telc German B1 – Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck)
In written expression you reply to a personal or semi-formal email – most learners call it the “letter” – covering four guide points. Here are the structure, useful phrases (Redemittel), an example and the official assessment criteria.
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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.
Overview
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.
Very doable with fixed phrases and a clear structure. The most common hurdle: not covering all four guide points, or mixing the register (du/Sie).
The parts at a glance
| Part | Task type | Focus | Tasks | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Write the letter / email | Letter / email | Written expression | 1 | 45 |
Tips & strategy
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.
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.
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.
Set phrases for the salutation, opening, request, apology and closing save time and look confident. Learn one set by heart.
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.
Quickly check: all four guide points covered, one consistent register, salutation and closing present. Fix obvious mistakes.
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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
1-week study plan
- Day1Understand 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?
- Day2Structure & phrases
Learn a fixed set of phrases for the salutation, opening, request and closing – personal and semi-formal.
- Day3Semi-formal email
Write a semi-formal email (e.g. complaint, enquiry) with “Sie” throughout and all four guide points.
- Day4Personal email
Write a personal email (e.g. invitation, cancellation) with “du” and suitable phrases.
- Day5Practice topics
Practice different task types: invitation, complaint, request for information, apology.
- Day6Writing 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.
- Day7Get 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.
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