TELC B1 Leseverstehen & Sprachbausteine: Format and Tips
The telc B1 reading section is unusual in two ways: it bundles five parts into one 90-minute block that you divide yourself, and it includes Sprachbausteine — a grammar-and-vocabulary section with no direct Goethe equivalent. Candidates who plan their time and drill the cloze tasks separately have a clear advantage.
Updated 2026-05-24
Section overview
| Part | Task | Items | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leseverstehen Teil 1 | Match headlines/summaries to short texts (global understanding) | 5 | ~15 min |
| Leseverstehen Teil 2 | Multiple choice on a longer text (detailed understanding) | 5 | ~25 min |
| Leseverstehen Teil 3 | Match 10 situations to 12 notices + "x" (selective reading) | 10 | ~20 min |
| Sprachbausteine Teil 1 | Multiple-choice cloze, 3 options per gap (grammar) | 10 | ~15 min |
| Sprachbausteine Teil 2 | Wordbank cloze, 15 words used once each (vocabulary) | 10 | ~15 min |
Leseverstehen Teil 1 — Globalverständnis
You match short texts to the headlines or summaries that best capture them — a test of global understanding. Five items.
- ›Read for the overall message, not individual words.
- ›Eliminate options that match only one detail but miss the main idea.
- ›Do the obvious matches first, then resolve the ambiguous ones by elimination.
Leseverstehen Teil 2 — Detailverständnis
A longer text with five multiple-choice questions testing detailed comprehension. The questions follow the order of the text.
- ›Find the part of the text each question refers to before choosing.
- ›Distractors often restate something true from the text that does not answer the question.
- ›Watch for qualifiers (nur, immer, kein) that change meaning.
Leseverstehen Teil 3 — Selektives Lesen
You match 10 situations (people with specific needs) to 12 short notices labelled a–l. A 13th option, "x", means no notice fits that situation — and "x" can be the correct answer.
- ›Scan each notice for who it suits, not word-by-word.
- ›A notice can match at most one situation — cross off notices as you use them.
- ›Do not force a match: if nothing genuinely fits, "x" is the right answer.
Sprachbausteine Teil 1 — grammar cloze
A short text with 10 gaps; for each gap you choose from three options (a/b/c). This part targets grammar — connectors, prepositions, verb forms, cases.
- ›Read the whole sentence around the gap, not just the words next to it.
- ›Test each option by reading the sentence with it inserted.
- ›Most gaps hinge on one grammar point — identify whether it is a preposition, a connector, or a verb form.
Sprachbausteine Teil 2 — wordbank cloze
A second text with 10 gaps, but here you pick words from a shared bank of 15 words (a–o). Each word may be used only once, so five words are left over as distractors. This part targets vocabulary and collocation.
- ›Fill the gaps you are certain of first — that removes words from the bank and narrows the rest.
- ›Match by both meaning and grammar (a noun gap needs a noun).
- ›Since each word is used once, a confident answer elsewhere can confirm a tricky gap by elimination.
Managing the 90-minute block
- ›Set rough budgets (the table above is a good starting point) and watch the clock.
- ›The Sprachbausteine cloze is fast points — do not let the long reading texts crowd it out.
- ›Transfer answers carefully; on paper exams, leave a few minutes to fill the answer sheet.
Practice plan
- ›Weeks 1–2: One part per day; learn each task type and its trap patterns.
- ›Week 3: Drill both Sprachbausteine cloze types — they reward pattern recognition.
- ›Week 4: Full 90-minute timed reading block; practise dividing your own time.
- ›Throughout: Keep a log of the grammar points your Sprachbausteine errors reveal.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the telc B1 reading section?
You get a single 90-minute block covering three Leseverstehen parts and two Sprachbausteine parts. There are no per-part timers — you divide the 90 minutes yourself.
What is Sprachbausteine in telc B1?
Sprachbausteine is a language-elements section with two cloze tasks of 10 gaps each: Teil 1 is multiple choice (grammar) and Teil 2 is a wordbank where each of 15 words is used once (vocabulary).
How many parts does telc B1 Leseverstehen have?
Three Leseverstehen parts (Globalverständnis, Detailverständnis, Selektives Lesen) plus two Sprachbausteine parts — five parts in total, all within the 90-minute block.
How is the telc B1 reading section scored?
Reading and Sprachbausteine are part of the written exam, which is worth 225 of the 300 total points. You need at least 60% of the written part (135 points) to pass it.
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TELC B1 Leseverstehen & Sprachbausteine