Goethe-Institut German A1 exam explained

If you want the Goethe-Institut German A1 exam clearly explained, you’re in the right place. In this post we’ll unpick the format of this important beginner German language exam. We’ll get clear on just what the A1 test German exam itself involves. The focus is on the exam for adults (sub-titled Start Deutsch 1). We won’t look at the beginners’ exam aimed at children and young people (called Fit in Deutsch). Read to the end and you’ll already be in a better position to decide whether the A1 German test is for you and you’ll have a sense of what you need to be able to do to pass it.

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What’s the level of the German A1 exam?

A1 is a level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a set of ability standards used by educators in German and many other languages. There are two CERFL “Basic” levels. A1 (“Breakthrough”) is the lower beginner level. A2 (obscurely called “Waystage”) is for upper beginners. I’ve looked at the A2 exam in a separate post.

So, applying the CERFL, how good does your German have to be to pass the Goethe A1 exam in German for adults (Start Deutsch 1)?

In short, you need to be able to:

• communicate in a simple manner if the person you are speaking to talks slowly and clearly
• understand and use familiar, everyday and common expressions and simple sentences (e.g. information about yourself and your family or about shopping, work and your immediate surroundings)
• introduce yourself and others, as well as ask others about themselves, e.g. where they live, who they know and what they own.

If you manage to pass the German A1 test, you have every reason to feel proud of your achievement.

Sure, what you can say and understand is still very limited to simple language in the most common. You will still often only catch some of the main points of what’s being said even if it’s expressed in clear speech that isn’t that fast.

But just pause to reflect for a moment!

If you can achieve A1 German, you’ll have covered the most fundamental German grammatical patterns.

You should also be aiming for a vocabulary of about 650 of the most important words. With an active command of about half of these words and patterns and a passive understanding of most of them, you can expect to be able to communicate at a basic level in real-life situations.

This new super power will make travelling in German speaking country less daunting. I’ll be a great way to connect with native speakers and other learners. A1 level German thus a very worthwhile goal in its own right but, if you want, it can also be your first steps towards learning more of the language.

Where can you take the Goethe-Institut German A1 exam?

The Goethe A1 exam typically takes place at one Goethe-Institut on one day. There is no modular option (that’s to say, unlike with the intermediate “B” level exams, you can’t take parts of the exam at different times and at different exam centres).

There is a network of Goethe Institutes around the world, with the greatest number in Germany itself. The number of times a year that the exam is offered will vary from centre to centre. Some centres only hold the exam once or twice a year. Bigger, busier Goethe Institutes, such as the one in Berlin, may offer several sittings a month. The price varies from country to country as well. Some of the Goethe Institute’s overseas partner institutions also put on the exam. Always check the latest arrangements with your chosen exam centre, especially in 2022 as the COVID crisis continues!

The German A1 exam format section by section

The Goethe German A1 exam is split into four parts. These cover the four skills of listening (Hören), reading (Lesen), writing (Schreiben) and speaking (Sprechen). There isn’t a separate grammar or vocab test (unlike, for example, in the Russian TRKI exams).

Let’s look at the format of each section in turn.

I’ve used the Goethe Institute’s own “model paper” (“Modellsatz”)(8th edition, April 2021) as guidance here. Always check the most up-to-date format for yourself before the exam in case things change.

Reading Section (Lesen)

Included in the same 45-minute paper as writing. The suggestion is that you spend about 25 minutes on the reading part and 25 rest on the writing.

The reading test is divided into three parts (Teil Eins bis Teil Drei). There’s only one correct answer for each.

Reading Part 1 (Teil Eins):

You get two short texts. In the model paper these are two emails (first, about 40 words long, second, about 70 words). They are both informal (du not Sie). Of course, the text will be different in the exam.

There are five questions (two on the first text, three on the second text) that you have to answer as Richtig or Falsch.

For example, in the second email in the model paper, we read “am kommenden Sonntag habe ich Geburtstag.

Question 3 is “Ralf hatte am letzten Wochende Geburtstag”. Richtig/Falsch. We also read “Es werden viele Leute da sein, die du auch kennst”.

Question 4 is “Ralf hat nur zwei oder drei Leute eingeladen.” Richtig/Falsh.
Question 4 is more of a challenge than 3. There’s less of an overlap between the text and the sentence in the question. Also, you may well at this level not have learned the Futur I tense (which uses werden as the Hilfsverb or verbal auxiliary). If you haven’t you’ll have to rely entirely on the contrast between “viele Leute” and “zwei oder drei Leute” to go for “Falsch” as the correctd answer.

Reading Part 2 (Teil Zwei):

In each of questions six to nine you see two short websites (about ten to twenty words, with the web address visible). You are given a different simple situation for each question.

As an example, the situation for question 6 in this part of the model paper is “Sie möchten mit dem Schiff auf dem Rhein fahren”. You have to choose which website you would visit to get the information that you need. The two sites are “Hotel – Pension ‘Schiff’ and “Binge-Rüdesheimer Rheinschiffe”. Clearly there is scope to go wrong here if you don’t have enough vocab and you’re just looking for the word “Schiff” to help.

Question 10 includes two railway timetables, Hamburg to Wiesbaden and Wiesbaden to Hamburg and you are told “Sie sind in Wiesbaden und möchten mit dem ug am Mittig in Hamburg sein.

Reading Part 3 (Teil Drei):

For each of questions 11 to 15 In the model paper, you are presented with a picture of an information sign. You need to understand the sign to answer the question “richtig” or “falsch”.

For example, Question 13, “Am Bahnhof”, has a picture of a sign that says “Auf dem gesamten Bahnhof ist das Rauchen verboten.” The true/false statement is “Sie können hier Zigaretten rauchen”. You may not know the word “gesamten” but you may recognise “verboten” and make a leap of faith.

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Writing Section (Schreiben)

The writing section is Included in the same paper (and sitting) as the reading part. The suggestion is that you spend about 20 minutes on the writing and 25 minutes on the reading. In the writing exercise at this level, not many words are required and there’s a clear framework for both answers. A significant part of the challenge will be understanding the information provided in the two questions themselves.

Writing Part One (Teil Eins):

Part One is a form-filling exercise. In the model paper, you get some basic information about your friend, Eva, who is trying to book a coach trip to Lake Constance.

You’re told that she will be with her husband and two sons and that she doesn’t have a credit card.

There are five gaps in the trip registration form that you have to fill in. (Anzahl der Personen: -; Davon Kinder -; Zahlungsweise: Bar/Kreditkarte; Reisetermin: -.

Writing Part Two (Teil Zwei):

Part Two is a short, freehand letter. In the model paper, the letter is to the Tourist Information Office in Dresden. Besides the salutation and sign off, have three specified areas to cover in one or two sentences (sentences around 30 words in total): explain why you’re writing; ask for information about cultural activities such as films, museums; third: ask for addresses of hotels.

In the “real” exam the tasks would presumably be similar to the two in the model paper.

Listening Section (Hören)

The total time for the Goethe A1 German hearing test is cira 20 mins. There are three parts.

The whole soundtrack for the A1 German model exam paper is on the Goethe website (and lasts just over 17 minutes).The voices in this soundtrack are perhaps clearer than real speech would often be and slightly slower (but still fairly realistic).

You hear a short audio clip before each question. In Parts One and Three each clip is repeated. After the clip (after the second repetition in One and Three), there’s a gap of about nearly twenty seconds for you to answer the question before the next clip sounds.

Listening Part One (Teils Eins):

In Part One there are clips, each played twice, and six questions. You choose the correct answer from three options a), b), c).

There is a picture for each option, which will be a great help.

For example, question 3 is a conversation between a diner in a restaurant and the waiter discussing main course options.You have to say what the diner orders (French fries, fish, sausage).

Listening Part Two (Teil Zwei):

There are four questions (seven to ten). On the basis of a separate audio clip for each question, you have to decide whether the short statement in each question is “richtig” or “falsch”. You only get to hear each clip once.

The clips are all made over a loudspeaker (for example in a train station and an airport).

For example, in question 9 in the model paper you hear a train onboard announcement saying that the train has made an unscheduled stop and that passengers should not alight. The statement is “The passengers should stay in the train”: richtig / falsch?

Listening Part Three (Teil Drei):

There are five questions after five audio clips (you hear each clip twice).
You have to choose the correct answer from a), b) and c). The clips cover a range of different telephone voicemail messages. The task is to decide on the basis of what you’ve heard which of three brief options is the correct response to the question.

Speaking Section (Schreiben)

The Goethe A1 German exam speaking test lasts about fifteen minutes. There are three parts and you have to speak to other members of a group of up to four participants, plus two examiners: the moderator and the assessor. The moderator leads and will intervene with some light guidance to nudge participants back to the form of the exercise. The assessor notes the performance of the candidates and also helps the assessor role play an example of each exercise.

Speaking Part One (Teil Eins):

In Part One you have to introduce yourself in short sentences with the help of a prompt sheet provided. On the prompt sheet (at least in the model paper): “Name? Alter? Land? Wohnort? Sprachen? Beruf? Hobby?” You should speak in short sentences (not single words). For example: “Mein Name ist…”, “Ich komme aus…”, “Ich lebe in…”, Ich spreche Englisch und Deutsch.” The model paper suggests that you finish with a question: “Und Sie, wer sind Sie, bitte?”

Be aware that at the end of your self introduction the moderator will ask you to spell one piece of your information (e.g. your given name and surname, the street you live in). The moderator will also ask you to give a number (e.g. mobile/cell phone number, post/ZIP code).

Speaking Part Two (Teil Zwei):

Part Two tests asking for and giving information simple information relating to two everyday subjects (e.g. Essen und Trinken, Familie, Einkaufen, Wochenende).

The first candidate asks a question, the second answers and this continues round until everybody has asked and answered a question.

For example, if you have the card: “Thema Einkaufen. Stadtplan” you could ask “Wo kann ich einen Stadtplan bekommen?” If you are asked this, you might answer: “An der Information im Bahnhof.” Then the exercise repeats with a second everyday subject.

Speaking Part Three (Teil Drei)

Part Three tests whether you can ask and answer a question in relation to an everyday object.

For example, the prompt card might show a picture of ein Glass Wasser. There is no prompting text on the card. You might ask “Ein Glass Wasser, bitte!” or answer “Ja, natürlich, bitte!”. Other pictures in the model paper include a pencil, an apple, a watch (ask the time) and a chair.

There’s a fourteen minute video of an actual speaking exam on the Goethe Institut’s website.

Goethe German A1 test: pass marks and retakes

You take the whole Goethe A1 exam at one exam centre on one day.

The overall passmark for the Goethe German A1 test is 60%. You can drop below this in one or several sections but you’ll then obviously have to perform very strongly in the other parts to pull your overall score up.

If you’ve already approaching an A1 “exam ready” level, check out the model paper and other practice material for the Goethe-Institut German A1 exam on the Institut’s website.

I’ve done my best to get things right above, but double-check yourself and remember, formats and requirements do sometimes change and that’s all the more true while COVID-19 is still with us.

Viel Erfolg in your preparation and in the exam!

Would you like to see more content on the topic here on the site? Let me know in the comments below!

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