From 1 November, Germany will tighten the scoring rules for the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ, the “German Test for Immigrants”), the exam taken at the end of the state-funded integration courses. According to The Local Germany, the change makes it harder to get an overall B1 result through the DTZ, but it does not raise the German level required for citizenship or permanent residence.
What happened
The DTZ tests speaking, listening, reading and writing. It has an oral exam and two written components: a writing section and a combined listening and reading section. The Local Germany reports that until now, candidates could get an overall B1 result by reaching B1 in speaking and B1 in one of the two written components. A weak score in the other written part did not necessarily cancel out the stronger results.
From 1 November, candidates will still need B1 in speaking and B1 in either writing or listening and reading. They will also need at least A2 in the remaining written component. In practice, a candidate who leaves one part of the written exam blank, or completes it at a very low level, will no longer be able to get an overall B1 result.
The Interior Ministry says the change is meant to reduce cheating and make the test more reliable. The government also argues that written German matters in everyday life, from dealing with authorities to taking part in the labour market.
What it means for you
If you are planning to apply for citizenship or permanent residence: the legal language requirement has not changed. The Local Germany says German citizenship law still generally requires applicants to show German at B1 level, and the new regulation does not alter that. The same applies to the many residence procedures that accept B1-level German as proof of language skills. What has changed is how one particular B1 certificate, the DTZ, is awarded.
If you are not on an integration course: the DTZ is only one of several recognised ways to prove B1 German. According to The Local Germany, certificates accepted for citizenship can include:
- telc Deutsch B1
- Goethe-Zertifikat B1
- ÖSD Zertifikat B1
- DSD I (Deutsches Sprachdiplom, a German language diploma)
Some German school qualifications, vocational training certificates and university degrees may also meet the language requirement. Check with the office handling your application which proof it accepts in your case.
If you are taking an integration course now: give every part of the exam proper attention, including writing. The Local Germany notes that under the old system a candidate could still reach overall B1 with a very low writing score, as long as speaking and listening and reading met the standard. If your exam is on or after 1 November, you will need at least A2 in both written components to get B1 overall. Leaving a section blank is no longer a safe strategy.
If you already hold a DTZ certificate: The Local Germany reports that the published regulation brings in new testing requirements from 1 November but says nothing about certificates already issued. The publication notes that changes of this kind would not normally be expected to affect certificates that have already been awarded.
What to watch next
The Local Germany says it has asked the relevant authorities for more detail and will update its article if further practical information comes out. The main open question is how the change will be applied in practice, including how certificates issued before 1 November will be treated, since the regulation itself is silent on them. If your exam date falls near the changeover, ask your course provider which scoring rules will apply to you.
Source: The Local Germany
Sources
- The Local Germany: Q&A: What do Germany's tougher language test rules mean for you?, accessed 22 October 2026
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