telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule explained: 60% in both parts, the 214-point scale, and the twelve-month window to retake one part
telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule is telc's German exam for university admission. telc says it is recognised by resolutions of both the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz and the Kultusministerkonferenz, and that under the current framework regulation holders of a pass are exempt from proving their German for study, the same job the DSH and TestDaF do.
Everything below is from telc's own documents, read on 4 November 2026: the exam page, the free Übungstest 1 (mock exam, with its scoring rules), the Tipps zur Prüfungsvorbereitung handbook, and the telc Prüfungsregularien valid from 15 April 2025.
The exam
Written part: reading (three tasks) and language elements (Sprachbausteine) together in 90 minutes, then a 20-minute break, listening (three tasks, about 40 minutes) and writing (one text of about 350 words in 70 minutes).
Oral part: about 16 minutes, usually two candidates together, after 20 minutes of preparation: a presentation, a summary of your partner's presentation with follow-up questions, and a discussion.
The written part is marked centrally by telc; the oral is marked on site by licensed telc examiners. telc's page says the exam runs on paper, digitally and in a hybrid format.
The scoring: 214 points, and two floors
The written part is worth 166 points: reading 48 (22.5% of the result), language elements 22 (10%), listening 48 (22.5%) and writing 48 (22.5%). The oral part is worth 48 points (22.5%). Total: 214.
To get the certificate you need 128 points overall, and 60% in each part: 99 points in the written and 29 in the oral. Grades on the total: sehr gut 193–214, gut 172–192.5, befriedigend 151–171.5, ausreichend 128–150.5, and 0–127 not passed.
Our reading: 99 + 29 is exactly 128, so anyone who clears both floors already has the total. The real rule is two separate 60% floors, and a strong written part cannot rescue a weak oral, or the reverse. The grammar-and-vocabulary section is only 10% of the result; reading, listening, writing and speaking carry 22.5% each.
Failing one part: what you can retake, and until when
telc's regulations allow a partial retake for exams at a single level, B1, B2, C1 or C2 (not for exams scaled over two levels, such as B1·B2). C1 Hochschule qualifies: if you passed one part and failed the other, you can retake only the oral or only the written part, and your earlier result for the other part is counted. You cannot retake a single subtest, such as just the writing; the written part is retaken as a whole.
The deadline has changed. The 2020 mock exam still says the failed part can be retaken until the end of the calendar year after the exam. The regulations valid from 15 April 2025 say within twelve months of the first exam, counted from the date on the result sheet. For a candidate who sat in January, that is the difference between nearly two years and one.
You must tell the examination centre when you register that you want the earlier part counted, and the counting is always onto your most recent result. Applying for it afterwards is possible within one year of the result sheet, for a €40 fee.
The whole exam can be retaken as often as you like, and every result stays valid.
Results, appeals, validity
telc sends results to the examination centre, which must pass them on within two weeks of receiving them. A pass gets a certificate; a fail gets a result sheet (Ergebnisbogen).
A review of your result costs €40 and must be requested once, in writing, within six weeks of the result date. The review can lower your result as well as raise it, and the revised result stands; if the result changes, the fee is refunded.
The certificate states no period of validity. Whether an older certificate is accepted is decided by the institution asking for it. telc keeps results digitally for ten years, and a duplicate costs €40.
telc publishes no candidate price on the exam page; you register and pay through an examination centre.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Counting on the written part to carry a weak oral.
Getting both parts to 60%: 99 of 166 written and 29 of 48 oral.
The certificate needs 60% in each part, not just 128 overall.
Planning a partial retake until the end of next year, as the 2020 mock exam says.
Retaking the failed part within twelve months of your result sheet.
telc's regulations valid from 15 April 2025 set a twelve-month window.
Registering for the retake without mentioning your earlier result.
Telling the centre at registration that you want the passed part counted.
telc's regulations require the request at registration; afterwards it costs €40.
Questions
What score do you need to pass telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule?
128 of 214 points, with at least 60% in each part: 99 of 166 in the written exam and 29 of 48 in the oral.
Can I retake only the oral part of telc C1 Hochschule?
Yes, if you passed the written part. Under telc's regulations valid from 15 April 2025, the failed part can be retaken within twelve months of the first result sheet.
Is telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule accepted by German universities?
telc says it is recognised by resolutions of the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz and the Kultusministerkonferenz, and that holders are exempt from further proof of German for study.
Does the telc C1 Hochschule certificate expire?
The certificate states no validity period; the institution that asks for it decides whether an older one is accepted.
What are the grades in telc C1 Hochschule?
Sehr gut 193–214, gut 172–192.5, befriedigend 151–171.5 and ausreichend 128–150.5 points; below 128 is not passed.
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