telc results: when they come, how they come, what they say

The result of telc Deutsch B1 or B2, the German exams, comes after 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how many exams are being marked at the time. That is what telc’s FAQ says. Since the first quarter of 2026 the standard is a PDF by e-mail: a certificate if you passed, otherwise a result sheet (Ergebnisbogen).

When do telc results come?

After 4 to 6 weeks. telc gives a range, not a date, because it depends on how many exams are being processed. With a deadline, at the immigration office for example, the sum is: the centre’s registration deadline, the exam day, then up to six weeks. How that looks with real dates is on the dates and registration page.

In those weeks this happens:

1. The answer sheets go to telc and are marked electronically: each sheet is scanned and matched against the stored answers. That covers reading, language elements and listening.
2. The oral exam was already marked on the day by two licensed examiners, each on their own first, then together.
3. The exam centre confirms the result, and only then is it sent to you.

How do they come: paper or online?

As a PDF by e-mail. On its telc Zertifikate DIGITAL page telc writes that digital certificates and result sheets were piloted in 2025 and that the digital notice of results is the standard from the first quarter of 2026. The PDF is digitally signed, you can print it, and your exam centre confirms the result before it is released. So the centre needs your correct e-mail address.

“telc results online” then usually means the verification portal. But that checks a certificate that already exists. It asks for the participant number, date of birth and date of issue, all from the certificate itself, or you scan the QR code. Authorities and employers use it to check that your certificate is genuine. Certificates without a QR code cannot be checked there.

What does the result say?

Whether you passed and, if so, with which grade. telc Deutsch B1 or B2 is passed with 60 % of the written and 60 % of the oral exam, each on its own: 135 of 225 and 45 of 75 points. Then you get a certificate, otherwise a result sheet. The grade follows the total, but only once both halves are passed:

An example of the order: 140 points written and 40 oral add up to 180, “ausreichend” by the table. It is still a fail, because 40 is below the 45 points the oral exam needs on its own.

No period of validity is printed on the certificate. The telc exam rules leave it to whoever asks for the certificate whether an older one still counts. Your name appears as you gave it to the centre, and that has to be the spelling in your ID. A mistake can be corrected through the centre within four months. A surname changed by marriage or divorce is not updated. More on validity and duplicates: telc certificate: how long is it valid?

What if the result looks wrong?

Ask for a review within six weeks of issue, using the form on telc.net. It costs 40 €, and the exam rules spell out the risk: after re-marking the new result applies, and it can also be lower. If the result changes, the 40 € are refunded and you get a new document.

An objection is something else: it is about how the exam was run, for example if the rules were broken. It needs a reason, and “too few points” explicitly does not count as one. Within three months you can also ask to see your answer sheets in person, with no copies and no advice session.

And if you did not pass?

Then you can retake the exam as often as you like, and every result stays valid. At B1 and B2 you do not have to redo everything: if only the written or only the oral exam is missing, you retake just that part within twelve months, and the passed part is credited. The twelve months count from the date the result sheet was issued. Tell the centre when you register; crediting it afterwards costs 40 €. Single sections, such as listening alone, cannot be retaken.

Which parts carry how many points is on the telc Deutsch B1 exam page.