telc B1 Exam Fees and Dates: How to Find the Real Numbers

Last updated: August 2026 · 6 min read

"How much does telc B1 cost?" has no single correct answer — and that is the system, not an oversight. telc gGmbH sets the exam's rules and content, but the exam is run by licensed examination centres, and each centre sets its own fee and schedule. Any figure you find online is therefore only true for that one centre.

Who sets the price?

telc concludes licence agreements with centres and defines the framework through the telc Prüfungsregularien: exam content, administration rules, marking and certification. Pricing sits outside that framework. In practice:

• Every centre publishes its own fee — two centres in the same city can differ.
• Format affects price — paper, hybrid and digital exams may be priced differently.
• Late-registration surcharges are common — some centres add a fee for registrations within 30 days of the exam date.
• A retake costs extra — even when you only resit the part you failed.

Published fees for telc German exams at centres in Germany typically sit somewhere around €140–€220; treat that as an order of magnitude, not a price list. The exact figure comes only from the centre's own page or your registration correspondence.

Finding the right centre

telc provides an examination centre finder on its official website. Once you have the list for your city, contact two or three of them; the differences in fee and calendar are often substantial.

How dates are scheduled

telc exams take place on fixed dates, which the centre announces. Popular centres fill up quickly, so look several months ahead, especially around summer and the end of the year. Some centres set a payment deadline such as 21 days before the exam date.

Note also that the written and oral exams may not be on the same day. Many centres schedule the oral part separately — ask about this before booking travel or time off.

Eight questions to ask when registering

1. What is the total fee, and what does it include?
2. On which dates and at what times are the written and oral exams?
3. Is the exam paper-based, hybrid or digital?
4. What are the registration and payment deadlines? Is there a late surcharge?
5. What are the cancellation and rescheduling terms?
6. How long do results usually take, and how are they delivered?
7. If I need to retake the part I failed, what is the fee and procedure?
8. For special arrangements (extra time and so on), which documents are needed and by when?

Budgeting properly

Do not look at the exam fee alone. The real cost is usually the sum of:

• The exam fee (plus any late-registration surcharge)
• Travel and, if needed, accommodation — the nearest centre may be in another city
• Preparation materials (the official Übungstest is free; a course is not)
• A possible retake — with telc you may resit only the part you failed, but it still costs money

That last item is the most concrete argument for starting preparation early: passing first time often means saving a second exam fee.

Conclusion

There is no single national price for telc B1. Accurate information comes from one place only: the examination centre you will register with. Compare two or three, ask about dates early, and get the cancellation terms in writing.

For the exam structure see our telc Deutsch B1 guide, and for the rules on the day our exam day article.