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💡 The B2 exam tests real language competence, not memorized set phrases
🧠 Grammar is crucial, even in seemingly simple questions
✍️ Writing and speaking must be flexible and correct, not memorized
⚠️ Too many set phrases are harmful; they do not replace real language mastery
🎯 Anyone who truly masters the language passes the exam confidently
“How can you pass B2 telc exam?”
This question is asked very frequently on the internet. But it contains a grammatical mistake.
The correct version is: How can you pass THE B2 exam?
And this is exactly where the real problem begins.
If you cannot formulate this question correctly, it already shows that basic grammar is not yet secure. And that is exactly what the B2 exam focuses on: grammatical correctness, precision, and linguistic confidence.
The answer to the question “How can you pass the B2 exam?” is therefore not:
Memorizing set phrases or taking as many exams as possible.
The real answer is:
You have to truly master the language. At B2 level.
In the B2 exam, it is not only tested whether you are understood, but how correctly, structurally, and above all flexibly you use German. This includes a good command of grammar. That is why you should absolutely learn how to use articles correctly and how to form questions properly – these belong to the basic grammar from A1.
👉 Reading tip: Are you unsure which article words have? Take a look at our blog article here: “Learn German Articles Correctly: Rules & 6 Top Tips (DER, DIE, DAS)”
👉 To the Telc B2 exam preparation course in Frankfurt am Main
Do you want to pass the B2 exam (Telc or Goethe)?
Then you do not need months of exam training, but targeted work on exactly the points that are really assessed.
In just a few intensive hours, we prepare you specifically for the B2 exam (Telc or Goethe) – focused, efficient, and without unnecessary exam ballast.
The prerequisite is that your German really is at B2 level.
Note: SprachPassion is not an exam center. For over 20 years, we have been preparing students specifically and successfully for the exam, but we do not conduct the exam ourselves.
When do you need the B2 Telc exam?
If you are learning German, it may become important for you at a certain point to take an exam at B2 level. The motivation for this can differ from person to person. Read here which goal you need the B2 Telc exam for:
You want to apply for a position at a company that requires good German skills.
You want to apply for a DSH preparation course at a university or university of applied sciences (FH) in order to then take the DSH exam. DSH stands for “German Language Examination for University Entrance”.
You want to register directly for a DSH exam.
For all three goals, you should check directly with the company or the university in advance to find out what their exact admission requirements are, as these can differ from company to company and from university to university.
How many points do you need to pass the exam?
The B2 Telc exam consists of a written part (reading, listening, language modules = grammar, text production) and an oral part. The written part has a total of 225 points, of which you must score at least 135 points (=60%). The oral part has a total of 75 points, of which you must score at least 45 points (=60%). Together, that makes 180 points. With this, you have just passed the exam. This is the minimum. It may happen that you pass the written part but not the oral part, or vice versa. In that case, you can repeat the part you did not pass.
If you have only just passed the exam, then there is still a lot of room for improvement. You can still improve significantly. That is why I recommend not being satisfied with the minimum of 180 points or just above. Because this usually means that you do not yet master German well enough for, for example, a job interview and your future job.
What should you do if you pass the exam with a low score or do not pass it at all?
If you only just pass the exam or do not pass it at all, you should definitely discuss in detail with a teacher what the reason for the result is.
A low score or a failed exam can have two reasons:
You are not used to the exam format. In this case, you should take a few private lessons where exactly what you struggle with is practiced. It is important that these are private lessons or perhaps learning in pairs (with a partner), because only here can the focus be placed precisely on what caused you problems in the exam. Private lessons or learning in pairs are more expensive than group classes, but considering that the exam is very important for your future, this investment is definitely worth it.
You do not yet have the language level to take the exam. In that case, it also makes no sense to take the next exam just one month later, because you first have to bring your German up to B2 level. This means that you should take a course in which you improve your language skills. According to the experience of some examiners, this is unfortunately the most common case.
3 tips for the B2 Telc exam
What do you need to pay attention to in the language modules?
The language modules are the grammar part of the exam. There are two parts. It helps if you first read through the entire text before filling in the gaps. This makes it easier to understand the context. There are no fixed practice rules here, as there are many topics and words that can be tested. But there are questions that can help you while working on these tasks. You should also intensively review these grammar topics during preparation:
✔️ Where is the verb? What form does it have? Is it an auxiliary verb or a main verb? Which tense is it in?
✔️ Is the conjugated verb perhaps missing entirely?
✔️ Does your verb require a preposition? Which case does it require?
✔️ Does the sentence need a comma with a conjunction?
✔️ Does the verb require the accusative, the dative, or only a nominative?
✔️ Is the preposition a local or a temporal preposition? With two way prepositions (an, auf, in, über, unter, vor, hinter, zwischen, neben), you must ask “where” or “where to”, therefore dative or accusative? Or is it a pure dative or accusative preposition? Which case does the preposition require?
✔️ Do you need an adjective? If so, before which noun does the adjective stand? Is it “der, die or das”? Is there a preposition before it?
✔️ Is the noun a genitive or a dative plural?
✔️ Does the preposition require the genitive, dative, or accusative?
Grammar topics you should prepare
- Articles
- Adjective declension
- Prepositions + accusative, dative, genitive
- Verbs with prepositions
- Subjunctive II
- Conjunctions / subordinate clauses
- Modal verbs
- Genitive
What should you pay attention to in the writing task?
The text production has two topics, of which you must choose one:
- Read an advertisement and write an email in which you ask for information
- Read an advertisement and write a complaint about it
This task is particularly tricky, because many people think that learning set phrases is the best way to handle it.
Set phrases are fixed expressions with which you express a specific linguistic action, for example in a complaint: “Hereby I would like to complain about xyz”, “If you do not respond to my demands, I will contact xyz”, etc.
A set phrase therefore always fits only a very specific context with a very specific grammar. You then have to connect this with your own ideas and trains of thought. If all of this does not fit together, you will receive a lower evaluation of your text.
Above all, however, set phrases are dangerous when there are too many of them. If your text consists largely of set phrases, the evaluators cannot see how well you really know German. For example, if you use a set phrase and add a free sentence part to it that contains many mistakes, the evaluators can see that you have learned the set phrase, but cannot formulate the free part very well. It is particularly negative if you use a set phrase that does not fit at all.
It also creates a bad impression if you copy large parts from the advertisement you are responding to. If you compose an entire text only from set phrases and quotations from the advertisement, you will not receive many points for the text – even if everything is grammatically correct. Because your own writing competence cannot be assessed.
Under NO circumstances should you memorize text passages or entire texts. Believe me, the evaluators notice this. This method has nothing to do with learning the language and is also rated worse.
💡 Conclusion: Use only a few set phrases intelligently, and in between use your own vocabulary, your own grammar, and your own ideas. Mistakes are allowed – a creative text with mistakes makes a better impression than a sterile text that consists only of quotations, has no real content, and does not show your writing competence.
What should you pay attention to in the oral exam?
The oral exam has 3 parts.
Part 1
This part is the same in all exams. You choose one of 8 topics and give a short presentation about it. Unfortunately, many people memorize it in the hope that it will not be noticed and that they will get a good grade. This assumption is wrong. In the exam, your exam partner will ask you one or two questions that you must answer freely. If the difference between the memorized text and your free answer is too great, this results in minus points for the entire first part.
In addition, if the examiners get the impression that you are also reciting a memorized sentence in response to the question, you must expect that the examiners themselves will ask another question to check your speaking competence. All of this causes unnecessary stress.
💡 So do not memorize. If you are already at B2 level, you have sufficient language competence to speak freely about a topic. Here too: mistakes are allowed.
Part 2
For this part, you have read a text during the 20 minute preparation time. During the exam, you are supposed to exchange ideas with your partner about the content of this text and then discuss it together. For example: What did you find interesting, what are your own opinions and experiences related to the topic?
Here too, many people memorize a series of set phrases and string them together without actually saying anything about the task. If you do this, the examiners will probably interrupt and ask you questions to get you to speak freely. At the latest at this point, it becomes clear how well you can really speak German. Relying only on memorized material can completely ruin the second part for you.
Even if you only say “I agree.”, “Yes, you’re right”, “I’m of the same opinion”, but contribute nothing of your own in terms of content – neither asking questions nor adding your own aspects – you will only receive a low score for this part.
💡 Use only a few set phrases in your speaking part. The rest – 95% – should absolutely come spontaneously from you.
Part 3
This part is mainly about how you solve a problem with another person. During the preparation time, you both receive a situation that you are supposed to plan something for. Each partner should ask and answer roughly the same amount.
What is important here is that you respond to what your partner says. You must listen carefully and always create a connection to what you yourself want to say.
One more tip: Try to discuss the situation in a slightly more complex way instead of spending several minutes on scheduling. Some people talk for a long time about a time: “Do you have time on Saturday?” – “No, unfortunately I can’t. How about Wednesday?” – “Unfortunately I can’t either, but we could meet on Thursday morning…” etc. Of course, you can briefly plan a meeting, but such long discussions about a time are more part of an A2 exam.
💡 Try to really focus more on content at B2 level. Make concrete suggestions, justify them, be cooperative, and try to develop an interesting solution to the situation.
What is the most important thing if you really want to do very well in the B2 Telc exam?
✅ If you are taking a German course with the goal of then taking the B2 exam, you should focus on really learning the language and not just the language for the exam. This also includes using what you have learned in everyday life.
✅ Take time to first develop real language competence. This should make up 99% of your learning. The B2 exam is like a little finishing touch on top. That is the 1%. This way, you will have no difficulties in the exam.
✅ At the end of the B2 German course, you should take a few private lessons in which you prepare specifically for the exam. This way, you can focus precisely on the parts you particularly need to practice. I cannot recommend group courses here, as they cannot focus on the individual difficulties of each person.
✅ Write at least 5 practice texts and have them corrected by someone who knows how the exam works and what is important in the evaluation.
✅ Use only a few set phrases in the writing task and the oral part. Do not stuff your text with them. You should definitely formulate the largest part of your text freely and in your own words.
✅ Write more complex sentences per key point that really correspond to B2 level. A list such as “I expected a swimming pool, a large comfortable room, a television, and free WiFi” is not yet a full content point. Complex structures are missing, such as a subordinate clause.
✅ During the exam, make notes about what you want to write for each point. Then formulate the points. Remember to use subordinate clauses with “because, since, although, so that, if, when”, relative clauses, and indirect questions.
Always remember that you will have to use German in spontaneous conversation once you enter professional life. If the company you applied to realizes that you have the B2 certificate but cannot speak and write German well, they will prefer other applicants, or you may not pass the probation period because of language issues.
Therefore, do not register for the exam too early. Just because you have learned the B2 exam format and many set phrases well does not necessarily mean that you are ready for the exam. Take your time to really learn the language.
These tips are based on over 20 years of experience!
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