How the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 Is Structured

The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is the level most learners need for work, study or residence paperwork. The four modules can be booked and passed separately, so it pays to know exactly what each one asks of you.

Exam structure

1. Lesen (Reading) – 65 minutes

• 5 Teile with different text types
• Multiple choice and matching tasks
• Tests main ideas and specific detail

2. Hören (Listening) – 40 minutes

• 4 Teile, from short dialogues to longer monologues
• Each recording is played once or twice depending on the Teil
• Note-taking and comprehension questions

3. Schreiben (Writing) – 60 minutes

• 3 Aufgaben of varying length
• Informal message, forum post, formal message
• Register and grammatical accuracy both count

4. Sprechen (Speaking) – 15 minutes

• 3 Teile: planning together, presentation, discussing the presentation
• Taken in pairs
• Fluency and interaction are marked, not just correctness

Each module is scored out of 100 and you need 60 points to pass it.

Preparation timeline

3 months before:

• Assess your current level
• Create a study schedule
• Focus on weak areas

1 month before:

• Take practice tests weekly
• Simulate exam conditions
• Review common mistakes

1 week before:

• Light review only
• Rest and stay healthy
• Prepare documents

Key tips

1. Sit full papers under time, not loose exercises – the Goethe-Institut publishes only a handful of Modellsätze, so ration them and practise on generated papers in between
2. Read German news daily to build reading speed
3. Listen to German podcasts on your commute, once without subtitles
4. Write one short text a day and have it marked; untested writing does not improve

Viel Erfolg bei deiner Prüfung.