Goethe B1 exam structure: timing and scoring explained

The three written modules are taken back-to-back, with no break: about 165 minutes in total. The speaking module usually takes place the same day, after the written ones, but it can also be scheduled for a different day.

A module counts as passed once you reach at least 60 points out of 100. Points don't carry over between modules: 95 in Lesen won't rescue 55 in Schreiben.

This is the main difference between Goethe B1 and many other exams. You can register for all four modules at once, or for just one. Every module you pass earns its own certificate. If you pass all four at one exam venue in one exam session, you are entitled to an overall certificate for the level instead. Modules passed at different times can also be combined into an overall certificate, on request and where the exam centre can arrange it, as long as all four were passed within one year at Goethe-Instituts in the EU, or within one country outside it. At Goethe-Zentren and exam partners, all four must be passed within one year at the same centre.

In practice, this means failing one module isn't a disaster. You retake only that module, and your other results stand. How retakes work is covered in the article on retaking one module.

Reading has 30 tasks in 65 minutes. The exam paper suggests how long to spend on each part, but keeping to time is up to you: there's no signal between parts.

Each correct answer is worth one point, 30 in total. The result is converted onto a scale of 100: 30 points × 3.33 = 100. So reaching the 60-point pass mark takes 18 correct answers out of 30.

The most time-consuming part is Teil 2; the trickiest is Teil 3, where there are more ads than situations, and for some situations the correct answer is that no ad matches at all.

Listening also has 30 tasks, and here it matters to know in advance how many times each recording plays. The rule changes from part to part.

Scoring works the same way as in Lesen: 30 tasks, one point each, the result multiplied by 3.33. The pass mark is the same 18 correct answers.

Teil 2 and Teil 3 play only once, and there's no asking for a repeat. That's exactly why, when practising, it pays to listen under exam conditions rather than pausing and rewinding.

Writing is the only written module with no multiple choice. In 60 minutes you write three texts, and the time between them isn't divided up for you: spend 35 minutes on the first task and you'll have 10 left for the third.

Each text is scored against four criteria:

• Erfüllung — task fulfilment: whether every point is covered, and whether the text suits its recipient and genre in style;
• Kohärenz — coherence: whether it's logically organised, with paragraphs and connections between sentences;
• Wortschatz — vocabulary: whether the words used are varied and precise enough for B1 level;
• Strukturen — grammar: how accurate and varied the constructions are.

In the first two tasks, each criterion is worth up to 10 points, so up to 40 per text. In the third task, task fulfilment and coherence are worth up to 4 points each, and vocabulary and grammar up to 6 each — up to 20 in total. Altogether that's 100.

There's one hard rule: if a text gets the lowest mark on Erfüllung, the whole task scores 0, however good the grammar is. A missed point in the task, or the wrong style — say, using "du" in a formal letter — costs far more than any mistake with articles.

The speaking module is taken in pairs, in front of two examiners. You get 15 minutes to prepare beforehand. If no partner is available, you take it alone, and the exam runs for about 10 minutes.

The remaining 16 points are for pronunciation across all three parts. Together that makes 100.

Each module is scored out of 100, and the certificate translates the result into a grade:

1. 90–100

   sehr gut

2. 80–89

   gut

3. 70–79

   befriedigend

4. 60–69

   ausreichend

5. 0–59

   nicht bestanden

For citizenship, residence permits or university admission, what usually matters is simply "bestanden" — a pass — not the grade. But if the certificate is for a job or further study, the grade will be visible on it.

• Knowing the format is half the battle. In Lesen and Hören, the questions are always the same type. Anyone who has been through each part a few times doesn't waste time reading instructions and knows where to look for the answer.
• Listen under exam conditions. Teil 2 and Teil 3 in Hören play only once. If you always replay recordings while practising, the exam will be an unpleasant surprise.
• Write against the clock and the word count. 80 words in 20 minutes isn't much. Practise with a timer, and check your text against the same four criteria the examiner will use.
• Track each module, not just an overall score. It's better to find a weak module a month before the exam than to find out from the results.

Doch! is built exactly around this: Reading and Listening practice across every part and under exam conditions, Writing with feedback against the same four criteria and a score out of 40, and exam-readiness for each skill on one screen. There is no Sprechen practice in the app.