The DTZ from 1 November 2026: what changes in the exam

From 1 November 2026, the DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer) gets stricter. For a B1 result you still need B1 in the speaking part and B1 in one of the two written parts, listening and reading or writing. What is new: the other written part now needs at least A2. Until 31 October 2026 it had no minimum at all. The change is an amendment to the Integrationskurstestverordnung, published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 20 October 2026.

If you are taking the DTZ soon, this post explains exactly what changes, who it affects and how to make sure your weaker part reaches A2. The full DTZ guide covers the exam itself.

#What exactly changes on 1 November?

The DTZ is one exam for two levels. Your result is A2 or B1, worked out from three areas: speaking, listening and reading together, and writing. The rule for B1 changes like this:

So B1 in speaking and writing with A2 in listening and reading still gives you B1. But B1 in speaking and writing with listening and reading below A2 no longer does. Before, that third area could be almost empty and the result was still B1.

#Why is the DTZ changing?

The Federal Ministry of the Interior gives attempts at cheating as the reason. Under the old rule, a strong speaking part and one strong written part were enough, and the third part did not matter. A minimum in every area makes a result built on just two parts harder to get.

For most candidates the practical point is simple: you can no longer decide to give up one written part and put all your time into the others.

#Who is affected?

Everyone who sits the DTZ on or after 1 November 2026. That includes people finishing an Integrationskurs, and people who use a DTZ result as proof of German, for example for a settlement permit (die Niederlassungserlaubnis) or for citizenship, where B1 is usually required. The guide to B1 for citizenship explains which proofs count.

If your exam date is close to 1 November, ask your course provider which rule applies to your date. A result you already have was marked under the rule that applied when you took the exam.

#What does this mean for your preparation?

Most candidates have one written part they find easier. Many find writing harder, because a letter has to be planned, and listening is fast. The new rule means three goals instead of two:

1. B1 in speaking. As before, the part you cannot do without.
2. B1 in your stronger written part. As before.
3. A safe A2 in your weaker written part. This is the new one. A2 is not B1: you do not need perfect grammar, you need to cover the task and be understood. German levels from A1 to C1 shows what each level means in practice.

Do one full model test early and look at your weakest area. That is where your next two weeks should go.

#How do you reach a safe A2 in the writing part?

In the writing part you write a short letter or email, usually to a landlord, a school, an employer or an office. The task lists three or four points you must cover. Covering every point does more for your result than fancy sentences.

A reliable letter has five parts: a greeting, one sentence that says why you write, one or two sentences for each point, a closing sentence and a sign-off.

Learn one opening and one closing by heart for formal letters (Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, Mit freundlichen Grüßen) and for informal ones (Liebe Anna, Viele Grüße). Then keep a few sentences ready for the reasons the DTZ uses again and again: cancelling or moving an appointment, asking for information, apologising and complaining. The guide to exam letters has templates for each.

#How do you reach a safe A2 in listening and reading?

The listening and reading tasks use everyday German: announcements at the station, messages on an answering machine, notices from the landlord, adverts and short letters. You rarely need every word. You need the key detail.

• Read the question first. Then you know whether you are listening for a time, a place, a price or a change.
• Listen for changes. Announcements love leider, statt and verschoben: the train leaves from another platform, the appointment moves.
• Read signs and notices every day. Opening times, house rules and letters from offices are exactly what the reading part uses.
• Do not get stuck. If one task is too hard, move on and come back. Points in the easy tasks count the same.

#How does Linota help you prepare?

Linota is built on the everyday German the DTZ tests. You read real German texts at your level and tap any word to see what it means in that sentence, which trains the reading part. In Missions you answer in your own German, typed or spoken, in situations like a phone call to the doctor's or a flat viewing, with feedback on every reply. And Writing practice gives you a short writing task from your own saved words, then corrects what you wrote and explains each change, which is good practice for the letter.

#The short version

• From 1 November 2026, B1 in the DTZ needs B1 in speaking, B1 in one written part and at least A2 in the other.
• Until 31 October the other written part had no minimum.
• The reason given is cheating. The change is in the Integrationskurstestverordnung, published on 20 October 2026.
• Plan for three goals: B1 in speaking, B1 in your stronger written part, a safe A2 in the weaker one.
• For the letter, cover every point of the task. For listening and reading, catch the key detail.

Read the full DTZ guide for the parts of the exam, and the speaking exam guide for the part that still decides most.