In Part 3 you hear five short messages or announcements, for example on the answering machine. For each you choose from three answers.
As of 2026 · Built to the official exam format
Practice the same format you’ll see on exam day, get your score against official criteria, and see where you still need work.
Free to try · No account needed
Key takeaways
Part 3 tests whether you understand short messages and announcements – often answering-machine messages or short everyday announcements. For each you solve a task with three answers (a, b or c).
As in Part 1, it’s about one simple piece of information: when is the appointment? Where do the people meet? What should you bring? You don’t have to understand every word. You hear each text twice.
Watch especially for times and places – and for negations that change the information (“nicht um sieben, sondern um sechs”). Every correct answer scores points; wrong answers are not penalized.
Before listening, read the task and the three answers.
Think about what to listen for: a time, a place, a name?
Listen to the text and focus on that information.
Watch for negations like “nicht … sondern”, which change the answer.
Mark your answer and check it on the second listen.
Transfer your answers to the answer sheet in good time.
A short example in the same format: you hear a short message and choose the right answer.
„Hallo Anna, hier ist Peter. Kannst du bitte Brot und Milch mitbringen? Eier haben wir noch genug. Danke!"
What should Anna bring? (a) bread and eggs · (b) bread and milk · (c) milk and eggs
Why? Peter asks for “Brot und Milch”; there are “noch genug” (enough) eggs. So the correct answer is bread and milk (b).
Du hörst (sinngemäß) eine Nachricht: „Hallo Tom, hier ist Lisa. Wir treffen uns morgen nicht um sieben, sondern schon um sechs Uhr vor dem Kino. Bis dann!"
When do Tom and Lisa meet?
Try this section in the real exam format and find out how confident you are before exam day.
Free to try · No account needed
“nicht um sieben, sondern um sechs” – listen carefully for the correction, or you’ll pick the wrong time.
Times and similar numbers easily sound alike. Listen to the whole word.
Without knowing the task, you listen aimlessly. Use the time before listening.
No answer means a guaranteed zero. Guess an answer if you have to.
Five. You hear five short messages or announcements and choose from three answers (a/b/c) for each.
Yes. The texts are played twice – use the second listen to check.
Times, places and negations. Often a piece of information is corrected (“nicht …, sondern …”).
Listen to short messages and practice times and places. In a Prepliq mock you practice this with instant scoring.
Learn 600+ of the most important telc German A1 words interactively with flashcards.
Preview and download the official telc German A1 practice test – with answers and study material.
Practice this exam part in the official format and see what needs more attention before the real test.
Free to try · No account needed