A few missing points in Goethe B2 or telc B2 usually mean one fixed scoring step went wrong.

A near-miss in Goethe B2 or telc B2 is not bad luck. Both exams score in fixed steps, so a gap of a few points usually comes from one or two concrete scoring steps that went wrong.

Goethe reading and listening move in fixed steps

In Goethe B2, Lesen and Hören each have 30 items. Every item is either 1 point or 0, then the raw score is multiplied by 3.33 and rounded. That is why 17 correct answers become 57 points and fail, while 18 become 60 and pass. Missing by 3 points here usually means one more correct answer, not “better German”.

Goethe B2 has four modules, and each module has its own 100-point scale with 60 points needed to pass. If you were close, check the item count first, then the converted score in the official Goethe B2 exam rules.

Goethe writing is judged by criteria, not by feeling

Goethe Schreiben is rated by two raters independently. They can only use fixed point values, no in-between values, and the final result is the average of both ratings, rounded to whole points. A third rating only happens in one narrow case: one rater is below 60, the other above 60, and the average is still below 60.

The criteria are Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz, and Strukturen. In Teil 1, one grade lower on one criterion costs a rater's score 3.5 or 4 points, and in Teil 2 it costs 2.5 points. If you miss by a few points, the usual reason is that one criterion landed one grade step lower.

Task fulfilment is the one to check first. If Erfüllung in Goethe Schreiben is rated E, which means 0 points, the whole task gets 0 points. If you want the exact grid per criterion, read my article on what Goethe B2 Schreiben examiners score.

Goethe speaking is averaged across two examiners

Goethe Sprechen is also rated by two examiners independently, and the final score is the rounded average of both ratings. Rounding goes down up to .49 and up from .5.

telc B2 is passed by halves

telc Deutsch B2 has 300 points in total, but the pass decision is split into two halves. The written part has 225 points: Leseverstehen 75, Sprachbausteine 30, Hörverstehen 75, and Schriftlicher Ausdruck 45; the oral part, Mündlicher Ausdruck, has 75 points. You pass telc B2 with at least 135 of 225 in the written part and at least 45 of 75 in the oral part.

This is why one weak subtest does not automatically fail the written half. A strong Sprachbausteine result can carry weak Leseverstehen inside that 225-point block. The oral half stands alone.

In telc writing, Schriftlicher Ausdruck is rated on three criteria: Aufgabenbewältigung, Kommunikative Gestaltung, and Formale Richtigkeit. Each criterion gets A, B, C, or D, which means 5, 3, 1, or 0 points, and the total is multiplied by 3 for a maximum of 45. Two raters score it, and if they disagree, the second rating overrides the first. A one-step drop on one criterion can cost 6 of 45 points.

After a near-miss, check the score breakdown first

Look at the points on the result sheet, not the grade. In Goethe B2, each module stands on its own. If only one module failed, retake that module. Passed Goethe modules from different sittings can be combined, and each module can be retaken any number of times.

In telc B2, do the same check, but think in halves. If you fail only one part, you can retake just the written half or just the oral half within 12 months of the result sheet. You cannot retake single subtests, and you must ask for the credit when you register. Book the retake with the specific step you lost as the only prep goal.

Inspection, appeal, and re-marking have strict limits

If you want to challenge a Goethe result, the limits are narrow. An Einspruch must be made in writing within two weeks of the result, and an appeal that only says “I was close” is not a sufficient reason. You can also request to inspect your rated exam within three months of the result, but tasks and model answers are not shown.

At telc, the formal check is an Ergebnisüberprüfung. You can request it once, within six weeks, and it costs €40. If the result changes, the fee is refunded. The new result can also be lower. You can also inspect your exam within three months, in person, without copies, under the telc exam regulations.

I’m Luca Heider, founder of Fluedy, and Fluedy is not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut or telc.