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German guides
- GrammarA1–B1
German cases explained: what nominative, accusative, dative and genitive actually do
German cases mark the job a noun does in the sentence. Here is what each case is for, the article tables, and how to work out which one you need.
8 min read - CostAny level
How much do German lessons cost?
What platforms publish for German tutors, why a tutor in Zurich costs 40% more than one in Berlin for the same language, and what decides the bill.
7 min read - ExamA1–C2
Goethe-Zertifikat levels explained: six exams, and the four you can split
The Goethe-Institut's own timings for A1 to C2, which levels split into modules, what each passes at, and the 2026 German price table: A1 €155 to C2 €359.
10 min read - ExamB1
telc Deutsch B1 or Goethe-Zertifikat B1? The same level, two different exams
Both certify B1 German and are not the same exam: the subtest telc has and Goethe does not, how far apart the parts may be sat, and who answers first.
8 min read - ExamB1
The Einbürgerungstest: 310 published questions, 33 on the day, and you need 17
Germany's citizenship test draws 33 of 310 published questions; 17 pass. Why the state questions matter most, the €25 fee and the result wait. 5 Oct 2026.
6 min read - ExamB2–C1
The TestDaF has no pass mark, because it refuses to decide
The TestDaF publishes no pass mark at all. What TDN 3, 4 and 5 mean, the 0–20 scale, and why your university is the one that decides. Read 31 Aug 2026.
7 min read - ExamB1
German for citizenship: B1 in four countries, proved four different ways
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein all ask for B1 German to naturalise, but name different exams and exemptions. The laws, read 2026.
6 min read - ExamB1
Austria's B1 Integrationsprüfung: one sitting, five subtests, and Sprechen you cannot miss
Austria's B1 integration exam: 140 min written, a 16-min paired oral, €176 at the ÖIF. You need Sprechen, one more module and the values part. Oct 2026.
6 min read - ExamB1
The fide test: Switzerland's own language test, A1 to B1, and what each permit needs
Switzerland's fide test: 40-min oral, 60-min written, CHF 250, or one part alone. Which level each permit and naturalisation needs. Read Oct 2026.
6 min read - ExamA2–B1
The DTZ: one test that awards A2 or B1, and B1 needs your speaking to get there
The DTZ grades you A2 or B1 in one sitting. Points per part, the rule that speaking must reach B1, who can sit it, retakes, and why B1 matters.
6 min read - ExamA1–C2
ÖSD exams explained: the pass marks for B1, B2 and C1, which modules can be taken alone, and where an ÖSD certificate counts
ÖSD B1 passes module by module at 60 of 100. B2 and C1 need 60% overall plus a minimum in every skill. What counts in Austria and Germany, and retakes.
7 min read - ExamB2–C1
DSH explained: DSH-1, DSH-2 and DSH-3 at 57, 67 and 82%, the 2:2:1:2 weighting, and why a strong oral cannot rescue the written paper
DSH-2, the level for unrestricted admission, needs 67% in the written exam AND 67% in the oral. Grammar is only 1 of 7 parts of the written weighting.
6 min read - ExamB1–B2
telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege explained: the nursing German exam, the point bands, and why speaking decides whether you get B2
telc Pflege gives B1 or B2 from one exam. B2 needs 75 of 100 in speaking plus B2 in either the written test or writing. Retakes are whole-exam only.
6 min read - ExamC1
telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule explained: 60% in both parts, the 214-point scale, and the twelve-month window to retake one part
telc C1 Hochschule: 99 of 166 written and 29 of 48 oral, 128 of 214 overall. Fail one part and you can retake only that part within twelve months.
5 min read - ExamOrientated to C1
Fachsprachprüfung for doctors in Germany: three 20-minute parts, a fee from €420 to €600, and a pass rule that depends on your chamber
Six German states, read first-party: the same three 20-minute parts, fees from €420 to €600, and two different pass rules. What changes with your chamber.
5 min read - ExamA2–C1
Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) explained: the 144 of 240 B2 pass rule, the one weak skill you can carry, and who runs the exam
DTB B2 needs 144 of 240, and three of the four skills above 60%. One skill between 40% and 60% can be carried. Format and points from telc's model test.
4 min read
Reading about German is not the same as speaking it
See how long German takes, what the levels mean, and what lessons cost.