German language intermediate test B1: Screening assessment to hire intermediate speakers

Use our German (intermediate/B1) test to hire the best

This German intermediate test evaluates a candidate’s German proficiency at the B1 level of the CEFR framework. This test will help you hire employees who can communicate in German on subjects commonly encountered at work and in everyday life.

Covered skills

Basic grammar
Sentence composition
Reading comprehension
Listening comprehension

Use the German (intermediate/B1) test to hire

Customer support agents, sales representatives, and other employees that need an intermediate level of German to perform well in their roles.

Type

Language

Time

10 min

Languages

English

Level

Intermediate

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About the German (intermediate/B1) test

Employees with the ability to communicate in German at the intermediate level will help improve your company’s internal and external communications by removing language barriers and improving the flow of information and collaboration among colleagues and to and from customers.

The German (intermediate/B1) test evaluates a candidate’s ability to communicate at the B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. The test evaluates candidates in the areas of grammar and vocabulary, sentence composition, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension.

Employees who can speak the German language at an intermediate level can communicate with customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders comfortably around daily situations that can arise in the workplace. The texts and sentences used in the test mimic real-life situations at work and everyday life. Those who score well on this test will be able to understand simple, connected sentences on topics that are generally familiar.

The test is made by a subject-matter expert

Josef R.

Josef Rimensberger doesn’t just want to teach the German language; he wants to make it accessible to learners of all ages and abilities. Josef uses his training in Special Education to create specialized courses that open up the German language to students of all levels. A German-language teacher and translator for over fifteen years, he loves learning from his students as much as he enjoys teaching them. Josef is currently studying IT and plans to create a website for his teaching.

Crafted with expert knowledge

TestGorilla’s tests are created by subject matter experts. We assess potential subject-matter experts based on their knowledge, ability, and reputation. Before being published, each test is peer-reviewed by another expert, then calibrated using hundreds of test takers with relevant experience in the subject. Our feedback mechanisms and unique algorithms allow our subject-matter experts to constantly improve their tests.

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Watch how you can use the German (intermediate/B1) test

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Building assessments is quick and easy with TestGorilla. Just pick a name, select the tests you need, then add your own custom questions.

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Send email invites directly from TestGorilla, straight from your ATS, or connect with candidates by sharing a direct link.

Have a long list of candidates? Easily send multiple invites with a single click. You can also customize your email invites.

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Easily switch from a comprehensive overview to a detailed analysis of your candidates. Then, go beyond the data by watching personalized candidate videos.

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View a sample report

The German (intermediate/B1) test will be included in a PDF report along with the other tests from your assessment. You can easily download and share this report with colleagues and candidates.

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What is a German B1 test?

A German B1 test will help you identify candidates with intermediate-level (B1) German language skills. B1 is one of the language skill levels defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international standard for describing language ability. Here’s a brief outline of the framework:

• A1 (Beginner): Can use and understand everyday expressions and basic phrases, like introductions, if spoken slowly and clearly.
• A2 (Elementary): Can understand immediately relevant expressions and vocabulary, like information about family, directions, or local geography, and are able to express things in simple terms.
• B1 (Intermediate): Easily grasps the main points of common interactions related to work, school, and leisure. Can explain and describe things clearly, though mistakes may still be made.
• B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Understands core ideas from complex text and spoken expressions, though fields of vocabulary might be specialized. Can interact with native speakers without strain.
• C1 (Advanced): Has achieved operational proficiency. Can understand subtleties and complexities and have challenging discussions with native speakers on any topic.
• C2 (Mastery): Can be considered equivalent to a native speaker.

Each CEFR level considers competencies in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The B1 German test measures these four areas of language proficiency to help you identify candidates with intermediate German-language abilities.

• Reading: How well can your candidates understand written German text?
• Writing: How well can your candidates express themselves in written German?
• Speaking: How well can your candidates express themselves in spoken German?
• Listening: How well can your candidates understand spoken German?

How can I use the German B1 test?

With remote work on the rise, the demand for language skills is increasing across all industries.

German is the 11th most widely spoken language in the world, with more than 130 million speakers, and is used extensively in tech and business. But it’s difficult for employers to know if job candidates have the necessary German language skills for an open role just by looking at their CVs.

Using a German B1 test is the most accurate and reliable way to measure intermediate German language skills.

How does the test work?

Candidates are given ten minutes to complete the test. The questions cover basic grammar, vocabulary and spelling, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension skills in German. Applicants who do well on the test have an intermediate level of proficiency in these skills.

It’s important to use the German B1 test in combination with other skills tests – not in isolation.

You can build a complete pre-employment assessment with up to five skills tests from TestGorilla’s test library. You’re also able to add custom questions to tailor the assessment to the role you’re advertising.

Combine language tests with role-specific skills tests, cognitive ability tests, or coding tests, depending on the role you want your German-speaking candidate to fill.

Once you’ve built a complete assessment that includes the B1 German test, you can send it to candidates via a public link (a URL that you can copy to a chosen job board or personal email) or enter the names and email addresses of your candidates to generate an automated assessment invitation.

How do I analyze the test results?

TestGorilla provides a variety of tools to help you review your candidates’ results and create a shortlist of candidates to interview.

You’ll see a general overview of all candidates who have taken your assessment, ranked from highest to lowest percentile scores, on the “My assessments” page. Percentile scores are generated based on the results of all the candidates in our database who have taken the tests in your assessment.

You can use the percentile scores to see your top candidates at a glance or choose to analyze them in even more depth:

• Organize candidates by name, average score, or your ratings of their custom question responses.
• Filter by Stage (evaluated, not yet evaluated, invited for interview, interviewed, rejected, offer sent, hired) and/or Status (invited, started, completed, disqualified).
• Change the scoring benchmark to see how your candidates have scored relative to other candidates who have taken the same test. This way, you can assess test performance even if you only have one candidate.

Our German B1 test will help you hire top German-speaking candidates

With a German B1 test, measuring language skills becomes simple. You don’t need to guess or wait until the interview stage to gauge an applicant’s abilities.

Use TestGorilla’s B1 German test to effectively identify language skills at the start of the hiring process, and you’ll spend less time and effort looking for the right candidate.

Some other benefits of using online assessments such as the B1 German test for skills-based hiring include:

• Bias-free hiring: CV screening focuses on education and experience, so it’s vulnerable to recruitment bias. Skills tests put candidates on a level playing field.
• A comprehensive evaluation: Use a combination of skills tests to measure cognitive ability, culture-add potential, technical skills, and language skills.
• A scalable solution: Whether you have 20 applicants or 200, you can send an assessment to all of them with one click and view a breakdown of the results to easily compare candidates.
• Avoid mis-hires: Mis-hires are costly for businesses. Skills assessment results are a better indicator of job success than CVs and will give you the best chance of making the right hire.

If your company consistently hires for German language skills, then rest assured that you can use this test again and again. Questions in the B1 German test are shuffled every time you build and send out a new assessment. Additionally, our subject-matter experts use feedback mechanisms and unique algorithms to constantly improve the test.

In summary

If you’re looking to hire a candidate with intermediate/B1 German-speaking skills, you should use this test to assess your applicants before inviting the most qualified people to an interview. Use our German B1 test to reduce time-to-hire and recruitment bias by making data-driven decisions.

FAQs

What is the difference between an assessment and a test?

An assessment is the total package of tests and custom questions that you put together to evaluate your candidates. Each individual test within an assessment is designed to test something specific, such as a job skill or language. An assessment can consist of up to 5 tests and 20 custom questions. You can have candidates respond to your custom questions in several ways, such as with a personalized video.

Can I add my own questions to an assessment?

Yes! Custom questions are great for testing candidates in your own unique way. We support the following question types: video, multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Besides adding your own custom questions, you can also create your own tests.

How do video questions work?

A video question is a specific type of custom question you can add to your assessment. Video questions let you create a question and have your candidates use their webcam to record a video response. This is an excellent way to see how a candidate would conduct themselves in a live interview, and is especially useful for sales and hospitality roles. Some good examples of things to ask for video questions would be "Why do you want to work for our company?" or "Try to sell me an item you have on your desk right now." You can learn more about video questions here.

Can you explain how the other custom question types work?

Besides video questions, you can also add the following types of custom questions: multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Multiple-choice lets your candidates choose from a list of answers that you provide, coding lets you create a coding problem for them to solve, file upload allows your candidates to upload a file that you request (such as a resume or portfolio), and essay allows an open-ended text response to your question. You can learn more about different custom question types here.

Can I customize an assessment with my company logo and color theme?

Yes! You can add your own logo and company color theme to your assessments. This is a great way to leave a positive and lasting brand impression on your candidates.

What type of support do you offer?

Our team is always here to help. After you sign up, we’ll reach out to guide you through the first steps of setting up your TestGorilla account. If you have any further questions, you can contact our support team via email, chat or call. We also offer detailed guides in our extensive Help & Inspiration Center.

What is the cost for using the German (intermediate/B1) test?

You can find our pricing packages here. Sign up here to try TestGorilla today.

Can I combine the German (intermediate/B1) test with other tests?

Yes. You can add up to five tests to each assessment.

Where in my recruitment process should I use the German (intermediate/B1) test?

We recommend using our assessment software as a pre-screening tool at the beginning of your recruitment process. You can add a link to the assessment in your job post or directly invite candidates by email. TestGorilla replaces traditional CV screening with a much more reliable and efficient process, designed to find the most skilled candidates earlier and faster.

What is the difference between intermediate and proficient level of the English language tests?

The intermediate tests test the B1 level of the CEFR framework language skills. The proficient tests, which are more advanced, test the C1 level language skills of a candidate. You can read more about the different skill levels here.

German (intermediate/B1)