German test for citizenship: B1 written and oral, for example with telc Deutsch B1
To become a German citizen you need two different proofs: German at level B1 and the citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest). The German test is a language exam such as telc Deutsch B1 (Zertifikat Deutsch); the citizenship test asks about the state and society, not about language. Here is what the law asks, which certificates count and how the two tests differ.
What does the law ask?
The Nationality Act names the two separately: sufficient German, and knowledge of the legal and social order. Sufficient means meeting the requirements of a language exam at level B1 of the Common European Framework. The Federal Ministry of the Interior adds: B1 oral and written. You are entitled to naturalisation after five years of lawful residence if the other conditions are met too; it costs €255 per person. See § 10 StAG.
Which certificates count?
The law names no provider, only the level B1. As proof you can use:
- telc Deutsch B1, also called Zertifikat Deutsch — developed by telc, ÖSD, the Swiss EDK and the Goethe-Institut. The city of Karlsruhe, for example, asks in its leaflet for exactly this certificate, oral and written, and points to telc and the Goethe-Institut for exam centres.
- The Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer with the result B1, if you took it in an integration course. BAMF accepts it as proof.
- Without a new exam: an earlier certificate at B1 or higher, four successful years at a German-speaking school, a German school-leaving or vocational qualification, or a German-language degree in Germany (as Karlsruhe's leaflet lists them).
- Children under 16 need only age-appropriate German. Whoever cannot reach B1 because of illness, disability or age is exempt.
Which proof your authority accepts, the naturalisation authority where you live will tell you — ask before you register for an exam. You book and pay for the exam yourself.
telc Deutsch B1: why both parts count
telc Deutsch B1 has a written part — reading, language elements, listening and writing, 150 minutes — and an oral exam in pairs of about 15 minutes. You get the certificate only with 60 % in both: 135 of 225 points written and 45 of 75 oral. A strong written part does not make up for a weak oral. At VHS Rhein-Sieg the exam costs €185; our practice tests: one per level free, all of them €39 for 90 days.
German test and citizenship test: the difference
| German test (e.g. telc Deutsch B1) | Citizenship test | |
|---|---|---|
| What it tests | German: reading, listening, writing, speaking | Knowledge of democracy, history, society and your federal state |
| Format | a written part and an oral exam in pairs | 33 questions with four answers each, 60 minutes |
| Pass | 60 % written and 60 % oral | 17 of 33 questions right |
| Where | at a telc exam centre | at a BAMF test centre |
| Cost | set by the centre, €185 at VHS Rhein-Sieg | €25 |
For the citizenship test you practise for free in BAMF's online test centre, with all 310 questions — you do not need us for that. BAMF: naturalisation and the citizenship test (German)
And for the settlement permit?
There, too, B1 is the line: the settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) asks for sufficient German, and the Residence Act defines it as level B1 (§ 2 (11) and § 9 (2) no. 7 AufenthG).
The authority wants B1, written and oral. One full practice test in the telc Deutsch B1 format is free: timed, writing and speaking marked by a language model, and your points against 60 % in both parts — so before you register you see which part is still short.
Take a B1 practice test free