The Telc C1 Schreiben (Writing) exam tests not only your German knowledge but also your academic thinking and structuring skills. Most candidates fail not due to vocabulary gaps, but because of "I don't know what to write" and "time management" issues.
In this guide, we'll give you the 2026 format templates that will impress the jury and save you, full sample texts, and an updated "Redemittel" (Phrase List) for 2026. Not just theory, but a guide full of practical examples.
💡 Note: If you're still at B1 or B2 level, first check out our B1 writing guide or B2 writing guide. C1 builds on these levels.
Which Exam Is This Guide For?
This guide is for Telc Deutsch C1 (General C1), not Hochschule.
If your goal is to study at a university in Germany, you need the Hochschule version. For work or general career purposes, General C1 is sufficient. Don't waste your money studying for the wrong exam!
Exam Psychology: What Does the Jury Want?
Jury members are not robots. They read 20-30 texts all day, and most are disorganized, unstructured, repetitive texts. To get them to pass you, you must send the message: "I am here and I know what I'm doing."
How do you do that?
- Structure: Your text must clearly have a beginning, middle, and end. Opening and closing sentences must be clear. Each paragraph should focus on one idea.
- Vocabulary Variety: Don't repeat the same word (e.g., "sagen", "gut", "wichtig"). Learn and use their synonyms.
- Connectors (Konnektoren): Instead of simple sentences, build sentences with dependent clauses. This takes you from B2 to C1. If you have gaps in connectors at B2 level, you can also check the connector lists in our B2 writing guide.
Where Do You Lose Points?
- Repeating the same words (sagen, gut, wichtig).
- Simple sentences (Das ist gut. Weil es hilft.).
- Making the intro too long (40+ words).
- Not providing examples to support arguments.
- Going off-topic.
- Using Funktionsverbgefüge (eine Rolle spielen, Kritik üben).
- Nominal style (das Lernen, die Möglichkeit).
- Academic connectors (Folglich, Demgegenüber, Allerdings).
- Giving concrete examples (In Germany zum Beispiel...).
- Maintaining structure (Intro-Body-Conclusion).
Part 1: What Is an Erörterung and How to Write It?
In Telc C1, you are usually asked to write an Erörterung (discussion/opinion essay) of 350-400 words. You are given a topic and two opposing views. Your task is to address these views and defend your own opinion with solid arguments.
Golden Rule: The jury doesn't score your opinion (yes/no), they score how you defend it. So no matter what side you take, your arguments must be logical and supported with examples.
⏱️ Golden 90-Minute Time Management
Planning & Note-Taking
Read the topic, find 2-3 main arguments, sketch the structure on paper (Intro-Pro-Contra-Conclusion). Never write full sentences, only keywords!
Writing (Main Body Is Longest!)
Introduction: 10min (40-50 words). Main Body: 50min (280-300 words). Conclusion: 10min (30-40 words). Give 70% of your time to the main body!
Review & Correction
Fix spelling mistakes (Articles, Capitalization). Find word repetitions, use synonyms. "sagen" → "betonen", "gut" → "vorteilhaft".
Part 2: 3-Part Structure (Introduction-Body-Conclusion)
Divide your text into 3 main blocks. Never break this structure:
1. Introduction (Einleitung) - 10-15% (40-60 words)
What you need to do here:
- Grab the reader's attention (Start with a statistic, question, or current event).
- Introduce the topic and emphasize the importance of the discussion.
- State the text's structure (Gliederung) ("Ich werde zunächst... dann... abschließend...").
2. Main Body (Hauptteil) - 70-75% (250-300 words)
The most important part. What you need to do here:
- Present at least 2 PRO arguments, support each with an example.
- Present at least 1 CONTRA argument and refute it or balance it.
- Make transitions between paragraphs with connectors (Konnektoren).
- Each paragraph should have one idea, each idea should have one example.
3. Conclusion (Schluss) - 10-15% (30-50 words)
What you need to do here:
- Summarize the main arguments (Don't add NEW arguments!).
- State your own opinion clearly ("Meiner Meinung nach...").
- End the text with a closing sentence.
"Magic" Phrases to Memorize
Know these sentences like your own name. Even if your brain freezes from nerves, your hand should be able to write these sentences.
For Introduction
- "In letzter Zeit wird oft darüber diskutiert, ob..."
- "Ein kontroverses Thema, das die öffentliche Meinung spaltet, ist..."
- "Angesichts der aktuellen Entwicklungen stellt sich die Frage: ..."
- "Diese Frage ist von zentraler Bedeutung für..."
Argument Transitions
- "Zunächst einmal spricht dafür, dass..."
- "Darüber hinaus sollte man nicht vergessen, dass..."
- "Allerdings darf man die Nachteile nicht außer Acht lassen..."
- "Demgegenüber steht jedoch, dass..."
Giving Examples
- "Ein anschauliches Beispiel hierfür ist..."
- "Dies lässt sich am Beispiel von ... verdeutlichen."
- "In Deutschland zum Beispiel zeigt sich, dass..."
Conclusion
- "Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass..."
- "Meiner Meinung nach sollten wir..."
- "Abschließend bin ich der Überzeugung, dass..."
Full Sample Text: AI and Work
Theory is good, but how should it look in practice? Here is the full text of a 370-word essay by a candidate who chose the topic "Should AI Replace Jobs?". You can examine the structure, word choices, and argument flow.
📝 Example 1: Artificial Intelligence and Work (370 words)
Should Artificial Intelligence Replace Jobs?
[Introduction - 45 words]
In letzter Zeit wird immer häufiger darüber diskutiert, ob Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) menschliche Arbeitsplätze ersetzen sollte. Während Befürworter die Effizienzsteigerung betonen, warnen Kritiker vor massiver Arbeitslosigkeit. Angesichts dieser Kontroverse stellt sich die Frage, welche Position überzeugender ist.
[Body 1 - Pro Argument]
Zunächst einmal spricht für den Einsatz von KI die Möglichkeit der Produktivitätssteigerung. KI-gestützte Systeme können repetitive Aufgaben schneller und präziser erledigen als Menschen. Ein anschauliches Beispiel hierfür ist die Automobilindustrie, wo Roboter bereits heute komplexe Montageprozesse übernehmen und dadurch die Produktionskosten erheblich senken.
[Body 2 - Pro Argument]
Darüber hinaus sollte man nicht vergessen, dass KI gefährliche Jobs übernehmen kann. In Bergwerken oder der Chemieindustrie kann der Einsatz von Robotern Menschenleben schützen. Folglich wäre es unverantwortlich, diese Technologie nicht zu nutzen, wenn sie Risiken minimiert.
[Body 3 - Contra Argument]
Allerdings darf man die sozialen Folgen nicht außer Acht lassen. Wenn KI Millionen von Arbeitsplätzen ersetzt, führt dies zu massiver Arbeitslosigkeit und sozialer Unruhe. Kritiker weisen zu Recht darauf hin, dass Wirtschaftswachstum ohne gesellschaftliche Stabilität langfristig nicht nachhaltig ist.
[Conclusion - 35 words]
Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass KI weder Fluch noch Segen ist. Meiner Meinung nach sollten wir KI als Werkzeug begreifen, das Menschen unterstützt, nicht ersetzt. Eine kluge Politik muss sicherstellen, dass die Vorteile der Technologie allen zugutekommen, während gleichzeitig Umstrukturierungen sozial abgefedert werden.
C1 Level Vocabulary Bank
You cannot pass C1 with B1 words (gut, schlecht, wichtig). You must show the jury "Nominal Style" and "Advanced Adjectives". Here is what you need to know by topic:
💡 Tip: To memorize these words, you can use our Citizify word learning app. You can practice daily with C1-level vocabulary cards.
🌍 Environment & Climate
- die Nachhaltigkeit: Sustainability
- die Ressourcenknappheit: Resource scarcity
- der ökologische Fußabdruck: Ecological footprint
- erneuerbare Energien: Renewable energies
- der Klimawandel: Climate change
- die Umweltverschmutzung: Environmental pollution
🎓 Education & University
- das Fernstudium: Distance learning
- die Chancengleichheit: Equal opportunity
- der Fachkräftemangel: Skilled worker shortage
- akademische Laufbahn: Academic career
- die Digitalisierung der Bildung: Digitalization of education
- die Studiengebühren: Tuition fees
💻 Technology & Work
- die Digitalisierung: Digitalization
- das Homeoffice: Working from home
- die künstliche Intelligenz: Artificial Intelligence
- die Erreichbarkeit: Reachability
- die Automatisierung: Automation
- der Arbeitsplatzabbau: Job cuts
🏥 Health & Society
- der demografische Wandel: Demographic change
- die Prävention: Prevention
- die Ernährungsgewohnheiten: Dietary habits
- die Zivilisationskrankheit: Lifestyle disease
- die Gesundheitspolitik: Health policy
- der soziale Zusammenhalt: Social cohesion
Funktionsverbgefüge: The Secret of C1
One of the biggest point boosters at C1 level is using Funktionsverbgefüge (Functional Verb Structures). Use these instead of simple verbs:
Simple Verb → Funktionsverbgefüge
- kritisieren → Kritik üben an (+ Dat)
- entscheiden → eine Entscheidung treffen
- wichtig sein → eine Rolle spielen
- beenden → zum Abschluss bringen
- diskutieren → zur Diskussion stehen
More Examples
- beeinflussen → Einfluss nehmen auf (+ Akk)
- helfen → Unterstützung leisten
- fragen → eine Frage stellen
- antworten → Antwort geben
- verbessern → Verbesserung bringen
7 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid in the Exam
- Repeating: Don't keep using the same word (e.g., "sagen", "gut", "wichtig"). Learn their synonyms. "sagen" → "betonen", "behaupten", "darauf hinweisen". "gut" → "vorteilhaft", "effektiv", "nützlich".
- Simple Sentences: Instead of "Das ist gut. Weil es hilft.", build sentences with dependent clauses ("Da es hilfreich ist, wird es als positiv bewertet.").
- Changing Your Mind: Don't switch sides in the middle of the text. Stay consistent. If you said "Für" at the beginning, stick with "Für" until the end.
- Using "Ich" Language: Don't keep saying "Ich denke", "Ich glaube". Use more objective expressions ("Es lässt sich beobachten...", "Man kann feststellen...", "Es wird deutlich, dass...").
- Making the Intro Too Long: Don't make the introduction paragraph longer than 60+ words; the real points are in the development section. Don't spend more than 15% of your time on the intro.
- Not Giving Examples: You must support each of your arguments with an example. Talking abstractly loses points. Make it concrete with "In Germany zum Beispiel..." or "Ein konkretes Beispiel hierfür ist...".
- Time Management: Not finishing the text is the biggest mistake. Always leave 10 minutes for review. Even if your text is incomplete, definitely write a conclusion paragraph.
Practical Practice Strategy
You can't learn just by reading. Write one paragraph every day:
- Monday: Write only Introduction (Einleitung). 5 introductions for 5 different topics. Try to finish each in 40-50 words.
- Wednesday: Write only Main Body (Hauptteil). One Pro argument + example, one Contra argument + refutation.
- Friday: Write a full text (350-400 words). Time yourself (90 minutes).
- Sunday: Review last week's texts. Find word repetitions, use synonyms.
📝 Related Guides: In addition to this writing guide, we also have a detailed guide for the Telc C1 speaking (Sprechen) exam section. If you also want to pass the oral exam, check that guide as well.
FAQ (2026 Updated)
Is word count very important?▼
Yes, but flexible. 350-400 words is ideal. Don't go below 320 (points are deducted). If you exceed 450, it's fine but you'll waste time. Target: around 370 words.
Which side should I choose? Pro or Contra?▼
Doesn't matter. The jury scores your arguments, not your opinion. Choose whichever side you can find better arguments for. What's important is that you address both sides (Pro and Contra) and have a balanced discussion.
I have many spelling mistakes, will I lose points?▼
A bit yes. But structure (Struktur) and vocabulary variety (Wortschatz) are more important. If the structure is good and words are varied, 5-10 spelling mistakes can be tolerated. However, critical mistakes (Article mistakes, Capitalization) will cost points. Always use your review time.
Can I use templates from the internet?▼
You can use the structure (Introduction-Body-Conclusion) and phrases (Redemittel). But don't copy the content. The jury will notice. Memorize the templates but adapt them to the topic.
You've Learned the Theory, Now Time for Practice!
On Citizify, you can keep your language skills sharp with C1-level vocabulary cards and interactive exercises. Thousands of words and practice activities are waiting for you.
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