C-Test
German C-Test practice online: texts from A1 to B2 with answers
Short answer: Practice German C-Tests in the real gap format: four free texts with answers and an explanation for every gap, a timed half simulation, and 104 C-Test texts from A1 to B2 in the Pass. The format matches the onSET-Deutsch, the C-Tests in Studienkolleg entrance exams, and any other C-Test.
What you can practice here
| Resource | Level | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free C-Tests with answers | A1 and B1 | 4 texts with 20 gaps each, an explanation for every gap | free, no account |
| Timed half simulation | A1 to B2 | 4 texts, 5 minutes per text, no going back | free, no account |
| C-Test bank in the onSET Pass | A1 13 · A2 26 · B1 39 · B2 26 | 104 texts with 20 gaps each, full 8-text simulation | one payment of $29 |
| Grammar for the gaps | A1 to B2 | 50 lessons on endings, cases, verb forms and small words | 9 free, all in the Pass |
What a C-Test is
A C-Test is a set of short texts. The first sentence stays complete; after that, every second word loses its second half. You see the start of the word and complete the rest: often an ending, an article, or a short function word.
Because the gaps fall exactly where German shows its grammar, a C-Test measures in a few minutes how reliably you handle cases, endings and verb forms. The C-Test technique guide explains the rule in detail.
Where you will meet a C-Test
The onSET-Deutsch is a pure C-Test: eight texts with 20 gaps each and five minutes per text. Universities use it to place applicants’ German.
Many Studienkollegs also test German with a C-Test, for example the Studienkolleg at Goethe University Frankfurt. Others, like Studienkolleg München, combine the C-Test with other tasks. The gap rule is the same everywhere, so the same practice works for all of these tests.
onSET: format and result · Goethe University Frankfurt: Studienkolleg · Studienkolleg München: German entrance exam
How to practice with C-Tests
Start with a free C-Test and read the breakdown: it shows which grammar areas cost you points. Review exactly those topics in short lessons.
Then do one or two texts a day at your target level, untimed at first and later with five minutes per text. Write down every wrong answer with its reason, and watch whether the same form costs you points again in new texts.
More free C-Tests
The official onSET sample test shows the real exam format. For Studienkollegs, studienkollegs-in.de collects entrance test examples, and Deutschlernerblog lists more C-Tests online and as PDFs. Some of the links there may be out of date.
onSET: official sample test · studienkollegs-in.de: entrance test examples · Deutschlernerblog: C-Test models online and as PDF
What onSET Prep is
onSET Prep is an independent practice platform for German C-Tests, built on the onSET format. It is not a TestDaF-Institut product and not a Studienkolleg. Practice scores do not predict a CEFR level. The Pass is one payment of $29, no subscription.