How this book works
This book prepares you for telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege, the German exam for nurses and care workers. It does three things:
- It shows you how each part of the exam works, and how points are awarded.
- It gives you four complete model tests to take under real exam conditions.
- It explains every answer in English: why the right answer is right, and why each wrong answer is wrong.
| Part | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| A · Know the exam | The format, the scoring, the certificate rules, and exam day | First. Read it once, all the way through. |
| B · Strategies | One chapter for each section of the exam: Listening, Reading, Language Elements, Writing, Speaking. Each part of the exam gets a step-by-step method and a guided practice task. | Weeks 1–3 (see the study plans) |
| C · Model Tests 1–4 | Four complete, timed tests with answer sheets | One test per week, under exam conditions |
| D · Answers explained | Answer keys, score tables, explanations in English, transcripts, model reports and speaking models | Straight after each test |
| E · Toolkit | Word lists, report templates, phrase banks, self-scoring sheets | Whenever you need them |
The examples. In Parts A and B, the examples come from Station 4B, an internal medicine ward at the Klinikum Rheinaue in Cologne. You will meet Anjali, a nurse from Kerala who is preparing for this exam, her mentor Sabine Krüger, the ward manager Thomas Wagner, and some of their patients. The model tests in Part C use different people and places, just like the real exam.
German in this book. All German is the standard German used in hospitals and care homes in Germany. Instructions and explanations are in English.
Who this book is for
This book is for you if:
- you are a nurse or care worker trained outside Germany, and you need a German language certificate for professional recognition or for a job;
- your German is at B1 level or close to it, and you want a B2 certificate, or at least B1;
- you want to study on your own, or alongside a course.
If you are still at A2 level, start with a B1 course, for example Learn Real German for Nurses B1 – On the Ward (see kognixr.com), and come back to this book when B1 feels comfortable. If you are already at B2 level, go straight to the model tests and use the strategy chapters to fix weak spots.
Audio
The book has 85 audio tracks. Go to audio.kognixr.com/learn-real-german-nurses-telc-trainer. It is free and needs no account.
Open the audio page
| Tracks | What you hear |
|---|---|
| S01–S20 | Examples and guided practice in the strategy chapters |
| T1-H1 to T4-H4 | Exam mode. Each Listening part of each model test, straight through, with the pauses built in, as in the exam. Use these when you take a test. |
| T1-H1-a to T4-H2-e | Practice mode. The recordings of Listening Parts 1 and 2, one message or one conversation per track. Use these when you check your answers and replay difficult parts. Parts 3 and 4 are one recording each, so their exam-mode track is also the practice track. |
| T1-SP1 to T4-SP3 | Speaking models: two candidates take each part of the speaking test. T1-SP2-B1 is a B1 version of a short talk, to compare with the B2 model. |
Downloads. You can stream every track on the website. You can also download two free ZIP files (all tracks except practice mode, which repeats the exam-mode recordings). The links are on the audio page.
One rule. In the exam, you hear every Listening recording only once. When you take a model test, play each exam-mode track once and do not stop it. Replay as often as you like afterwards.
Your study plan
Choose the plan that fits the time before your exam. Each week needs about 6–8 hours. Short sessions every day work better than one long session.
The 8-week plan
| Week | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Part A. Listening strategy chapter. |
| 2 | Reading strategy chapter. Language Elements strategy chapter. |
| 3 | Writing strategy chapter: write the two practice reports. Speaking strategy chapter. |
| 4 | Model Test 1 under exam conditions. Check your answers with Part D. Write down your three biggest problems. |
| 5 | Go back to the strategy pages for your three problems. Learn the Toolkit word lists for Test 1’s topics. |
| 6 | Model Test 2. Check it. Rewrite your report using the B2 model. |
| 7 | Model Test 3. Check it. Practice Speaking Parts 1–3 out loud every day with the phrase banks. |
| 8 | Model Test 4 three to five days before the exam. Then only light review: phrase banks, word lists, the exam-day checklist. |
The 4-week plan
| Week | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Part A. All five strategy chapters: read the steps and do the guided practice. |
| 2 | Model Test 1 and Model Test 2. Check both in Part D. |
| 3 | Model Test 3. Fix your weak spots with the strategy pages and the Toolkit. |
| 4 | Model Test 4 early in the week. Speaking practice every day. Exam-day checklist. |
Taking a model test. Sit at a table, set a timer, and work through the written exam in one go: Listening 25 minutes, Reading and Language Elements 60 minutes, Writing 30 minutes. Write your answers on paper or on the printable answer sheet from the audio page: in the exam, only the answer sheet counts. Do the speaking test on another day, with a partner if you can.
KNOW THE EXAMAPart A · Know the examKnow the exam
GoalYou know how the exam works, how it is scored, and how to plan your time.
What the exam istelc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege is a German language exam for people who work, or want to work, in nursing and care in German-speaking countries. It tests German for nursing: the texts and tasks come from everyday work in hospitals, care homes and home care. You will read a care plan, listen to a handover, and write a report from a form.
It is one exam with two possible results. You don’t choose B1 or B2 before the exam. You take the same test, and your scores decide whether you get a B2 certificate, a B1 certificate, or no certificate.
Why B2 matters. For professional recognition as a nurse in Germany, many recognition authorities ask for a B2 certificate in general or nursing German. Some accept B1 for certain steps, for example to start an adaptation course. The rules differ between federal states and can change. Ask your recognition authority which certificate it accepts before you register for any exam. The official portal Anerkennung in Deutschland is a good place to start.
The exam at a glanceThe exam has a written part and an oral part. You usually take them on the same day.
Written exam · 115 minutes, no break
| Section | Part | What you do | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening (Hören) | 1 | Understand phone messages | 4 | about 25 minutes in total. You hear each recording once. |
| 2 | Understand short conversations at work | 10 | ||
| 3 | Follow a team meeting | 6 | ||
| 4 | Understand different opinions | 3 | ||
| Reading (Lesen) | 1 | Match emails to subject lines | 4 | 60 minutes for Reading and Language Elements together. You decide how to use the time. |
| 2 | Understand a care plan | 5 | ||
| 3 | Understand leaflets, circulars and rules | 6 | ||
| 4 | Understand an information text | 3 | ||
| Language Elements (Sprachbausteine) | 1 | Fill gaps in a report with linking words | 8 | |
| 2 | Fill gaps in a report with nursing vocabulary | 10 | ||
| Writing (Schreiben) | — | Write a report from a form: choose an admission report or a biography report | 1 task | 30 minutes |
Oral exam · about 16 minutes, in pairs, plus 20 minutes’ preparation
| Part | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Describe a photo from nursing work | about 1 minute each |
| 1B | Answer the examiner’s questions about your experience and opinion | about 1 minute each |
| 2A | Give a short talk on a topic | about 2 minutes each |
| 2B | Answer questions about your talk | about 1 minute each |
| 3 | Discuss a question with your partner | about 4 minutes together |
You prepare Parts 1 to 3 in a preparation room for 20 minutes before the oral exam. You may make notes, but you may not use a dictionary or talk to your partner.
How you are scoredThe exam has three scores. Each score gives you a level: B2, B1, or below B1.
| Score | How it is calculated | Maximum | B2 | B1 | Below B1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening + Reading + Language Elements | 1 point for each correct item | 59 | 43–59 | 27–42 | 0–26 |
| Writing | 4 criteria, 0–5 points each | 20 | 15–20 | 7–14 | 0–6 |
| Speaking | Content 50 + language 50 | 100 | 75–100 | 35–74.5 | 0–34.5 |
Listening, Reading and Language Elements are marked by machine from your answer sheet. Every item is worth one point, and there are no minus points for wrong answers. Never leave an answer empty. A guess can win a point; an empty box can’t.
Writing is marked by two trained raters on four criteria:
| Criterion | What the raters ask |
|---|---|
| Task completion | Did you use all the information on the form? Is it a report, not a letter or a list? |
| Communicative design | Is the report well organized? Do the sentences connect? Is the style objective and professional? |
| Accuracy | How correct are grammar, word order and spelling? |
| Vocabulary | Do you use nursing words correctly, and with some range? |
Speaking is marked by two examiners. Half the points are for content: did you do what each part asked? The other half are for language across the whole test: pronunciation and intonation, fluency, accuracy, and vocabulary.
| Content points | Language points | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1A Photo | 5 | Pronunciation and intonation | 15 |
| Part 1B Questions | 5 | Fluency | 10 |
| Part 2A Short talk | 15 | Accuracy | 10 |
| Part 2B Questions | 5 | Vocabulary | 15 |
| Part 3 Discussion | 20 | ||
| Content total | 50 | Language total | 50 |
Look at where the points are: Part 3, the discussion, is worth 20 content points, more than any other part. Many candidates prepare their short talk carefully and forget to practice discussing.
Which certificate do you get?Speaking is the key. Without at least B1 in Speaking, you get no certificate, however good your other scores are.
B2 certificate. You need B2 in Speaking, and one of these combinations:
| Listening + Reading + Language Elements | Writing |
|---|---|
| B2 (43 or more) | B2 (15 or more) |
| B2 (43 or more) | B1 (7–14) |
| B1 (27–42) | B2 (15 or more) |
In other words: with B2 in Speaking, you can be “only” B1 in one of the two written scores, but not in both.
B1 certificate. You need at least B1 in Speaking, and in general at least B1 in the two written scores. telc’s exam handbook lists a few combinations in which a strong written score can make up for a weaker one. If your scores are close to the line, check the current handbook or ask your test center.
Retakes. You can take the exam again as often as you need. You always take the whole exam again: results from an earlier attempt do not carry over.
Worked example. Anjali takes Model Test 1 and gets these scores:
| Points | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening + Reading + Language Elements | 39 | B1 |
| Writing | 16 | B2 |
| Speaking | 78 | B2 |
Result: B2 certificate. She has B2 in Speaking, B2 in Writing, and B1 in the written items, which is allowed. But 39 is only 4 points from 43. If her Writing drops to 14 on exam day, she gets B1. Her plan: win 5 more points in Listening and Reading before the exam.
B1 or B2: what is the difference?At B1 you can deal with familiar, predictable situations at work. At B2 you can follow longer and less predictable talk, explain and argue, and write reports that are clear and connected. On the ward, the difference looks like this:
| Situation | At B1 you can… | At B2 you can also… |
|---|---|---|
| Handover | understand the main facts about each patient if people speak clearly | follow a fast handover with abbreviations, and ask precise follow-up questions |
| Doctor rounds | understand short instructions | understand the reason for a decision, and report your own observations |
| Talking with relatives | give simple information | explain a situation sensitively and respond to worries or complaints |
| Reports | write short sentences with the key facts | write a connected report with weil, obwohl, nachdem and a clear structure |
| Team meeting | understand the main topic | follow who suggests what, and give and defend your own opinion |
The raters are looking for these differences. In each strategy chapter, you will find a box called B1 → B2 that shows how to move up.
Paper, digital or hybridtelc offers this exam on paper, digitally and in a hybrid form. The parts of the exam and the types of task are the same in all three.
- On paper: you mark your answers with a pencil on an answer sheet. Anything you write only in the question booklet does not count, and you get no extra time to copy answers onto the sheet.
- Digital or hybrid: you work on a computer at the test center for some or all of the written exam. You listen through headphones and choose or enter your answers on screen.