Comparison
Where to practice for the onSET: every option compared
Short answer: Start with the free official sample test on onset.de to see the exact format. For the most free practice, VWUPass offers 960 texts from A2 to C1 (free account required). onSET Prep, which publishes this guide, targets the cause of your mistakes: 104 texts from A1 to B2, 50 grammar lessons on the endings the gaps delete, and timed exam simulations. Two texts and four lessons are free without an account; the Pass is a one-time $29.
onSET practice options at a glance (checked 18 September 2026)
| Option | What you get | Cost | Best if you want to … |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official onSET sample test | 4 texts in the real task format; slightly easier than the test, always the same texts | Free | see the exact format first |
| VWUPass | 960 texts from A2 to C1 across 18 topics, full 8 × 5-minute simulation, vocabulary trainer, 21 strategy articles | Free, account required | do a lot of timed practice, including C1 texts |
| onSET Prep | 104 texts from A1 to B2 (20 gaps each), 50 grammar lessons on the endings in the gaps, half and full simulation, mistakes grouped by grammar area | 2 texts and 4 lessons free without an account; Pass $29 once | understand why you lose points and fix the grammar behind them |
| c-tester.com | Reviewed C-Tests for Studienkolleg entrance exams, plus C-Tests made from your own texts | Free to start | drill extra C-Tests or prepare for a Studienkolleg |
| Studienkolleg sample tests | Real entrance-exam C-Tests as PDFs, usually five texts in 30 minutes | Free | get more authentic texts (different timing) |
| Deutschlernerblog | A list of C-Test models online and as PDFs | Free | find additional material |
Which option fits your goal
If you only need to know what the test looks like, the official sample test is enough: four texts in the real task format. It is slightly easier than the onSET and always shows the same texts in the same order, so repeating it measures memory more than progress.
If you mainly want volume under exam conditions, VWUPass has the largest free bank we found: 960 texts from A2 to C1, a full eight-text simulation, and a vocabulary trainer. It was built by students for the Vienna preparatory programme (VWU) and needs a free account.
If you keep losing points on the same endings — den or dem, kleine or kleinen, wohne or wohnt — onSET Prep is built for that: every lesson shows how its grammar topic appears as a C-Test gap, and your missed gaps are grouped by grammar area. Our texts go up to B2. If you are aiming for C1, add harder texts from VWUPass or a Studienkolleg test.
What none of them can do
No practice site can tell you your onSET level. Only the official test is calibrated; practice scores, including ours, are training signals. Be careful with anyone who turns a practice score into a guaranteed CEFR level.
Studienkolleg C-Tests use the same gap rule but a different format: usually five texts in 30 minutes instead of eight texts with five minutes each. Use them for extra texts, not for timing practice.
General gap-fill exercises (Lückentexte) train vocabulary, but they do not delete the second half of words, so they do not train the reflex the onSET measures.
onSET: research and CEFR classificationStudienkollegs in Deutschland: entrance-test examples
How to combine them
Day 1: take the official sample test and note your score. Days 2 to 10: practice texts daily and sort every missed gap by type — ending, article, verb form, or vocabulary. Days 11 to 13: full timed simulations. Day 14: repeat the sample test only to get used to the task format, not to predict your level.
Whatever tools you use, the order stays the same: learn the format, fix the grammar behind repeated mistakes, then practice under time.
Who wrote this comparison
This guide is published by onSET Prep, one of the options above. We checked every other option on its own website on 18 September 2026 and list only what those pages state. If something has changed, write to support@onsetprep.com and we will correct it.