What you actually pay
telc licenses independent exam centres and does not publish a national price.
Each centre sets its own fee, which is why the answer to "what does it cost" is a
range rather than a number.
In Germany, €130 to €200 covers most cases. Public adult education centres
(Volkshochschulen) tend to sit at the lower end; private language schools at the
upper. Outside Germany the spread is wider, because the fee reflects local costs.
The fee normally includes both the written and oral parts, and one certificate. It
does not normally include a preparation course, exam practice material, or a
replacement certificate later.
Before you book
Two things are worth checking, because they cost nothing to ask and can save the
whole fee:
Compare centres in your city. They differ by more than people expect, and the
exam is identical - the certificate does not record where you sat it.
Ask whether the fee can be covered. If you are in a BAMF integration course,
the final exam is normally paid for. Jobcenter and Agentur für Arbeit fund exams in
certain cases, as do some employers, particularly where the certificate is a job
requirement. Approval before booking is far easier than reimbursement after.
Resits
If you pass one part and fail the other, most centres let you repeat just the
failed part at a reduced fee, provided you do so within a year at the same centre.
If both parts failed, you pay the full fee again.
This is the practical argument for a full simulation before booking: the cost of
finding out you were not ready is one exam fee, and a simulation that scores the
written and oral halves separately tells you which of the two thresholds you are
short of.
Fees change and vary by centre. The figures here are indicative - confirm the
current price with the centre you intend to book.