DTZ A2 Result but You Need B1: Retake, Other Exam or Objection?
Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Checked against BAMF, g.a.s.t. and the legal texts
An A2 in the DTZ is a real certificate, but for the Niederlassungserlaubnis and for naturalisation the law expects B1. This guide shows you how to read your part results, what a DTZ retake involves, when another B1 exam can make sense, how inspection and objection work, and how to use six weeks to close the gap.
What your A2 result means
With an overall A2 you receive a DTZ certificate for level A2. It is a real result; only below A2 is there no certificate, just a notice of your result.
For residence and citizenship, however, the law speaks of „ausreichende deutsche Sprachkenntnisse“ (sufficient German), and § 2 Abs. 11 AufenthG defines this as level B1. The Niederlassungserlaubnis (§ 9 Abs. 2 Nr. 7 AufenthG) and naturalisation (§ 10 Abs. 4 StAG) both expect B1. An A2 also means no Zertifikat Integrationskurs, because that requires a DTZ B1 plus a passed Leben in Deutschland test.
You are not alone: according to BAMF figures reported by dpa, 318,550 people took the DTZ last year. 55 % reached B1, 32.2 % got A2 and 12.8 % stayed below A2.
This page explains what the rules say; it is not legal advice. For your residence or naturalisation case, confirm the requirements with your Ausländerbehörde or Einbürgerungsbehörde.
Read your result: which part missed B1?
The DTZ reports three separate part results. Compare yours with the B1 thresholds – that tells you where the B1 slipped away.
| Part | B1 from | A2 range | What a miss tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hören + Lesen (45 items) | 33 points | 20–32 | Listening or reading items cost you points. Hören and Lesen are reported as one result, so do an official Übungssatz under exam conditions to see which of the two is weaker. |
| Schreiben (max. 20) | 15 points | 7–14 | At least one of the four criteria stayed below B1. Check first whether all four Leitpunkte were covered precisely: Inhalt only gets 5 points when all four are. |
| Sprechen (max. 100) | 75 points | 35–74.5 | Without B1 here, no overall B1 is possible, whatever your other results. |
Under the current rule there are two ways to end up with A2. Either Sprechen was below 75 – then speaking is your gate. Or Sprechen was B1 but Hören/Lesen and Schreiben both stayed below B1 – then raising one of the two written parts is enough.
Option A: take the DTZ again
- You can repeat the DTZ as often as you like (§ 9 IntTestV).
- You always repeat the whole exam, written and oral. Part results are not carried over, so a B1 in Sprechen from last time has to be reached again.
- With a Berechtigungsschein, BAMF pays for your first attempt. If that attempt took place before your course hours were used up, BAMF also pays for a second attempt.
- If you attended an Alphabetisierungskurs in full, you can under certain conditions repeat up to 300 teaching units once; this includes one free DTZ repeat.
- You can repeat course sections or continue the course at your own expense, even after the maximum of 1,200 teaching units (§ 14 Abs. 5 IntV).
- There is no official fee for self-payers that we can quote – ask your Prüfstelle.
Before you register, ask your course provider how many course hours you still have and whether your next attempt is covered.
Option B: another B1 certificate
Instead of the DTZ you can take a single-level B1 exam. These exams do not award A2: you either pass at B1 or you do not.
For naturalisation, § 10 Abs. 4 StAG requires that you meet the requirements of a B1 language exam. The law names no provider; DTZ B1, telc Deutsch B1, Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and ÖSD Zertifikat B1 are the usual proofs, but your authority decides – ask before you register.
| Exam | Result | How B1 is reached | If you fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTZ | Scaled: B1, A2 or no certificate | Sprechen B1 plus Hören/Lesen or Schreiben B1 | Retake as often as you like, always the whole exam |
| telc Deutsch B1 | B1 passed or not | Written exam at least 135 of 225 and oral exam at least 45 of 75, each separately; 300 points in total | A failed written or oral part can be retaken within 12 months while the passed part is kept |
| Goethe-Zertifikat B1 | B1 per module | Modular: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben and Sprechen are each certified separately | See our Goethe B1 guides for the module rules |
| ÖSD Zertifikat B1 | Single-level B1 exam | Ask the exam centre about scoring | Ask the exam centre about retakes |
Important: a B1 from another provider after your course does not turn your DTZ result into a Zertifikat Integrationskurs. § 17 Abs. 2 IntV accepts other B1 proofs only if you present them at the latest when you register with the course provider and they are not older than one year at that time. For the Niederlassungserlaubnis this means: the other certificate can cover the language requirement if your authority accepts it, but the basic knowledge of the legal and social order must then be shown separately. Ask your Ausländerbehörde which proof it accepts.
Which route fits your weak part?
| Your pattern | What it means | What to focus on |
|---|---|---|
| Sprechen below 75 | No overall B1 in the DTZ, whatever the rest | Oral training first, in any route – telc Deutsch B1 also requires the oral exam to be passed separately (45 of 75) |
| Sprechen B1, but Hören/Lesen and Schreiben both below B1 | One written part at B1 was missing | Raise the part that is closer to its threshold (33 or 15 points) and keep the other at least at A2 |
| Schreiben very weak (0–6) | Compensable under the current rule; it would block B1 if the planned rule takes effect on 1 November 2026 | Write real letters that cover all four Leitpunkte – every route needs this, and telc B1 Schreiben also asks for a semi-formal letter with four Leitpunkte |
| Hören/Lesen very weak (0–19) | The same: compensable today, a blocker under the planned rule | Daily listening and reading in the exam format, hearing every text only once |
The DTZ lets one written part stay lower; telc Deutsch B1 needs the whole written exam and the oral exam to be passed separately. If your reading and listening are clearly stronger than your writing (or the other way round), the DTZ's part rule can suit you; if you want to keep a passed part after a fail, telc's 12-month partial retake is the alternative.
Inspection and objection: within 3 months
- Inspection (Einsichtnahme): request it within 3 months after the result. It usually takes place on the second Wednesday of a month at selected Prüfstellen in Chemnitz, Berlin, Wedel, Hildesheim, Dortmund, Bingen am Rhein, Augsburg and Nürnberg.
- The appointment lasts 15 minutes. You see your answer sheets, your Schreibbogen and the speaking rating – not the tasks or the solutions.
- Processing your request can take up to 8 weeks.
- If you doubt your result, contact your Prüfstelle first. An objection must be made at the latest 3 months after the result.
- Complaints about how the exam was run go by e-mail to the g.a.s.t. Prüfungsausschuss (dtz@gast.de), also at the latest 3 months after the result.
Even if you do not object, an inspection is useful for learning: your Schreibbogen and your speaking rating show where the points were lost.
A focused 6-week plan
Six weeks is an example rhythm, not an official recommendation. Work on your weakest part every day and keep the other parts going two or three times a week, because a DTZ retake tests everything again.
| Weeks | If Sprechen is weak | If Schreiben is weak | If Hören/Lesen is weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Record a one-minute self-introduction every day (Name, Geburtsort, Wohnort, Arbeit/Beruf, Familie, Sprachen) and answer follow-up questions about family and work | Write one letter or e-mail a day about an everyday situation; tick off the four Leitpunkte, the Anrede and the Gruß | Work through one part of an official Übungssatz a day and note why each wrong answer was wrong |
| 3–4 | Describe photos and compare with your home country; ask a partner to add follow-up questions | Rewrite earlier letters with connectors and more precise Leitpunkte; collect fixed phrases for requests, apologies and complaints | Hear announcements and short radio texts only once; train directories with the negative option and ads with x |
| 5–6 | Practise „gemeinsam etwas planen“ with a partner – suggest, react, agree – and do full oral rounds of about 16 minutes | Write under exam conditions: 30 minutes, choose A or B, no dictionary | Do complete Hören + Lesen blocks against the clock (about 25 + 45 minutes) |
In the last week, sit one complete official g.a.s.t. Übungssatz in one go: 100 minutes written without a break – ideally with a partner for the oral part.
What the planned 1 November 2026 rule means for your retake
According to a dpa report on a draft by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, from 1 November 2026 the weakest part should be at least A2. An overall B1 would then need Sprechen B1, Hören/Lesen or Schreiben B1, and the other written part at least A2 – that is, at least 20 points in Hören/Lesen and at least 7 points in Schreiben.
As of 20 October 2026 the official text has not been published, so this is still a plan. It is not yet known whether the overall-A2 rule changes or which transition rules will apply. Ask your Prüfstelle or course provider which rule applies on your exam date.
The ministry gives more cheating attempts as the reason: bought answers were entered in Hören/Lesen while Schreiben was left (almost) blank. If you prepare every part honestly, little changes for you; the risk is a blank or very weak Schreiben or a very low Hören/Lesen result.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
- Integrationskurstestverordnung (IntTestV), §§ 6–11
- g.a.s.t.: Häufig gestellte Fragen zum DTZ
- Integrationskursverordnung (IntV), § 17 Abschlusstest
- Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG), § 2 Abs. 11 – ausreichende Sprachkenntnisse = B1
- Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG), § 9 – Niederlassungserlaubnis
- Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG), § 10
- BAMF: Abschlussprüfung mit Zertifikat – DTZ und Test „Leben in Deutschland“
- dpa-Meldung: Strengere Regeln bei Deutschtests für Zuwanderer (Oktober 2026)
Related guide
Train the part that cost you B1
Zertifly has no DTZ module, but telc B1 Schreiben tasks with four Leitpunkte and AI feedback, the telc B1 Sprechen simulation with a live AI partner and telc/Goethe B1 Hören and Lesen sets train the same skills.