ÖSD Zertifikat B2: the exam parts

Two modules, plenty of time — and a dictionary

The ÖSD Zertifikat B2 consists of two modules that you can take separately or together and retake as often as you like: the written exam and the oral exam, in pairs or one-to-one. Unusually among B2 exams, at ÖSD B2 monolingual and bilingual dictionaries are allowed.

At about 210 minutes the written part is longer than at Goethe or telc — but that leaves more time per task.

Points and passing

The written exam gives a maximum of 70 points (reading 20, listening 20, writing 30), the oral exam 30.

• Written, you need at least 42 of 70 points — and a minimum in each part: at least 7 of 20 in reading, at least 10 of 20 in listening (per the current listening sample paper; older documents say 7) and at least 10 of 30 in writing. If reading or listening falls below its minimum, the whole written exam is failed.
• Oral, you need at least 18 of 30 points. A zero in any of the criteria marked across all tasks fails the oral exam.

Lesen and Hören

• Lesen: four tasks — multiple choice, matching headings, and two gap-fill texts: in one you restore missing word endings (three letters at most), in the other a whole word is missing each time. Grammar and vocabulary count directly here.
• Hören: two tasks. A radio programme with true/false items is played twice; a conversation for which you complete a table is played once. You get 90 seconds of reading time before each task.

Schreiben

Two texts in 90 minutes, each worth up to 15 points. In task 1 you write a formal complaint email that covers all four given notes (approx. 120 words). In task 2 you choose between two topics and give your opinion on four points (approx. 120 words); a text shorter than half that is not marked. How to write formally: The formal email.

Sprechen

• Task 1: you meet someone while travelling, exchange experiences and give each other tips (approx. 5 minutes).
• Task 2: you choose one of three photos, explain your choice, describe and interpret it and answer questions (approx. 5 minutes each).
• Task 3: an exchange of opinions in which each of you argues an assigned position — even if it isn't your own (approx. 5 minutes).

What you need the certificate for

B2 is often required for jobs with a lot of communication and for some vocational training and degree programmes. Which certificate a body recognises is up to that body — check with them before you register.