Goethe Zertifikat A1 HÖREN | Listening Part
You do not have to understand every word in the Goethe A1 listening exam, you only have to catch the few words that answer the question. Johannes shows you what the HÖREN part of Goethe-Zertifikat Start Deutsch A1 looks like, how to prepare each task in two steps and how to find the right answer, with real examples you can try yourself before he explains them.
How the A1 Listening Exam Is Structured
| Part | What you hear | Questions | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | 6 short dialogues about daily life | Multiple choice with 3 pictures or short answers (A, B, C) | Twice |
| Teil 2 | 4 announcements (Durchsagen) | richtig / falsch (true / false) | Once |
| Teil 3 | 5 voice messages (Sprachnachrichten) on an answering machine | Multiple choice (A, B, C) | Twice |
The first page of Teil 1 and Teil 2 has an explanation and an example (Beispiel). You do not need to read it. The recording starts with the example, and in Teil 3 there is no example: you start directly with number 11. Between the dialogues of Teil 1 you have about 25 seconds to prepare for the next question.
The Two Preparation Steps
- Mark all the important words in the question and the answers (Markiere alle wichtigen Wörter).
- Make notes. Write down words with the same or the opposite meaning, or anything that is related. If the question has numbers, write them the way you pronounce them.
Teil 1: Dialogues in Everyday Life
Dialogue 1: Where can you buy running shoes?
Johannes marks wo, Laufschuhe kaufen and the ordinal numbers (erster, dritter, vierter Stock). For notes he thinks of a related word: Sportschuhe. In the dialogue one speaker reads the information sign: men's shoes are on the fourth floor and women's clothing on the first. Then comes the one sentence that matters: Im dritten Stock findest du Sportschuhe. The correct answer is B, the third floor.
Tip from Johannes: do not try to understand each and every word. Focus on the words you marked and on your notes.
Dialogue 2: When does the museum close?
Here Johannes notes öffnen and its opposite schließen, and he writes the times in both ways. In German there are two ways to tell the time, and which one you hear depends on the situation and the speaker: 19 Uhr 30 or halb acht. The key sentence is Ja, am Mittwoch schließen wir schon um halb acht. The correct answer is C, until 19.30 (halb acht). This is why your notes are so useful.
Teil 2: Announcements, True or False
You hear each announcement only once, and you decide for each one whether the statement is true or false. Mark the key words first. The numbers are 7 to 10.
| Number | Marked words | Key sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mutter, zur Information (an information desk, Schalter) | Der kleine Daniel sucht seine Mutter. Kommen Sie bitte schnell zum Informationsschalter. | richtig |
| 8 | Fahrgäste, im Zug bleiben (passengers should not get off the train, nicht aussteigen) | Bitte steigen Sie nicht aus. | richtig |
Teil 3: Voice Messages
Teil 3 is similar to Teil 1, but only one person speaks, and there is no example.
Number 11: What does Sarah want to do?
Johannes marks Was Sarah machen and writes DVD and Kino as related words (both mean einen Film sehen). He also thinks about why she might stay at home: maybe she has to study, or she is sick or tired. In the message Sarah says: Im ABC-Kino gibt es einen guten Film. Kommst du mit, oder musst du lernen? The correct answer is A, einen Film sehen.
You can also solve it by finding the wrong answers. Ich möchte heute Abend nicht zu Hause bleiben rules out staying at home, and Kommst du mit oder musst du lernen? is only a question, so the learning answer is wrong too.
Number 12: Sven Meinhardt and the appointment
Here Johannes marks wann, Sven, Mittwoch and the times 10, 11 and 12. He notes that 10 Uhr can also mean 22 Uhr, 11 Uhr can mean 23 Uhr and 12 Uhr can mean midnight. If numbers are difficult for you, write them out like you pronounce them. In the message Sven says that he is sick and cannot come tomorrow, and asks: Geht es auch am Mittwoch um 10 Uhr? The correct answer is A.
The video does not play the other dialogues (Teil 1), announcements 9 and 10, and messages 13 to 15, but you prepare and answer them in exactly the same way.
Do not forget the Antwortbogen. This is the most important paper of the whole test, not only of listening. You have to transfer all your answers onto it. If you do not, you get zero points, because the Goethe Institut only looks at this paper.
Three Tips for the Listening Exam
- Mark and make notes. Mark important keywords and write down opposites, synonyms or words that are somehow related. Anything you write down might help.
- You do not need to understand everything. Focus on your marked words and notes. Also pay attention to negations such as nicht, kein and keinen, because they change the whole meaning of a sentence.
- Improve your listening skills. Use flashcard apps with audio when you review vocabulary. And practise with texts that have a transcript: listen several times, make notes, listen until you understand most of the text, and then check the transcript. Textbooks are good for this because the texts match your level.
Johannes also mentions our A1 video course, which comes with books, worksheets and listening exercises, and has an option for flashcards with audio.
What to Learn Next
Listening is one of four parts of the exam. Next, read how to pass LESEN (reading), SCHREIBEN (writing) and SPRECHEN (speaking). For more listening practice try German listening practice A1 with 2 dialogues and questions. Numbers and times come up in almost every task, so also revise how to tell the time in German and German numbers 20 to 100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parts does the Goethe A1 listening exam have?
Three: Teil 1 has 6 dialogues with multiple-choice questions, Teil 2 has 4 announcements with true / false questions, and Teil 3 has 5 voice messages with multiple-choice questions.
How often do I hear each recording in the A1 listening exam?
In Teil 1 and Teil 3 you hear each text twice. In Teil 2 you hear each announcement only once.
How should I prepare each listening task?
Use the time before the recording to mark the important words and to make notes: write down words with the same or the opposite meaning, and write numbers the way you pronounce them.
Do I need to understand every word?
No. Focus on the words you marked and on your notes, and pay attention to negations like nicht, kein and keinen, because they change the meaning of a sentence.
How can I improve my listening skills before the exam?
Use flashcard apps with audio for vocabulary, and listen to texts that come with a transcript several times, making notes, before you check the transcript.
Need more words, grammar and listening practice for this level? Our A1 German online course has books, worksheets and listening exercises in one place.
