telc exam on computer: what changes in 2026 and 2027
Redaktion · 7 October 2026 · 3 min read
In short
telc runs its exams in three forms: on paper, hybrid and digital, with the written part on a computer. Since the first quarter of 2026 results arrive as a signed PDF by email. The German Test for the Workplace (DTB) will be digital only from 1 May 2027. Your exam centre tells you which form your date uses.
Which forms does telc offer?
On its page for exam centres, telc names three ways of running an exam. Content and marking are the same in all of them; only the way the exam is run differs, and telc states that the forms are equally recognised.
| Form | Written exam | Oral exam |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | on paper at the exam centre | on site with examiners |
| Hybrid | on paper at the exam centre | via video conference in a virtual exam room |
| Digital | on a computer, to telc standards | via video conference in a virtual exam room |
For you this means: tasks, timings and points stay the same whether you write on paper or on screen. Which form your centre offers is stated when you register. Ask if it is not.
What is DIGItelc 2.0?
DIGItelc 2.0 is the platform telc uses for digital exams. According to telc it was introduced step by step in March and April 2026, and since 1 April 2026 exam centres and examiners need a separate licence for it. For you as a candidate, the main point is that a digital exam date runs on this software, at the exam centre and under supervision.
How do results arrive now?
Since the first quarter of 2026, the digital result notice is telc's standard. You receive your certificate or result sheet as a PDF by email and can print it if needed. The digital certificate carries a qualified electronic signature. Anyone who needs to check it, such as an authority or an employer, scans the QR code or looks it up in telc's verification portal; a changed PDF is detected at once.
What changes for the DTB?
telc runs the German Tests for the Workplace (DTB) on behalf of the BAMF. From 1 May 2027 they run on the DIGItelc 2.0 platform, for all four levels from A2 to C1. Until then telc is preparing course providers and learners, including digital practice tests in the courses. If you take your DTB before May 2027, you take it in the current form.
You can practise the DTB B2 on screen and under real timing here.
How do I prepare for an exam on a computer?
- Practise on screen under real timing. Many people read more slowly on a screen than on paper. A timed practice test shows whether your plan works, for example for telc German B1 or telc German B2.
- Practise typing. In the digital form you type your letter. Practise umlauts and ß on a German keyboard, or ask the centre which keyboard it uses.
- Clarify the speaking part. In the digital and hybrid forms it takes place by video conference. Ask whether you sit it at the centre and when.
How exam day works for the Goethe-Institut's computer exams is explained in Goethe exam online or offline.
Frequently asked questions
Is the digital telc exam worth the same as the paper exam?
Yes. telc states that the forms are equally recognised and have the same content. Only the way the exam is run differs.
How do I receive my telc certificate?
Since the first quarter of 2026, by default as a PDF by email with a qualified electronic signature. Authorities check it through a QR code or telc's verification portal.
When does the DTB become digital only?
From 1 May 2027. From then on the German Tests for the Workplace run on the DIGItelc 2.0 platform.
Is the telc speaking exam done on a computer?
In the digital and hybrid forms it takes place by video conference; in the paper form it is on site with examiners. Your exam centre tells you which form applies.
Sources
- telc: telc Prüfungen paper-based, hybrid, digital (page for exam centres), checked 7 October 2026
- telc: Digital telc exams with DIGItelc 2.0, checked 7 October 2026
- telc: telc Zertifikate DIGITAL, checked 7 October 2026
- telc: Deutsch-Tests für den Beruf (DTB) digital, checked 7 October 2026
