (items 1–6), about 10 min | Globalverstehen: 5 short texts, match 10 headlines (a–j); 5 headlines are left over (items 1–5) |
| Teil 2 | Two press texts, 3 multiple-choice items each (7–12), about 20 min | Detailverstehen: 1 longer article, multiple choice a/b/c (6–10) |
| Teil 3 | 10 short ads, 7 situations (13–19); one situation has no ad → “0”, about 10 min | Selektives Verstehen: 12 ads (a–l), 10 situations (11–20); “x” if no ad fits |
| Teil 4 | Reader comments on one topic – Ja/Nein: is the person for or against? (20–26), about 15 min | – |
| Teil 5 | A set of rules or instructions – multiple choice a/b/c (27–30), about 10 min | – |
| Sprachbausteine | – | Teil 1 Grammatik: letter/e-mail with 10 gaps, a/b/c (21–30). Teil 2 Lexik: text with 10 gaps, word bank of 15 words (a–o) (31–40) |
| Points | 100 (1 point per item, multiplied by 3.33) | Leseverstehen 75, Sprachbausteine 30 |
| Pass | 60 of 100 in the Lesen module (modules can be taken separately) | 60 % of the written exam overall (135 of 225), not per subtest |
Strategy for Goethe B1 Lesen
Teil 1 – Blog entry (Richtig/Falsch)
- Read the six statements first and underline the key word in each (a time, a person, a feeling).
- Read the blog from start to finish. The statements follow the order of the text.
- Decide only on what the text says, not on what sounds logical.
Trap: the text mentions the same topic but changes one detail. Text: „Eigentlich wollten wir im Juni umziehen, aber am Ende hat es bis September gedauert.“ Statement: „Die Familie ist im Juni umgezogen.“ → Falsch. Watch for eigentlich, wollten, am Ende: plans are not facts.
Teil 2 – Two press texts (a/b/c)
- Read the headline and the three questions for text 1, then the text. Do text 2 the same way.
- Find the paragraph that answers each question, then compare all three options with it.
- Give this Teil the most time (about 20 minutes). The texts are denser than anything else in the paper.
Trap: a wrong option often repeats exact words from the text. The correct option usually says the same thing in other words: „Die Stadt übernimmt die Hälfte der Kosten“ = „Die Bewohner zahlen nur 50 Prozent.“
Teil 3 – Ads (situations 13–19)
- Read the seven situations and mark two or three conditions each: who, what, when, how much.
- Scan the ten ads quickly. An ad fits only if all conditions match.
- Use “0” once: exactly one situation has no matching ad.
Trap: „Sie suchen einen Kochkurs am Wochenende für Anfänger.“ One ad offers a weekend course „für Fortgeschrittene“ – topic correct, level wrong. Cross out ads you have used so you do not use one twice.
Teil 4 – Reader comments (Ja/Nein)
- Read the question carefully: „Ist die Person für ein Handyverbot an Schulen?“
- For each comment, look for the overall opinion, usually in the first or last sentence.
- Do not be distracted by “yes, but” structures: „Natürlich gibt es auch Vorteile, aber insgesamt halte ich das Verbot für falsch.“ → Nein.
Teil 5 – Rules and instructions (a/b/c)
- Read the four questions, then scan the rules for the section that answers each one.
- Pay attention to modal verbs and restrictions: müssen, dürfen nicht, nur, ausschließlich, spätestens.
Trap: „Haustiere sind nur nach Absprache mit der Verwaltung erlaubt.“ This does not mean pets are forbidden – it means you have to ask first.
Strategy for telc B1 Leseverstehen
Teil 1 – Globalverstehen (headlines)
- Read all ten headlines first. Notice that several share a topic.
- Read each text once for its main message: what would a newspaper put above it?
- Match, then double-check the five unused headlines: each one should be clearly wrong for every text.
Trap: a headline matches one detail but not the main idea. A text about a school that opens its sports hall to neighbours in the evening fits „Schule öffnet Türen für die Nachbarschaft“ better than „Neue Sporthalle für Schüler“, even if the second contains the word “Sporthalle”.
Teil 2 – Detailverstehen (one long article)
Read the five questions, then work through the text paragraph by paragraph. The questions usually follow the order of the text. Mark the line where you found each answer, so you can check quickly at the end. Spend about 15–20 minutes here.
Teil 3 – Selektives Verstehen (12 ads, 10 situations)
This is the same idea as Goethe Teil 3, but bigger: 10 situations and 12 ads, and more than one situation may have no match (“x”). Do not force an ad onto a situation just to use it. Work fast: about 1 minute per situation.
Strategy for telc B1 Sprachbausteine
Teil 1 – Grammatik (a/b/c)
- Read the whole letter once without filling anything in, so you know the context and the tone (du or Sie).
- For each gap, look left and right: which word comes next? Is the verb at the end (subordinate clause)?
- Decide what the gap needs: a connector, a preposition, an article ending, a relative pronoun, a pronoun.
Example: „Ich konnte nicht kommen, ___ ich krank war.“ (a) deshalb (b) weil (c) trotzdem → b. The verb war stands at the end, so you need a subordinating conjunction.
Teil 2 – Lexik (word bank)
- Read the text and the 15 words. Sort the words roughly by type: nouns, verbs, prepositions, adverbs.
- Fill in the gaps you are sure about first and cross those words out.
- For the rest, check grammar: a gap after sich freuen needs auf or über; a gap before a noun in the dative needs a dative preposition.
Time tip: the 90 minutes are not split for you. A practical split is about 60 minutes for Leseverstehen and 20–25 for Sprachbausteine, with a few minutes to fill in the answer sheet.
Useful vocabulary for B1 reading
Many reading answers depend on small words. Learn these as a group.
| German | English | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| nur / erst | only / not until | erst um 10 Uhr = not before 10 |
| schon / noch nicht | already / not yet | reverses the meaning of a statement |
| kaum | hardly | almost a negation |
| kostenlos / gebührenpflichtig | free / subject to a fee | typical in ads |
| im Voraus / vorher anmelden | in advance / register beforehand | condition in ads and rules |
| die Ermäßigung | discount, reduced price | ads, Teil 3 |
| untersagt / nicht gestattet | prohibited / not permitted | formal “verboten” in rules |
| nach Absprache | by arrangement | allowed, but only if you ask |
| halte ich für sinnvoll / übertrieben | I think it’s sensible / exaggerated | opinion in reader comments |
| einerseits … andererseits | on the one hand … on the other | look for the final opinion after it |
For the Sprachbausteine, these grammar points come up again and again:
| Point | German example | English |
|---|---|---|
| weil / denn / deshalb | …, weil ich müde bin. / …, denn ich bin müde. / Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. | because / because / therefore (word order differs) |
| obwohl / trotzdem | Obwohl es regnet, gehen wir. / Es regnet. Trotzdem gehen wir. | although / nevertheless |
| wenn / als | Als ich klein war, … / Wenn ich Zeit habe, … | one-time past / repeated or future |
| damit / um … zu | Ich lerne, um die Prüfung zu bestehen. | so that / in order to |
| Relative pronouns | der Kurs, den ich besuche / die Kollegin, mit der ich arbeite | which / with whom |
| Verbs + preposition | warten auf, sich interessieren für, teilnehmen an, sich kümmern um | wait for, be interested in, take part in, take care of |
Practice set
Read the short blog text and decide: richtig or falsch? Then do the Sprachbausteine items.
„Seit drei Wochen fahre ich mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit. Mein Kollege Jonas hat mich überredet – er macht das schon seit Jahren. Am Anfang war ich abends total kaputt, aber inzwischen geht es gut. Nur bei Regen nehme ich noch die S-Bahn. Unsere Firma bezahlt übrigens die Reparaturen, wenn man mit dem Rad kommt. Das wusste ich vorher gar nicht. Ab nächstem Monat will ich auch am Wochenende längere Touren machen.“
- Die Autorin fährt schon seit Jahren mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.
- Am Anfang war das Radfahren für sie anstrengend.
- Sie fährt bei jedem Wetter mit dem Rad.
- Die Firma übernimmt Reparaturkosten für Fahrräder.
- Sie macht jedes Wochenende lange Radtouren.
Sprachbausteine Teil 1 – choose a, b or c:
- Ich schreibe dir, ___ ich am Samstag leider keine Zeit habe. (a) weil (b) deshalb (c) denn
- Kannst du mir das Buch geben, ___ du letzte Woche gekauft hast? (a) der (b) das (c) dem
- Ich freue mich schon sehr ___ deinen Besuch im Mai. (a) über (b) für (c) auf
Sprachbausteine Teil 2 – choose from: Anmeldung, bereits, teilnehmen, damit, Gebühr (two words are left over).
- Wer am Kurs ___ möchte, schreibt bitte eine E-Mail.
- Die ___ ist bis zum 15. März möglich.
Answer key
- Falsch – she started three weeks ago; Jonas has done it for years.
- Richtig – „abends total kaputt“.
- Falsch – when it rains she takes the S-Bahn.
- Richtig – „Unsere Firma bezahlt … die Reparaturen“.
- Falsch – it is only a plan („will … ab nächstem Monat“).
- a – verb at the end, so a subordinating conjunction.
- b – das Buch, accusative neuter.
- c – sich freuen auf = look forward to (future).
- teilnehmen
- Anmeldung (left over: bereits, damit, Gebühr)
Common mistakes at B1
- Reading every word of the ads. Correction: read the situation first, then scan for its conditions.
- Answering from world knowledge. Correction: if the text does not say it, it is falsch (Goethe) or not the answer.
- Ignoring small negations. „nicht mehr“ (no longer) and „noch nicht“ (not yet) change everything. Correction: circle them.
- Choosing the option with the same words as the text. Correction: look for the same meaning.
- Forcing a match in telc Teil 3. Correction: “x” is a legitimate answer, often more than once.
- Doing Sprachbausteine by feeling. Correction: check word order, case and the preposition the verb needs.
- Leaving gaps on the answer sheet. Correction: an empty answer can never score, so always mark something and transfer your answers in time.
Weekly practice plan
- Monday: one Goethe Teil 2 or telc Teil 2 text, timed (20 min).
- Tuesday: ads and situations – 15 minutes of scanning practice.
- Wednesday: 20 Sprachbausteine items or a grammar review of connectors.
- Thursday: read two short German opinion pieces or comment sections and summarise the opinion in one sentence.
- Friday: verbs with prepositions – 10 new ones with example sentences.
- Weekend: one full reading paper under exam conditions, then analyse every mistake.
- Take a full reading paper in our free German mock exams (Goethe and telc format).
- Practise with a timer in the exam simulator.
- Close grammar gaps with the German B1 course.
- Continue with the other skill guides: B1 Hören, B1 Schreiben, B1 Sprechen.
FAQ
How many points do I need to pass Goethe B1 Lesen?
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is modular. Each module, including Lesen, is scored out of 100, and you need at least 60 points. Each of the 30 items is worth one raw point, which is converted with the factor 3.33, so you need roughly 18 of 30 correct answers. Check the official Goethe rules for exact rounding.
Is there a separate pass mark for telc B1 Leseverstehen?
No. At telc Deutsch B1 you need 60 % of the whole written exam (135 of 225 points: Leseverstehen, Sprachbausteine, Hörverstehen and Schriftlicher Ausdruck together) and 60 % in the oral exam. A weaker reading score can be compensated by other written subtests.
Does the Goethe B1 exam have Sprachbausteine?
No. Sprachbausteine (grammar and vocabulary gaps) are part of the telc B1 exam only. Goethe tests grammar indirectly through reading, writing and speaking.
How long is the telc B1 reading test?
Leseverstehen and Sprachbausteine share one block of 90 minutes without a break. You decide how to divide the time.