The DTZ does not give you a percentage to chase. It reports a level for each skill, and the overall result depends on how those levels combine. A study plan that matches that rule spends its time differently from a plan built for a multiple-choice exam.
What should a DTZ study plan focus on first?
Start with Speaking, because it decides the overall result. The DTZ has a written part of 100 minutes (Hören, Lesen and a short letter) and an oral part of about 15 minutes (Sprechen). For an overall B1 you must reach B1 in Speaking and in at least one of Listening and Reading combined, or Writing.
That makes Speaking the one skill you cannot skip. Strong reading cannot make up for a weak oral part, so put speaking practice into every week of your plan from the start.
How do I build a week-by-week plan for the DTZ?
Rotate through the four skills in each week rather than finishing one skill at a time. A simple weekly pattern looks like this:
- Two sessions of reading and vocabulary, using everyday texts from one topic area.
- One or two listening sessions, with recordings you can replay.
- One letter, written to a four-point prompt.
- Two short speaking sessions, out loud, ideally with a partner.
Finish the final week with a timed mock test and a review of every mistake. The exam content is drawn from the integration-course framework, so each week can take one of the six themes below and drill it across all four skills.
Which topics do I need to know for the DTZ?
The topics come from everyday life in Germany. The official test description lists twelve fields of action (Handlungsfelder), from offices and authorities to work, shopping, health and housing. This app groups them into six areas, which are also the six categories it uses for its 540 practice questions:
- Arbeit und Beruf: job adverts, the workplace, appointments and communication at work.
- Wohnen und Alltag: finding a flat, the tenancy agreement, neighbours and everyday situations.
- Ämter und Behörden: letters and forms from public offices, appointments and registration.
- Gesundheit und Soziales: doctor visits, health insurance and pharmacy notices.
- Einkauf, Geld und Verträge: offers, receipts, bills, contracts and the bank.
- Familie, Bildung und Freizeit: school and Kita letters, courses, clubs and leisure.
Learn nouns together with their article (der, die, das) and note the example sentence, not just the translation.
How do I train DTZ reading and listening?
Read short everyday texts and always check your answer against the exact words in the text. A typical task gives you a job advert, a notice or a letter and asks what applies. The correct option is nearly always stated or directly implied in the text, and the wrong options often change a day, a number or a condition. Slow down on those details.
For listening, expect different kinds of recordings: announcements, conversations, radio information and people giving opinions. Replay each one twice. The first pass is for the gist, the second for days, times, numbers and names. Of this app’s questions, 60 are listening items with audio, spread across those four recording types.
How do I prepare for the DTZ letter?
Use one fixed frame and cover all four bullet points. The task gives you a situation with four points. Missing a point costs marks, so tick each one off before you finish.
The frame:
- Salutation, such as “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,” (formal) or “Liebe …,” (informal), followed by a comma and a lower-case next word.
- Opening, for example “ich schreibe Ihnen, weil …”.
- The main part, one short paragraph per bullet point.
- A closing request or wish, such as “über eine schnelle Antwort würde ich mich freuen.”
- Sign-off (“Mit freundlichen Grüßen” or “Viele Grüße”) and your name on a new line.
Choose formal for authorities and companies and informal for friends, and do not mix the two. Linking words such as weil, deshalb, aber and zuerst, dann, zum Schluss help the text flow and show B1 level. Practise common letter types: a complaint, a cancellation, an enquiry, an invitation and a request to reschedule an appointment. Keep two to three minutes at the end to check capital letters on nouns and the formal Sie, verb position and the date and time.
How do I practise the DTZ speaking test?
Rehearse out loud, in full sentences, in all three parts.
- Part 1: talk about yourself. Prepare answers to the usual personal questions.
- Part 2: talk about a photo and your own experience of the topic, including how it compares with your home country. Learn a set of describing and comparing phrases.
- Part 3: plan something together with your partner.
In Part 3, react to your partner, ask questions and make your own suggestions instead of giving one long monologue. If you do not understand, ask politely: “Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?” This counts as good communication, not as a mistake. Slow and clear beats fast and unclear.
What is the best way to finish my DTZ preparation?
End with a timed mock test and a systematic review. Sit the reading and listening practice under time pressure, then go back through every wrong answer and note which topic caused it. Revisit those topics with flashcards before the next round.
The official source for the exam and its format is the BAMF page on the integration-course final test: bamf.de, Abschlussprüfung. Confirm test dates and fees with your course provider.
This app is an independent study aid built around the publicly documented format of the DTZ. It is not affiliated with the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, telc gGmbH, g.a.s.t. or the Goethe-Institut, and it does not reproduce official exam tasks.