B1 Reading Exercises with Answers

It tests whether you can find and interpret information in everyday German texts — not whether you understand every word. At B1, you are expected to grasp the main idea of a clearly written standard-language text, locate specific details, compare several short texts, and decide which one fits a given situation.

This is a skill you train, not a vocabulary list you memorize. The exercises on this page are built around the real task types used by the three providers most learners take.

The structure depends entirely on which exam you have registered for. The table below reflects the current official descriptions.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 — Modul Lesen

• Five parts, 65 minutes.
• Text types: blog posts, emails, newspaper articles, adverts and written instructions.
• Lesen is a separate module. You can sit it on its own and repeat it on its own — the Goethe B1 is modular. Each module is scored out of 100 points, and you need a score of 60 to pass.
• Source: goethe.de, Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam pages and Durchführungsbestimmungen.

telc Deutsch B1 — Leseverstehen

• Three reading parts, plus two Sprachbausteine parts (grammar and vocabulary in context).
• Reading and Sprachbausteine share one 90-minute block — you divide the time yourself.
• Reading is not a separate certificate module. It belongs to the written exam, which is assessed as a whole; you need 60% in the written part and 60% in the oral part.
• Source: telc.net, telc Deutsch B1 Übungstest.

Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) — Lesen

• Five parts, 25 questions, 45 minutes; one point per question.
• Reading and listening are combined into a single result for the certificate; the exam certifies A2 or B1 depending on your score.
• Important: the DTZ is the final exam of the German integration course. According to g.a.s.t., people outside the integration course system cannot register for it. If you need a B1 certificate for a visa, a job, or naturalization and you are not in an Integrationskurs, telc Deutsch B1 or the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is the route for you.
• Source: gast.de, «Der DTZ auf einen Blick».

Across all three providers, the texts come from ordinary life in Germany: classified adverts and small ads, notices and house rules, semi-formal emails and letters, short press items, brochures, product information and instructions. Recurring topics are work, training and study, housing, health, shopping, transport, leisure and events.

Most candidates lose points to the clock, not to vocabulary. Four habits fix that.

1. Skim before you read

Look at the title, the layout, and the key words first. Twenty seconds of orientation tells you what kind of text you are dealing with and where the information is likely to sit.

2. Read the questions first

Once you know what you are looking for, you read selectively instead of translating everything.

3. Mark the evidence

Underline the exact line that answers each question. If you cannot point to a line, you are guessing from memory — that is where wrong answers come from.

4. Move on and come back

If a part feels heavy, skip it and return at the end. In telc B1 this matters even more, because you manage the 90-minute reading and Sprachbausteine block yourself.

Practice in the format of the exam you are actually taking. Working through five-part Goethe tasks when you have registered for telc trains the wrong reflexes.

Instant scoring

Every exercise on this page is marked immediately: you see which answers were right, how many points you scored, and where you lost them.

Answers with explanations

Each answer comes with a short explanation of why it is correct and why the distractor is not. Over time, this is what changes your score — not doing more tests, but understanding the ones you got wrong.

Work through the exercises above by exam part, check your answers immediately and read the explanations. If you want to practice all four skills, go to the main B1 preparation page.