telc C1 Hochschule Übungstest PDF: What's Inside and How to Use It
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Checked against the official exam documents
telc offers Übungstest 1 for Deutsch C1 Hochschule as a free ZIP on its product page. It is the only free, complete official test you have, so it deserves better than being used as just another exercise. This guide explains what the file contains, how to sit it once under exam conditions, how to score it with the official point table, and how to continue afterwards with the 15 sets per part on Zertifly.
What is inside Übungstest 1?
The ZIP holds two files: a PDF with the complete exam and the Hörverstehen recording as an MP3. The first part of the PDF is the test itself; the second part contains everything you need to evaluate it afterwards. So you get not only the items but also the key and the criteria to score yourself.
| Part | Contents |
|---|---|
| Leseverstehen, Sprachbausteine | Teil 1–3 plus the Makroaufgabe (Aufgaben 1–24), Sprachbausteine with 22 gaps (25–46) |
| Hörverstehen + MP3 | Teil 1–3 (47–74); each text played once, as in the exam |
| Schriftlicher Ausdruck | Erörterung task with a choice of two topics |
| Mündliche Prüfung | Task sheets for Teil 1A, 1B and Teil 2 |
| Antwortbogen | The official answer sheet you transfer your answers to |
| Scoring | Criteria for Schriftlicher and Mündlicher Ausdruck, points and weighting, how the exam runs |
| Lösungsschlüssel + Hörtexte | Answer key for the closed items and the transcripts of the recordings |
There is no model essay and no recording of an oral exam; you assess Schreiben and Sprechen yourself with the criteria.
Sit it once, in one go, under exam conditions
The value of the Übungstest is a single dress rehearsal of exam day. If you spread the parts over several days, you cannot measure fatigue, time pressure or the time it takes to transfer answers to the Antwortbogen. Print the PDF, put your phone in another room and follow this order.
- telc's preparation tips suggest about 60–65 minutes for Lesen and about 15–20 for Sprachbausteine; transfer your answers to the Antwortbogen before time is up.
- Play the MP3 from start to finish without pausing and never rewind, because in the exam every text is heard only once.
- Write the Erörterung by hand, at least 350 words, and count the words afterwards.
- For the oral part, find a study partner or record yourself: 20 minutes of preparation, a presentation of about 3 minutes, then summary and questions.
| Block | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Leseverstehen + Sprachbausteine (any order) | 90 min together | 48 + 22 |
| Break | 20 min | – |
| Hörverstehen | about 40 min | 48 |
| Schriftlicher Ausdruck | 70 min | 48 |
| Mündlicher Ausdruck (in pairs) | about 16 min + 20 min preparation | 48 |
Scoring with the Lösungsschlüssel and the criteria
Mark the closed parts with the key: in Leseverstehen each item is worth 2 points (24 items, 48 points), in Sprachbausteine each gap 1 point (22). In Hörverstehen, Teil 1 items are worth 1 point and Teil 2 and Teil 3 items 2 points each (48 in total). In Teil 3, compare your notes with the keywords in the key and be strict with yourself.
Assess the Schriftlicher Ausdruck with the four criteria in the PDF: Aufgabengerechtheit, Korrektheit, Repertoire, Kommunikative Gestaltung, each A/B/C/D = 12/8/4/0. In the oral exam, Aufgabengerechtheit gives 6 points for 1A, 4 for 1B and 6 for Teil 2; Flüssigkeit, Repertoire, Grammatische Richtigkeit and Aussprache und Intonation add 8 each (48 in total). Then check both thresholds: 99 of 166 in the written exam, 29 of 48 in the oral.
The written parts are not passed one by one, so a strong part can make up for a weak one; the oral exam must be passed on its own. Scoring your own writing and speaking is hard, and Zertifly's /48 feedback on the same four criteria gives you a second opinion here.
Why keep it for a final check
There is only one free complete official test; the other Übungstests are sold. If you use Übungstest 1 on day one of your preparation, you lose your official benchmark for the weeks before the exam. A better plan: measure your starting level with the free first sets on Zertifly and sit Übungstest 1 as a full rehearsal in the last weeks before the exam.
Once you have done the test, the answers stay in your head, and a second attempt is repetition rather than measurement. You can still use the transcripts and the Lösungsschlüssel for error analysis: for every item you got wrong, find where in the text the clue was.
After the Übungstest: 15 sets per part
The rehearsal shows which part costs you points. From there you need new material in the same format, and the telc C1 Hochschule lists on Zertifly are built for exactly that:
- Leseverstehen: 15 sets, Teil 1–3 plus the Makroaufgabe.
- Sprachbausteine: 15 sets with 22 gaps each.
- Hörverstehen: 15 sets, Teil 1–3, every text heard once as in the exam.
- Schriftlicher Ausdruck: 15 Erörterung topics in pairs (you choose one, as in the exam), AI feedback /48 by the four official criteria.
- Mündlicher Ausdruck: Teil 1A/1B with an AI partner who summarises and asks follow-up questions, plus a live Teil 2 Diskussion.
- The first exercise in every list is free; the timed simulation tab per module is a Pro feature.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Practise with a target after the rehearsal
Work on the part where the Übungstest cost you points with 15 sets in the same format on Zertifly – the first exercise in every list is free. You can start your personal telc C1 study route on the dashboard.