telc C1 Hochschule Listening Practice: Hören Teil 1–3
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Checked against the official exam documents
The Hörverstehen of telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule has three Teile worth 48 points, and every recording is played only once. This guide shows what each Teil asks of you, how to work while listening and gives you original practice items with audio — then takes you to the matching Zertifly sets.
The three Teile at a glance
Hörverstehen comes after the Leseverstehen and Sprachbausteine block and the 20-minute break. It takes about 40 minutes and is worth 48 of the 166 written points.
Mind the weighting: 40 of the 48 points come from Teil 2 and Teil 3. A match in Teil 1 is worth one point; every item in Teil 2 and every gap in Teil 3 is worth two. Because the written exam is passed as a whole (at least 99 of 166), a weak Hören can be offset by Lesen, Sprachbausteine or Schreiben — and the other way round.
| Teil | Aufgaben | Points | Text type | Task | Heard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | 47–54 | 8 × 1 = 8 | Opinions of eight people (Zuordnung) | Match each person to one of the statements a–j; two are left over | once |
| Teil 2 | 55–64 | 10 × 2 = 20 | Radio programme (Radiosendung) | Choose a, b or c | once |
| Teil 3 | 65–74 | 10 × 2 = 20 | Lecture (Vortrag) with a handout | Write keyword notes into 10 gaps | once |
Heard only once: what that changes
In telc C1 Hochschule no text is repeated. Unlike Goethe C1, where some parts are played twice, you answer while you listen, not afterwards. The real skill is knowing what to listen for before the recording starts.
- Read before the audio starts: the ten statements in Teil 1, the items in Teil 2, the whole handout in Teil 3. Underline the key word of every line.
- The items in Teil 2 and the gaps in Teil 3 follow the order of the recording. If you notice the speaker has moved on, let that item go and catch the next one.
- Mark an answer straight away, even if you are unsure — there is no second hearing to check it.
- In practice, play each recording only once too. Replaying trains a habit you cannot use in the exam.
- After the exercise, read the transcript and find the sentence that held the answer. That is how you learn the signal words.
Teil 1: matching opinions to statements
You hear eight people speak briefly about one university-related topic and match each of them to one of ten statements a–j. Two statements fit nobody. The statements rarely repeat the speaker's words; they summarise an attitude.
- Before listening, reduce each statement to its core: who/what + attitude (e.g. „Wohnheim → leichter Kontakte“).
- The typical trap is a statement that reuses a topic word from the recording but claims something else.
- Cross out statements you have used; with fewer options left, the last speakers get easier.
Hören Teil 1 · Original exercise 1
Sie hören die Meinung einer Studentin zum Thema „Wohnen im Studium“. Welche Aussage passt zu ihr? Sie hören den Text nur einmal.
Welche Aussage passt zu Sprecherin 1?
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
Teil 2: the radio programme
You hear a radio programme, usually a conversation with an expert, and answer ten items with a, b or c, each worth two points. Wrong options typically reuse words from the recording: a claim the expert rejects, an older view, or a detail that is true but answers a different question.
- Listen for correction signals: „lange hat man geglaubt“, „das ist widerlegt“, „ganz so einfach ist es nicht“, „eher“.
- Item stems are often half sentences — read them as the start of a sentence the speaker is about to finish.
Hören Teil 2 · Original exercise 1
Sie hören einen Ausschnitt aus einer Radiosendung über das Gähnen. Welche Aussage passt am besten? Sie hören den Text nur einmal.
Nach Ansicht des Experten gähnen Menschen vor allem, weil
Hören Teil 2 · Original exercise 2
Sie hören einen weiteren Ausschnitt aus derselben Sendung. Welche Aussage passt am besten? Sie hören den Text nur einmal.
Über das ansteckende Gähnen sagt der Experte:
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
Teil 3: lecture and handout
You hear a lecture and have a handout with its slides. Ten lines contain gaps (65–74), which you fill with short notes. Each gap is worth two points and is scored by keyword groups: what counts is the key information, not a full sentence. Some lines ask for two pieces of information.
- Use the slide titles as a map: when the speaker announces the next slide, move with them.
- Numbers, comparisons and contrasts („nicht etwa … sondern“) are typical gap contents.
- Write keywords, not sentences: „20–22 Grad“ is enough.
Hören Teil 3 · Original exercise 1
Sie hören einen Ausschnitt aus einem Vortrag. Ergänzen Sie die Zeile auf dem Handzettel stichwortartig. Sie hören den Text nur einmal.
Beste Ergebnisse im Konzentrationstest bei: ……
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
A study plan with Zertifly
Zertifly has 15 Hörverstehen sets for telc C1 Hochschule. In each set, Teil 1, 2 and 3 are separate exercises and the audio plays once, as in the exam. The first exercise in every list is free.
- Phase 1: one Teil a day — timing is optional, but play the audio only once.
- Phase 2: complete sets with all three Teile in a row; note in which Teil you lose points.
- Before the exam: the simulation tab (Pro) runs the module timed and under exam conditions.
- Your telc C1 study route on the dashboard plans Hören together with Lesen, Sprachbausteine, Schreiben and Sprechen.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Practise Hören the way it is tested
Start with Teil 1 on Zertifly and play every recording only once. Your telc C1 study route on the dashboard then plans the next steps.