Goethe Zertifikat A1 SCHREIBEN | Written Part
In the Goethe A1 writing exam you have only 20 minutes, and your email can be formal or informal: the task tells you which one. Johannes shows you the two parts of SCHREIBEN, completes a registration form and writes a model email with you, and gives four tips for exam day. Everything in the example texts is A1 level.
How the A1 Writing Exam Is Structured
- Teil 1: you help someone to complete a form.
- Teil 2: a text production, an email.
- Time: 20 minutes for both parts together.
Teil 1: Fill in the Form
You get a form and a short text. The information that is missing in the form can be found in the text. In the video the form is a registration form for a language school for a friend called Ivan Kamalenko. Five pieces of information are missing:
| Missing information | In the text | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Geburtsort | Ihr Freund Ivan Kamalenko ist in Moskau geboren. | Moskau |
| 2. Wohnort | Aber er lebt seit zwei Jahren in Berlin. | Berlin |
| 3. Schon Deutsch gelernt? | Er hat schon sechs Monate Deutsch gelernt. | Ja |
| 4. Wenn ja, wie lange? | (same sentence) | sechs Monate |
| 5. Kurszeiten | Diesen Sommer möchte er einen Sprachkurs besuchen. Er hat aber nur abends Zeit. | the evening class, 18 to 20.30 |
Important: you also get an Antwortbogen (answer sheet). You have to write your answers from the form again on this sheet, because otherwise they will not correct it.
Teil 2: The Email
You get a situation and three points you must include. For each point write at least one sentence, and write at least 30 words in total (Johannes recommends a little more). Write on the Antwortbogen, not on your own paper.
Formal or informal?
The situation tells you. If you see Herr or Frau and a family name, or you write to an office or a hotel, it is formal. If you see given names such as Anna or Hans, it is informal.
Your email has three parts
| Part | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Anrede (salutation) | Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, / Sehr geehrter Herr Müller, | Liebe Anna, / Lieber Hans, |
| Hauptteil (main part) | Sie and the verb in the third person plural (singular and plural are the same) | du (second person singular) or ihr (second person plural) |
| Gruß (closing) | Mit freundlichen Grüßen + first name and family name, e.g. Lars Bauer | Viele Grüße / Liebe Grüße + first name, e.g. Lars |
When you write to a man, add an r at the end of geehrte and Liebe (geehrter, Lieber). For two people you write both: Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, sehr geehrter Herr Müller. If you do not know the person at all, not even whether it is a man or a woman, use Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. After the salutation the next line starts with a small letter.
Example: Email to the tourist information
Task: You want to visit Munich in September. Write to the tourist information. Include: (1) why you write, (2) ask for information about events, museums, restaurants and so on, (3) ask for hotel addresses.
It is an office, so you do not know the person: formal, and Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. A model email:
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
mein Name ist Lars Bauer. Ich möchte im September nach München reisen. Was kann man dort alles machen? Haben Sie vielleicht Informationen über Kulturevents, Museen und Restaurants? Und können Sie mir auch ein Hotel empfehlen? Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe!
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Lars Bauer
Notice two things. The email does not copy the words of the task (the task says besuchen, the email says reisen): you may use the same words, but you can lose points. And words like vielleicht are not necessary, but they make the text sound more natural. Use the text as a guideline for your own email. All words and grammar belong to A1.
Four Tips for Exam Day
- Bring a watch. Phones are taken away before the exam. Johannes recommends a digital watch with a stopwatch, so you do not have to calculate how much time is left.
- Plan your 20 minutes. Spend no more than 5 minutes on Teil 1. Teil 2 is more complicated and needs more time. Nobody tells you which part to start with, so you can even start with Teil 2.
- Write simple sentences. Use only words, grammar and sentence structures you have practiced and know how to use. Do not try to be creative: it causes mistakes.
- Proofread. Read your text again at least once. Are all verbs in the right position and conjugated correctly? Are all nouns written with a capital letter?
Johannes also mentions a free e-book about the grammar of A1.1 (see the description of the video).
What to Learn Next
This is one of four parts of the exam. Read how to pass the HÖREN (listening), LESEN (reading) and SPRECHEN (speaking) parts. For the next level, the A2 SCHREIBEN lesson shows the longer texts. You will also need how to introduce yourself in German for your own details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parts does the Goethe A1 writing exam have?
Two: in Teil 1 you complete a form with information from a short text, and in Teil 2 you write an email. You have 20 minutes for both parts.
How do I know if my email must be formal or informal?
Look at the situation. Herr or Frau with a family name, or an office or hotel, means formal. Given names such as Anna or Hans mean informal.
How do I start and end a formal email?
Start with Sehr geehrte Frau ..., Sehr geehrter Herr ... or Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren and end with Mit freundlichen Grüßen and your first and family name.
Do I have to use the Antwortbogen?
Yes. You write your answers and your email on the answer sheet, or transfer them to it, because this is the paper that is graded.
How should I split the 20 minutes?
Spend no more than 5 minutes on Teil 1 and the rest on Teil 2. You can start with Teil 2 if you prefer, and keep a minute or two to proofread.
Want reliable structures and phrases for exactly this kind of task? Our A1 German online course walks you through them step by step.
