The Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, known as the DTZ, is the exam most people take at the end of a German state integration course. It checks everyday German across four skills and reports a single result at A2 or B1. This guide covers the format, how the result is decided, what it covers and why it matters.
What is the DTZ and who takes it?
The DTZ is the language exam that closes the integration course (Integrationskurs) in Germany. It is developed for the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF), the federal office responsible for migration and integration, and administered by telc gGmbH and g.a.s.t. at approved test centres. Most course participants sit the DTZ once they finish the course.
How is the DTZ structured?
The DTZ has a written part and an oral part. The written part runs 100 minutes and covers listening (Hören) and reading (Lesen), plus a short letter (Schreiben). The oral part runs about 15 minutes (Sprechen) and includes a brief self-introduction followed by a conversation with the examiners and another participant taking the test with you. There is no single pass or fail number for the whole exam; instead, each skill block is measured against the A2 and B1 levels of the Common European Framework.
How is the overall result decided?
Your certificate shows one overall level, either A2 or B1. To reach an overall B1, you must reach B1 in the Speaking part, and also reach B1 in at least one of the other blocks, either Listening and Reading combined or Writing. Speaking is the part that cannot be skipped: strong reading or writing on its own is not enough for an overall B1 without also reaching B1 in Speaking. If you score below A2 overall, you receive a result notice rather than a certificate.
What does the DTZ cover?
The tasks are built around the everyday communication needs set out in the framework curriculum for integration courses (Rahmencurriculum), developed by the Goethe-Institut. The themes recur across all four skills:
- Arbeit und Beruf (work and occupation): job ads, workplace emails, notices, sick notes and shift plans.
- Wohnen und Alltag (housing and everyday life): flat listings, tenancy notices, house rules and letters to a landlord.
- Ämter und Behörden (offices and authorities): letters and forms from public offices, appointments and registration.
- Gesundheit und Soziales (health and social matters): doctor’s appointments, health insurance and pharmacy notices.
- Einkauf, Geld und Verträge (shopping, money and contracts): offers, receipts, bills, contracts and banking.
- Familie, Bildung und Freizeit (family, education and leisure): school and Kita letters, courses, clubs and leisure activities.
Why does the DTZ matter?
An overall B1 result is a requirement for the Zertifikat Integrationskurs, the certificate that closes the integration course, and it is an important step toward a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) and toward naturalisation in Germany. Because of this, most people who complete a funded integration course go on to sit the DTZ rather than treat it as optional.
Are the practice questions the same as the real DTZ questions?
No. The official DTZ tasks are copyright-protected and are not published for reuse, so no independent study resource, including the RiverMap Learning app, reproduces them. Original practice material can still follow the same everyday themes and the same task types described above, which is what lets a learner train the skills the real exam checks without ever seeing the actual exam content in advance.
How should you prepare?
Because the DTZ tests four separate skills, and because Speaking is decisive for an overall B1, a balanced plan matters more than drilling one skill alone. Work through everyday reading tasks in each of the six themes, practise listening to natural spoken German at normal speed, learn the structure of the DTZ letter (salutation, opening, the required points, a closing request, sign-off), and rehearse short spoken answers to typical DTZ speaking prompts so the live conversation feels familiar.
The RiverMap Learning DTZ app is built around exactly this structure: original reading tasks and flashcards across the six everyday themes, a listening module with recorded audio in the four DTZ Hören formats, and a writing and speaking guide with phrase banks and model letters. Every answer comes with an explanation in German and English. The app is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by the BAMF, telc gGmbH, g.a.s.t. or the Goethe-Institut.