--- title: "telc B1 Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck): Examples & Tips" description: "Writing in the telc German B1 exam: reply to an email on four guide points in 30 minutes. Structure, phrases, an example and the assessment criteria." canonical: "https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/writing" url: "https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/writing.md" locale: "en" provider: "TELC" level: "B1" alternates: de: "https://prepliq.com/de/modelltest/telc-deutsch-b1/schreiben.md" en: "https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/writing.md" --- # telc German B1 – Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck) > Writing in the telc German B1 exam: reply to an email on four guide points in 30 minutes. Structure, phrases, an example and the assessment criteria. ## Key takeaways - You reply to a personal or semi-formal email in 30 minutes. - You get a situation and four guide points (Leitpunkte) – cover all four. - Three criteria: Aufgabenbewältigung, Kommunikative Gestaltung, Formale Richtigkeit. 45 points. Written expression is the part of the telc B1 exam where you produce text yourself: a personal or semi-formal email, commonly called the “letter”. You have 30 minutes and can earn 45 points. You get a short situation and four guide points (Leitpunkte) that you must all address. telc sets no word count. It is assessed on three official criteria: Aufgabenbewältigung (task achievement – are all four guide points covered appropriately?), Kommunikative Gestaltung (text logic, connectors, register and vocabulary – salutation and sign-off count here) and Formale Richtigkeit (grammar, spelling, punctuation). More important than perfect grammar is that your text can be read and understood easily. Work in three steps: plan, write, check. First decide whether you address the person with “du” or “Sie”, and note one sentence per guide point. Then write with a clear structure – salutation, opening, body (all guide points), closing – and use fixed phrases. Leave time to check at the end. - Parts: 1 - Tasks: 1 - Points: 45 - Time: 30 min - to pass: ~60 % - Difficulty: moderate (3/5) ## The parts at a glance - [Write the letter / email](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/writing/part-1) — Letter / email · Written expression · 1 Tasks · 45 Points. You reply to a personal or semi-formal email – the telc B1 “letter” – covering four guide points. Here’s how to build it step by step. ## Tips & strategy - **Plan first, then write:** Take two minutes: do you address the person with “du” or “Sie”? Note a keyword for each of the four guide points. Then you write more fluently and forget no point. - **Cover all four guide points:** Criterion I measures exactly this: four points covered appropriately give an A, three a B, two a C, one or none a D. A single short sentence can be enough for a point – but none may be missing. - **Choose the right register:** Semi-formal (a course leader, a company, someone you don’t know): “Sehr geehrte Frau …” and “Sie” throughout. Personal (friends and acquaintances): “Liebe/r …” and “du”. Stay consistent – a wobbling register rules out an A in Kommunikative Gestaltung. - **Use fixed phrases (Redemittel):** Set phrases for the salutation, opening, request, apology and closing save time and look confident. Learn one set by heart. - **Clear structure:** Salutation – opening (reason) – body (all guide points) – closing. These email features count towards Kommunikative Gestaltung. Classic letter elements such as sender address, date or a subject line are explicitly not required by telc. - **Check at the end:** Quickly check: all four guide points covered, one consistent register, salutation and closing present. Fix obvious mistakes. ## Useful phrases (Redemittel) Learn a fixed set of phrases – with them you can build any letter quickly (kept in German): - **Salutation** — Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, / Sehr geehrte Frau …, / Liebe/r …, - **Opening** — ich schreibe Ihnen, weil … / vielen Dank für deine E-Mail / ich möchte mich erkundigen, … - **Request & suggestion** — Könnten Sie mir bitte … / Ich würde gern … / Wie wäre es, wenn … - **Apology & cancellation** — Leider kann ich nicht … / Es tut mir leid, dass … / Ich muss leider absagen. - **Closing** — Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Viele Grüße / Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort. ## Common task types & topics The writing task is usually one of these situations: - **Invitation / reply to an invitation** — accept, decline, suggest something - **Complaint (Beschwerdebrief)** — describe a problem and ask for a solution - **Request for information** — ask for details about a course, offer or appointment - **Apology / cancellation** — cancel an appointment and suggest a new one - **Enquiry / application** — show interest in something and ask about it ## Free practice exercises - [Deutsche Welle – Learn German](https://learngerman.dw.com/de/overview) — Free writing prompts and vocabulary at B1 level. - [Nicos Weg B1 (Deutsche Welle)](https://learngerman.dw.com/de/nicos-weg/c-36519718) — Free online course with everyday language and writing prompts at B1 level. ## 1-week study plan - Day 1 – **Understand format & grading:** Read this guide and look at an official practice test: what do the situation and guide points look like, and how is it graded? - Day 2 – **Structure & phrases:** Learn a fixed set of phrases for the salutation, opening, request and closing – personal and semi-formal. - Day 3 – **Semi-formal email:** Write a semi-formal email (e.g. complaint, enquiry) with “Sie” throughout and all four guide points. - Day 4 – **Personal email:** Write a personal email (e.g. invitation, cancellation) with “du” and suitable phrases. - Day 5 – **Practice topics:** Practice different task types: invitation, complaint, request for information, apology. - Day 6 – **Writing under time:** Write a complete email in 30 minutes – no aids, exactly as in the exam. Then check that all four guide points really are in there. - Day 7 – **Get feedback:** Have your text assessed – by a teacher or via a Prepliq mock whose automatic assessment is modelled on the published telc assessment criteria. ## Are you ready? - I can tell whether to write “du” or “Sie” and stay with it throughout. - I cover all four guide points – with one short sentence each if need be. - I structure my email clearly: salutation, opening, body, closing. - I know phrases for requests, apologies and suggestions by heart. - I finish within 30 minutes and still have time to check. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many words do I have to write in written expression? telc sets no word count. What is assessed is whether all four guide points are covered appropriately – under the official criteria a guide point already counts as covered if you deal with it sensibly in one, possibly short, sentence. The 30 minutes cap the length anyway. ### How many guide points do I have to address? All four. That is exactly what Criterion I (Aufgabenbewältigung) measures: four points covered appropriately give an A, three a B, two a C, one or none a D. ### How is written expression graded? On three official criteria: I Aufgabenbewältigung, II Kommunikative Gestaltung (text logic, connectors, register, vocabulary) and III Formale Richtigkeit (grammar, spelling, punctuation). Each criterion gets A, B, C or D – worth 5, 3, 1 or 0 points. The sum is multiplied by three, for a maximum of 45. Example: A/A/B is 5 + 5 + 3 = 13, times three = 39 out of 45. ### “du” or “Sie” – how do I tell? The recipient decides: to friends and acquaintances you write personally with “du” (“Liebe/r …”). To a course leader, a company or someone you don’t know you write semi-formally with “Sie” (“Sehr geehrte …”). At B1 the task is always a personal or semi-formal email. ### Which topics come up in written expression? Often invitations, complaints, requests for information, apologies or enquiries – always everyday situations. ### What’s the best way to practice written expression? Write short emails on different topics regularly and have them checked – the PDF answer key doesn’t cover writing. At Prepliq a mock checks your text automatically, and its assessment is modelled on the published telc assessment criteria. Prepliq is independent of telc gGmbH: the automatic assessment is a practice assessment, not an official telc exam assessment – in the real exam two licensed telc raters mark your text. ### Can I use a dictionary in written expression? No. No aids such as dictionaries are allowed in the telc German B1 exam. ## Check if you’re ready for this exam section Practice in an exam-like format with real time limits, get an assessment modelled on the official criteria, and see where you still need work. - Exam-like task format with real time limits - Assessment modelled on the official exam criteria - This exam part as a model test, results right away - Detailed feedback and corrections on what you write [Practice this section on Prepliq](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1) ## Other exam parts - [Leseverstehen](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/reading) - [Sprachbausteine](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/sprachbausteine) - [Hörverstehen](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/listening) - [Mündlicher Ausdruck](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/speaking) [telc German B1 – Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck)](https://prepliq.com/en/model-test/telc-german-b1/writing)