A1 — THE FOUNDATION
telc A1 Modelltest (Start Deutsch 1): 75-Minute Clock, S30 Transfer & ×1.66 Scoring
telc Deutsch A1 (Start Deutsch 1) Modelltest guide: 75-minute written clock, 10-minute Antwortbogen S30 transfer, ×1.66 point scaling, and 3 full mocks.
VON GERMANIUM
Editorial desk — reviewed against telc Deutsch A1 (Start Deutsch 1) Übungstest 1 specifications
Start Deutsch 1 / telc Deutsch A1 is the default A1 examination across Germany's Volkshochschulen (VHS) and licensed telc test centers. While it awards the exact same Start Deutsch 1 CEFR A1 certificate co-developed with the Goethe-Institut, telc runs its own 75-minute written clock with a shared Lesen + Schreiben block and a mandatory 10-minute Antwortbogen S30 transfer window. Sit a full timed rehearsal right now on our free telc A1 diagnostic Paper 1.
How telc A1 Differs from Goethe A1 in the Exam Room
| Exam Feature | telc Deutsch A1 (VHS) | Goethe-Zertifikat A1 | Why It Matters on Exam Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Clock | 75 minutes (~20 min Hören + 45 min Lesen/Schreiben + 10 min S30 transfer) | 65 minutes continuous | telc builds a dedicated 10-minute transfer block into the 75-minute written sitting |
| Reading + Writing | One shared 45-minute block | 25 min Lesen + 20 min Schreiben | You manage your own split between the 15 Reading items and the 2 Writing tasks |
| Raw Points & Scaling | 60 raw points × 1,66 = 100 Ergebnispunkte (15 raw per skill) | 60 raw points × 1,66 = 100 points | You need 36 of 60 raw points (60 of 100 Ergebnispunkte, grade ausreichend) to pass |
| Section Floors | NO per-section minimum (keine Sektionshürde) | No per-section minimum | A strong Listening and Speaking score can carry a weak Writing score across the 60-point line |
The Complete telc A1 Modelltest Blueprint (60 Raw Points → 100 Scaled)
| Subtest & Part | Task Format | Audio Plays / Pacing | Raw Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hören Teil 1 | 6 short everyday dialogues with 3 picture choices (a / b / c) | Played TWICE (ZWEIMAL) | 6 raw pts |
| Hören Teil 2 | 4 public announcements (station, store, airport), richtig / falsch | Played ONCE ONLY (EINMAL) | 4 raw pts |
| Hören Teil 3 | 5 voicemail / telephone messages, a / b / c | Played TWICE (ZWEIMAL) | 5 raw pts |
| Lesen Teil 1 | 2 short letters/emails with 5 richtig / falsch statements | Shared 45-min block (~10 min) | 5 raw pts |
| Lesen Teil 2 | 5 everyday situations matched to website/ad pairs (a or b) | Shared 45-min block (~10 min) | 5 raw pts |
| Lesen Teil 3 | 5 door signs, notices, and boards, richtig / falsch | Shared 45-min block (~8 min) | 5 raw pts |
| Schreiben Teil 1 | Registration form (Formular) with 5 gaps transferred from a note | Shared 45-min block (~5 min) | 5 raw pts |
| Schreiben Teil 2 | Short letter / email (~30 words) covering 3 mandatory Leitpunkte | Shared 45-min block (~12 min) | 10 raw pts |
| Antwortbogen S30 Transfer | Copy all 30 crosses, 5 form gaps, and your letter onto the S30 sheet | 10 minutes (built into the 75-min clock) | — |
| Sprechen Teil 1–3 | Group oral exam (self-intro + spelling/numbers, theme cards, request cards) | ~15 minutes (in groups of up to 4) | 15 raw pts |
Part-by-Part Tactics to Lock In 36+ Raw Points
- Hören Teil 2 (Heard ONCE — 4 raw points): Every announcement hinges on a single number or location change (e.g., platform Gleis 4 instead of Gleis 2, or a store department floor). Underline the noun and number in the statement during the pause before the announcement plays.
- *Lesen Teil 2 (Ad Pairs a / b — 5 raw points): Unlike A2 (which uses an 8-ad pool), telc A1 Lesen Teil 2 gives you a binary choice (a or b) for each situation. Spot the single constraint that separates the two ads (e.g., online vs in person, summer vs winter, with vs without breakfast*).
- Schreiben Teil 2 (10 raw points = 16.6 scaled points): Write four clean sentences: a matching greeting (Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, or Liebe/Lieber...,), one declarative sentence per bullet point with the verb in position 2, and a sign-off (Mit freundlichen Grüßen or Viele Grüße). You can also use our 5 ready-made A1 email templates.
How does telc's × 1,66 point scaling work on Start Deutsch 1?
Each of the four skills (Hören, Lesen, Schreiben, Sprechen) is worth 15 raw points, for a total of 60 raw points. telc multiplies your raw total by 1.66 and rounds commercially to a 100-point scale: 36 raw points × 1.66 = 59.76 → rounds to 60 Ergebnispunkte (ausreichend — PASS).