Last updated: October 2026
Short answer: with a full-time job you realistically have 20-40 minutes a day for German. There is no fixed timeline for reaching B1 — it depends on your starting level and consistency — but short daily spaced repetition of exam vocabulary, combined with weekly practice of listening, reading, writing and speaking, is what full-time study guides (vhs-lernportal.de, dekra-akademie.de) recommend for people studying around a job.
| Day | Focus | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Vocabulary review (SRS) | 15 min |
| Tuesday | Reading practice (Lesen) | 20 min |
| Wednesday | Vocabulary review (SRS) | 15 min |
| Thursday | Listening practice (Hören) | 20 min |
| Friday | Vocabulary review (SRS) | 15 min |
| Saturday | Speaking practice (Sprechen) or tandem | 30 min |
| Sunday | Mock exam section or writing (Schreiben) | 30 min |
The pattern that works around a full-time job: short daily vocabulary review on workdays, longer sessions only on weekends. Skipping the daily review is what breaks most study plans, not a lack of weekend time.
| Exam | Who it suits | Format note |
|---|---|---|
| telc Deutsch B1 | General and work purposes | Reading, listening, writing, speaking. |
| Goethe-Zertifikat B1 | University and some employers | Also includes a module exam option for teens. |
| DTZ (Deutschtest für Zuwanderer) | Integration course graduates | Result graded at A2 or B1 depending on score. |
| German | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| die Erfahrung | experience | Common in B1 writing and speaking tasks. |
| die Arbeitszeit | working hours | Appears in work-life topics. |
| der Feierabend | end of the workday | Everyday vocabulary, frequent in listening tasks. |
| die Überstunde | overtime | Work-related topic. |
| der Zeitplan | schedule | Planning and organizing topics. |
| die Gewohnheit | habit | Common in opinion/writing tasks. |
| sich konzentrieren | to concentrate | Study-related vocabulary. |
| die Pause | break | Everyday and work vocabulary. |
Use spaced repetition to ensure these terms stick. LexyBooster helps you review words at intervals of 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 120 days, so a 15-minute session on a workday still moves words toward being learned. Focus on exam-topic vocabulary first, since it covers more of the B1 word list than random daily words.
Check out How many German words for B1, browse Essential German words for expats for everyday vocabulary beyond the exam list, or compare study tools at Best German vocabulary apps.