Für die Prüfung brauchst du nur das Handout gründlich zu lesen und zwei Texte zu vergleichen.

Für die Prüfung means for the exam. The preposition für always takes the accusative case, so die Prüfung is accusative.

This opening phrase is just giving the context: as far as the exam is concerned / for the exam.

Because German main clauses follow the verb-second rule.

Here, Für die Prüfung has been moved to the first position for emphasis or context. Once that happens, the finite verb must come next:

• Für die Prüfung | brauchst | du ...

If you started with the subject, you would say:

• Du brauchst für die Prüfung nur ...

Both are correct; the original just puts for the exam first.

Here brauchen means to need in the structure:

brauchen + zu + infinitive

So:

• du brauchst ... zu lesen = you need to read ...

With nur, the meaning becomes:

• you only need to ...
• all you need to do is ...

This is a very common pattern in German. In this sentence, brauchst is not the full main action; it introduces what is necessary.

Nur means only.

In this sentence, it limits the whole requirement:

• For the exam, you only need to read the handout carefully and compare two texts.

So the idea is: that is enough; nothing more is required.

It does not mean only the handout in isolation. It applies to the required tasks as a whole.

Because both lesen and vergleichen are infinitives that depend on brauchst:

• zu lesen
• zu vergleichen

German often repeats zu when two infinitives are coordinated with und, especially when each infinitive has its own words attached to it.

So the structure is:

• das Handout gründlich zu lesen
• und zwei Texte zu vergleichen

That is completely normal and natural.

Because zwei Texte is the direct object of vergleichen.

German infinitive phrases often keep the object close to the infinitive:

• zwei Texte zu vergleichen = to compare two texts

So the second infinitive phrase is built just like a normal German clause fragment, with the object before the infinitive.

Because gründlich is being used as an adverb, not an adjective before a noun.

It describes how you should read:

• gründlich lesen = to read carefully/thoroughly

Compare:

• das gründliche Lesen = the thorough reading
• das Handout gründlich lesen = read the handout thoroughly

Adverbs in German do not get adjective endings here, so it stays gründlich.

Both are accusative, because they are the direct objects of the verbs:

• das Handout is what you read
• zwei Texte are what you compare

So:

• das Handout gründlich zu lesen
• zwei Texte zu vergleichen

In both cases, the verb is acting directly on those nouns.

Yes. Handout is a common borrowed word in German, especially in school, university, and presentation contexts.

Its grammatical gender is usually neuter, so:

• das Handout

That is why the sentence says das Handout.

Yes, absolutely.

These two are both correct:

• Für die Prüfung brauchst du nur ...
• Du brauchst für die Prüfung nur ...

The difference is mainly emphasis and information structure:

• Für die Prüfung ... puts the exam context first.
• Du brauchst ... starts more neutrally with the subject.

The meaning stays the same.