Short answer: start with the free official telc mock exam to see where you stand, build nursing vocabulary with the free vhs Pflege app, drill Sprachbausteine and reading until they're automatic, and only pay for a coursebook or course if self-study isn't moving your score. Below are the seven resources we'd actually recommend in 2026 — with costs, what each covers, and what it doesn't.
If you're not yet sure what the exam itself looks like, read our telc B1-B2 Pflege exam guide first — this post assumes you know the format and focuses purely on preparation materials.
1. Official telc mock exams (Übungstest 1 & 2) — free
Cost: Free (PDF + MP3 download) · Covers: every section, with answer key
The single most important resource, and it costs nothing. telc publishes complete mock examinations for Deutsch B1-B2 Pflege on telc.net, including audio files for the listening section, answer keys, and the official scoring and weighting tables. Because they're written by the exam maker, they are the only materials that are guaranteed to match the real exam's difficulty and task types.
Use it for: a timed diagnostic at the start of your preparation (so you know your gaps), and a second timed run one to two weeks before the exam date.
Limitation: there are only two versions. If you burn through both in week one, you have no realistic full-length simulation left — which is exactly why the drilling resources below exist.
2. vhs Pflege app / vhs-lernportal.de — free
Cost: Free · Covers: nursing vocabulary, reading, writing, workplace communication (A1–B2)
Germany's adult education association (Volkshochschule) runs a free learning portal with dedicated nursing courses, also available as the vhs Pflege app. It walks through the language of real nursing work — care documentation, shift handovers, talking with patients and relatives — with structured lessons from A1 to B2, offline access, and even tutor support.
Use it for: building the Fachwortschatz (professional vocabulary) that separates the Pflege exam from general B2. This is the biggest free structured course in the niche.
Limitation: it teaches the language of the job, not the exam. It won't train you on telc task formats or timing.
3. Ein Tag Deutsch in der Pflege — free simulation game
Cost: Free · Covers: speaking scenarios, workplace communication
A 90-minute simulation game in which you play a nurse through a full shift: patient conversations, colleague handovers, documentation moments. It's the closest free thing to rehearsing the oral exam's simulated scenarios, and it's genuinely well made — enough that hospitals use it in onboarding programs for international staff.
Use it for: low-pressure speaking and listening practice early in your preparation, especially if you haven't worked in a German-speaking facility yet.
Limitation: one scenario set. Once you've played it twice, you've seen it.
4. soruLab telc B2 Practice Generator — free trial, then paid
Cost: 5 free generations, then a paid plan · Covers: Sprachbausteine + reading comprehension, unlimited
Full disclosure: this is our tool. The telc B2 practice generator produces unlimited exam-style Sprachbausteine and reading comprehension sets with exam-style distractors, delivered as print-ready A4 PDFs with answer keys. It exists to solve the "only two official mock exams" problem for the two written sections where repetition helps most: grammar-in-context and reading under time pressure.
Use it for: volume. Sprachbausteine is the section where drilling has the most direct payoff, because the grammar patterns telc tests are finite and learnable — you just need far more than two tests' worth of practice to make them automatic.
Limitation: it trains the general telc B2 written formats, not the Pflege-specific writing task or the oral exam. Combine it with resources 1–3 rather than replacing them.
5. telc Trainingseinheiten Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege — official coursebook
Cost: Paid (telc shop) · Covers: all sections, classroom-oriented
telc's own training modules coursebook is built around real nursing scenarios and maps directly onto the exam's task types. It's designed for classroom use, but disciplined self-learners get value from it too, because the texts and exercises are calibrated to the actual exam level.
Use it for: structured progression through all exam sections when you want official material beyond the two mock tests.
Limitation: price, and it works best with a teacher or study partner — the speaking activities assume one.
6. Third-party prep books (2026–2027 editions)
Cost: ~€20–30 · Covers: varies; the better ones include 7+ full practice tests
Amazon carries several recent telc B1-B2 Pflege preparation books with multiple complete practice tests, vocabulary lists and case studies. Quality varies more than with official material — check that the edition is current (2026–2027), includes answer keys with explanations, and covers the oral section, not just the written one.
Use it for: additional full-length practice tests once you've exhausted the two official ones.
Limitation: unofficial means unverified. Task difficulty can drift from the real exam in both directions, so treat scores from these as rough signals, not predictions.
7. Nursing German Podcast + free community resources
Cost: Free · Covers: listening, vocabulary, workplace culture
For the listening section — often the hardest part for candidates who haven't worked in Germany yet — steady exposure beats cramming. The Nursing German Podcast covers patient and colleague communication weekly; the EU project IMED-KOMM offers free interactive medical-communication exercises; and the Deutsch am Arbeitsplatz app trains workplace German from B1. None of these are exam-specific, but twenty minutes a day of professional-register listening measurably softens the handover-audio shock on exam day.
Comparison at a glance
| Resource | Cost | Exam sections | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official telc mock exams | Free | All | Diagnostics + final rehearsal |
| vhs Pflege app | Free | Vocabulary, reading, writing | Building Fachwortschatz |
| Ein Tag Deutsch in der Pflege | Free | Speaking, listening | Oral scenario rehearsal |
| soruLab practice generator | Freemium | Sprachbausteine, reading | Unlimited written drilling |
| telc Trainingseinheiten | Paid | All | Structured official progression |
| Third-party prep books | ~€20–30 | Varies | Extra full practice tests |
| Podcasts + community tools | Free | Listening | Daily professional-register exposure |
A sample 8-week combination
Weeks 1–2: official mock exam #1 as a timed diagnostic; start vhs Pflege daily. Weeks 3–6: drill your two weakest written sections (generated Sprachbausteine/reading sets, prep-book tests), keep podcast listening daily, play Ein Tag Deutsch twice. Weeks 7–8: oral practice with a partner or tutor, then official mock exam #2 under full exam conditions. If you're preparing alongside the broader recognition process, our guide to working as a nurse in Germany covers where the language certificate fits in the overall timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free official telc B1-B2 Pflege practice test? Yes — telc publishes two complete mock exams (Übungstest 1 and 2) as free PDF downloads with MP3 audio and answer keys on telc.net.
Can I pass telc B1-B2 Pflege with only free resources? Many candidates do. The official mocks, vhs Pflege, Ein Tag Deutsch and daily listening cover every section for free. Paid resources mainly buy you volume (more practice tests) and structure (a coursebook or course).
How long should I prepare? With solid general B1–B2 German, 8–12 weeks of focused Pflege-specific preparation is a common range. The bottleneck is usually professional vocabulary and listening speed, not grammar.
Is the Pflege exam harder than general telc B2? Different rather than harder: grammar sits at B1-B2, but every text and audio is set in nursing contexts. Candidates with workplace experience often find it easier than general B2; candidates without it find the listening section harder.
Do all German states accept telc B1-B2 Pflege? Acceptance varies by state and employer — some require it or an equivalent Fachsprachprüfung, others accept general B2. Always confirm with the recognition authority (Anerkennungsstelle) of your target state before booking an exam.