telc Deutsch A2
telc A2 Is 85 Minutes and Scored Out of 60
telc Deutsch A2 is the shortest A2 paper of the two, and it is scored on its own 60 point scale rather than out of 100. You pass at 36, but only if the written parts reach 27 and Sprechen reaches 9, so a strong reading score cannot rescue a weak spoken one.
What the Paper Actually Asks
This is the paper most integration courses point at, and the one many people sit for a residence application. It tests whether you can get through an ordinary day in German: understanding a short announcement, reading a notice, writing a few lines to somebody you know. The tasks are shorter than the Goethe equivalent, which makes the clock feel kinder and the individual questions weigh more.
Hören
20 min · 15 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3
Three listening parts in 20 minutes, the tightest module on the paper. Short exchanges and announcements. Because there are only 15 points across the whole module, a single careless answer costs more here than anywhere else.
Lesen
30 min · 15 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3
Three reading parts over 30 minutes: notices, short messages and adverts. The questions follow the order of the text, so if you find yourself hunting backwards you have probably skipped one.
Schreiben
20 min · 15 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2
A short form-filling task and one written message, 20 minutes for both. The form is worth real marks and takes two minutes, so do it first. The message is marked on whether you covered every point you were asked to cover.
Sprechen
15 min · 15 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3
Three spoken parts with an examiner, about 15 minutes, marked on the official criteria including how you handle a simple exchange. It is a live test, so the mock leaves it for you to mark yourself.
How It Is Actually Marked
You need 36 of 60 points overall, and at least 27 across the written parts, and at least 9 in Sprechen. Clearing the total is not enough on its own.
The written parts (Hören, Lesen, Schreiben) carry 45 of the 60 raw points, and Sprechen is examined separately by a person on the day.
ab 54 sehr gut · ab 48 gut · ab 42 befriedigend · ab 36 ausreichend · darunter teilgenommen
telc A2 Is the Old Start Deutsch 2, and That Matters
telc Deutsch A2 continues the jointly developed Start Deutsch 2 line, which is why its shape rhymes with the A1 paper: four modules of 15 points each on a 60 point scale, resat as a whole rather than module by module. Goethe-Zertifikat A2 is a different exam at the same level, on a 100 point scale, with module resits and its own conversion. Preparing for one and sitting the other is a real and avoidable mistake, so read the certificate name on your booking.
Practise the Real Thing
- 6 full mock sets in this exact format, the first one free.
- Timed per module, with the answer sheet and the official scoring, ending in a certificate.
- Recorded listening with a separate voice per speaker, so a dialogue sounds like a conversation.
- A2 and above, the course chapters build the same skills in the order the exam tests them.
Questions About This Exam
What score do I need to pass telc A2?
36 of 60 overall, with at least 27 from the written parts and at least 9 from Sprechen. Both minimums have to be met, so clearing 36 on the total alone is not a pass.
What does "teilgenommen" mean on the certificate?
It is the bottom band, and it means you took part without reaching the pass mark. telc prints it rather than a fail grade, which is worth knowing before you see it.
Is telc A2 easier than Goethe A2?
They are the same CEFR level and neither is a soft option. telc A2 is shorter at 85 minutes against 105 and its tasks are smaller, but that also means each question carries more weight. The bigger difference is structural: telc is resat as a whole exam, Goethe allows module resits.
Can I resit only the part I failed?
No. telc A2 inherits the whole-exam resit from the Start Deutsch line. If you need module resits, that is a Goethe A2 feature, and it is a genuine reason to choose one over the other.
Is your mock the real telc exam?
No. It follows the official Übungstest format part for part, with the same timings, answer sheet and scoring, but every text is written from scratch. Only a licensed telc centre can award the certificate, and telc publishes its own free Übungstest, which is worth downloading too.