Passed telc B2: My experience, tips and what I’d do different
I’ve been learning German on and off for over 4 years. 3 months ago I decided to finally take it seriously and started taking a B2 course. Then I realised the course would take ages (we’re still not done with B2.2), said to hell with it and decided to take my chances with the telc exam.
The preparation took 3 months but I wasn’t super focused till the last two weeks.
My results:
Schriftliche Prüfung: 172/ 225
Leseverstehen: 65/75
Sprachbausteine: 22,5/ 30
Hörverstehen: 57,5/ 75
Schriftlicher Ausdruck: 27/45
Mündliche Prüfung: 69/75
Über Erfahrungen sprechen: 23/ 25
Diskussion: 23/25
Gemeinsam etwas planen: 23/25
Summe: 241/300
My actual experience of the exam:
I took many mock tests before the exam and the course I was taking was super oriented to the telc exams. So I didn’t panic or feel stressed at all. I just fully spaced out during the listening exam and had to guess a few questions lmao. You only get to listen to once folks, so pay attention.
The speaking part was super easy for me because speaking is my strongest suit. At one point I realised the four of us were having banter, cracking jokes and laughing, in German. At the end of my exam, the two examiners just looked at each other and nodded. That’s how I realised I did well haha.
I have two criticisms about the telc company. First, our exam had to be delayed two hours and we had to wait in the lobby during that time, no connection to the outer world. I could see the other,already nervous exam takers were getting even more stressed. Second, even though I took a digital exam it took more than a month to get my results. (It normally takes 7-10 days)
All and all, I am really happy that I took this test earlier than I expected. Because of my two weeks of dedicated, I believe I really improved in my German abilities. I also feel much more confident now.
What I did right:
For the last two weeks before the exam I spoke German every day for at least three hours. One hour with someone who was at the same level as I am and two hours with a native speaker (we’re close friends). I really pushed myself to talk about more abstract and philosophical topics during these sessions. With both of my friends I did mock speaking exams, so I was very familiar with the structure of the speaking part.
My mistake:
Apparently for schriftlicher ausdruck, people are memorising a template with idioms and complex grammar and modify it to the topic that’s on the exam. Honestly I just winged it. Even though I tried to write something every day it’s still my biggest weakness. I struggle with grammar and I feel like my written vocabulary is very limited. Advice is greatly appreciated about this.
I already started studying for my C1 exam. This time I’ll take a bit more time to study and focus more on writing and grammar.
Let me know if you have any questions.