Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) explained: the papers and timing, how it is marked, fees and session dates, who needs it, and the vocabulary and phrases to learn for it.
| Paper | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Hören | 25 min | Announcements, phone messages and short radio items. |
| Lesen | 45 min | Signs, adverts, letters from offices and short articles. |
| Schreiben | 30 min | A letter or e-mail to an office, landlord or school answering four points. |
| Sprechen | 16 min | In pairs: introducing yourself, describing a picture and your experience, planning something together. |
Each paper, the kit sections that prepare you for it, and why.
| Paper | Kit sections | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Hören | Recordings use the same topic words and everyday spoken phrases; knowing them by ear, with the audio, is what makes listening easier. | |
| Lesen | Reading texts are written around the exam topics: the topic words and the connectors let you follow the argument and find the answers faster. | |
| Schreiben | The writing tasks reward ready phrases for each text type, linking words, natural word combinations and accurate grammar. | |
| Sprechen | Speaking goes more smoothly with phrases for giving opinions, agreeing, disagreeing and planning, and with linking words to structure what you say. | |
| All papers | Instructions, paper names and the words around registration and the exam itself, so nothing on the day is new. |
One test with two possible results, A2 or B1; the certificate states the level reached. B1 is what naturalisation asks for.
Included in the integration course; a resit may be charged. Check with your course provider.
At the end of each integration course; dates come from the course provider.
Through your integration course provider (BAMF).
Official information ↗
Facts last checked on 2026-09-30. Rules and fees change: confirm with the official page before you register.
The DTZ reports either A2 or B1. For German naturalisation you need the B1 result; the integration course aims at B1.
Commonly quoted estimates are about 350–400 hours of guided learning to reach B1 from scratch. If you are already one level below, expect a few months of regular study. The German B1 Exam Kit has 3,881 cards: at 20 new cards a day, about 16 minutes with reviews, you see every card in about 28 weeks. Enter your exam date on the kit page for your own daily number.
No. The certificate has no expiry date. Some authorities, universities or employers only accept certificates up to a certain age, so check what the place you apply to asks for.
You take the whole test again. If you reached A2 at the end of an integration course, you may be able to repeat course hours and resit; ask your course provider what applies to you and what it costs.
The DTZ is marked centrally and the result comes by post, usually several weeks after the exam. The certificate states the level you reached: A2 or B1.
Vocabulary for the exam topics, writing and speaking phrases, connectors, collocations, grammar in context and the words around exam day: 3,881 cards in 17 decks. The table above shows which part helps with which paper. It is our own list, not an official one, and it does not replace model tests.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Goethe-Institut, telc gGmbH, ÖSD or the BAMF.