German lessons · German exam guides · B1
Once or twice? How to work through the B1 listening test
Listening tests aren't hard only because the German is fast. Often it's because you listen to the recording without knowing when to listen for what. Know the test format and make good use of the few dozen seconds before the recording starts, and your score can change a lot. This post is based on the Goethe B1 (Goethe-Zertifikat B1) listening test, which has official practice material, and collects tips you can also use for telc and the DTZ. The structure of the whole exam is in our guide to the Goethe certificate.
What the Goethe B1 listening test looks like
The official Goethe B1 practice set (Übungssatz) shows that listening has four parts, 30 questions and takes about 40 minutes. After the listening you get 5 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet (Antwortbogen).
| Part | What you hear | Questions | How often? | Question type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | 5 short texts (phone messages, radio ads, announcements etc.) | 10 | Twice | 2 questions per text |
| Teil 2 | One person giving information or an explanation (e.g. introducing a programme) | 5 | Once | Choose a/b/c |
| Teil 3 | An everyday conversation between two people | 7 | Once | richtig / falsch |
| Teil 4 | A radio discussion (host + two guests) | 8 | Twice | Choose who said it |
- Reading time — in Teil 2, 3 and 4 you have 60 seconds each to read the questions before the recording
- Score — listening is marked separately from the other skills (out of 100 points). Every question has exactly one correct answer
- telc Deutsch B1 — listening has three parts and takes about 30 minutes. There are multiple-choice and matching (Zuordnung) tasks. Check how often each part is played in the official telc mock test (Übungstest)
Step by step
1. The time before the recording = the most important time. In those 60 seconds, read the questions and options and underline the key words. If you know first whether a question asks who (wer), when (wann), where (wo) or how much (wie viel), you only need to wait for that part while listening. Just sitting and waiting during this time is the most common mistake.
2. The parts played twice (Teil 1, 4). The first time, get the overall content and flow; the second time, check or correct your answers. Mark the answers you're sure of straight away the first time.
3. The parts played only once (Teil 2, 3). Choose your answers while you listen. The questions follow the order of the recording. If you miss one, let it go and move on to the next question; fill in the gaps after the recording ends.
4. Don't wait for the same word. The recording doesn't repeat the words in the question; it says the same thing in other words (e.g. sprechen ↔ reden, kostenlos ↔ gratis). On the other hand, if you hear exactly the word from the question, it may be a trap.
5. Don't try to understand every word. Important information usually comes up once more, in different words. If you stop at one unknown word, you'll miss the next sentence.
6. Leave no gaps. Wrong answers don't lose you points, so mark an answer for every question. And only what's on the answer sheet is marked. Notes on the question paper don't count, so use the 5 minutes to transfer your answers carefully.
German signals to listen for
When you hear phrases like these in the recording, pay close attention. They signal that the answer is changing or that important information is coming.
- Aber eigentlich … — But actually … (turns around what was said before)
- Leider geht das nicht. — Unfortunately that's not possible. (the plan changes)
- Nicht am Montag, sondern am Dienstag. — Not on Monday, but on Tuesday. (the part after nicht … sondern is the answer)
- Ich bin da anderer Meinung. — I see it differently. (in Teil 4: who disagrees)
- Das finde ich auch. — I think so too. (the same opinion)
- Achtung, eine Durchsage! — Attention, an announcement! (the start of an announcement in Teil 1)
- Rufen Sie mich bitte zurück. — Please call me back. (what to do in a phone message)
- Der Termin wurde verschoben. — The appointment has been postponed. (the date or time changes)
Common mistakes
- ❌ Just waiting during the 60 seconds before the recording → ✅ Read the questions and underline the key words
- ❌ Picking the option with the exact word you heard → ✅ Check the meaning is the same and hasn't been turned around by nicht or aber
- ❌ Missing a question and still thinking about it → ✅ Move straight on to the next one and guess at the end
- ❌ Changing your first answer several times for no reason → ✅ Only change it when you've heard clear new information
- ❌ Rushing the transfer to the answer sheet → ✅ Use the 5 minutes and check each number as you transfer
Practice plan (one week)
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Do an official practice set once with a timer (stick to the once/twice rules like in the real exam) |
| 2 | Read the transcripts for the questions you got wrong: mark how the answer was said in other words |
| 3 | Teil 1 practice: listen only to phone messages and announcements and write down the key information |
| 4 | Teil 3 practice: listen to conversations, answer richtig/falsch and note the words that were traps |
| 5 | Teil 4 practice: make a table of who is for and against in a radio discussion |
| 6 | Listen to German news or radio for 15 minutes a day (tagesschau, Deutschlandfunk etc.) + a synonym notebook |
| 7 | Do a different practice set as a mock exam and stick to 40 + 5 minutes, including transferring your answers |
Free official material: Goethe B1 Prüfungstraining (practice tasks and recordings) · Goethe B1 Übungssatz Erwachsene (PDF) · telc Deutsch B1 information and mock test
Quick check
- Which parts of the Goethe B1 listening test are played only once?
Answer
Teil 2 and Teil 3. You have to choose your answers while you listen.- The recording says Nicht am Montag, sondern am Dienstag. When is the appointment?
Answer
On Tuesday (Dienstag). With nicht … sondern, the information after sondern is the correct one.- Should you leave a question blank if you're not sure?
Answer
No. Wrong answers don't lose you points, so always choose one and mark it on the answer sheet.Sources: Goethe-Zertifikat B1 (goethe.de) · B1 Übungssatz Erwachsene (goethe.de, PDF) · Tipps zur Prüfungsvorbereitung B1–C1 (Goethe-Institut Prag, PDF) · telc Deutsch B1 (telc.net) · Prüfungstraining telc Deutsch B1, Probekapitel (telc, PDF) · e-deutsch.de – DTZ B1 Hören · testgerman.de – Skills
