Sprachbausteine: how part 2 works
Sprachbausteine is the shortest part of the written exam, but every detail counts: one text, 22 gaps, four options per gap.
Checked on:
The format
| Feature | Sprachbausteine |
|---|---|
| Items | 25–46 (22 gaps) |
| Options | 4 per gap, exactly one correct |
| Text length | 320–350 words |
| Suggested time | about 25 minutes (within the 90 minutes for Reading + Sprachbausteine) |
| Points | 1 per gap, 22 in total |
| Weight | 10% of the total score |
According to telc, the 22 gaps test vocabulary, grammar and spelling. Sometimes the four options are similar words, sometimes the same word in four spellings.
Typical gaps
This grouping is our own, from writing our practice texts; telc publishes no distribution. The examples are our own sentences.
- Prepositions after verbs, adjectives and nouns: “Sie bewirbt sich ___ einen Platz” (um).
- Connectors and word order: “___ die Frist knapp war, reichte er den Antrag ein” (Obwohl, not Trotzdem).
- Noun–verb collocations: “Die Hochschule hat neue Regeln in Kraft ___” (gesetzt).
- Case and endings, relative pronouns, passive and subjunctive.
- Spelling: “Voraussetzung” among similar misspellings.
Two example gaps with reasons
Two examples of our own in the exam format. For each gap it pays to find the right option and also to know why the other three do not fit.
„Bis Ende Mai müssen alle Studierenden den Antrag beim Prüfungsamt ___.“ a) einreichen · b) einzureichen · c) eingereicht · d) einreicht
The answer is a: after the modal verb „müssen“, the infinitive without „zu“ goes to the end of the clause. b) The infinitive with „zu“ follows verbs such as „haben“ or „scheinen“, not modal verbs. c) The past participle would need an auxiliary, for example „eingereicht haben“. d) A conjugated form does not fit, because the conjugated verb of the sentence is already „müssen“.
„Der Prüfungsausschuss wird bis Juli eine Entscheidung über den Antrag ___.“ a) treffen · b) machen · c) stellen · d) nehmen
The answer is a: „eine Entscheidung treffen“ is a fixed noun–verb collocation. „Stellen“ belongs to „einen Antrag stellen“, „nehmen“ to „Rücksicht nehmen“, and „eine Entscheidung machen“ is a calque of the English “make a decision” that counts as wrong in standard German.
How to approach it
- Read the whole text quickly once to see the topic and text type (often a formal letter or an article).
- For each gap, first find the word class and sentence structure: does the verb go to the end? Then you need a subordinating conjunction.
- Check fixed combinations: which preposition does the verb take, which verb goes with the noun?
- For spelling gaps, watch double consonants, ss/ß and capitalisation.
- Leave no gap empty: points are given per correct choice, and an empty gap certainly earns none.
FAQ
- How many points is Sprachbausteine worth?
- 22 points: 22 gaps worth 1 point each. That is 10% of the total score of telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule.
- How much time do I have for Sprachbausteine?
- telc suggests about 25 minutes. The time is part of the 90 minutes for Reading and Sprachbausteine together; you decide how to split it.
- Is it a C-Test?
- No. You do not complete half words; you choose one of four options for each gap.