German B1 – Goethe Certification Exam Pattern
Congratulations! You have reached the third level of the German language. I am sure the road travelled wasn’t that easy, but you made it till here and this shows your determination to learn the language. You can join our upcoming German batches for B1-B2 and many more, details are at the end of this blog.
Here is the exam pattern of,
B1 Level for Goethe Certificate.
This exam consists of four modules which come under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).
First module is,
Lesen – Reading
Marks – 100
Time – 65 mins
This module consists of 5 main questions.
First main question consists of 6 sub-questions. This question is like the question we used to have in our English exams in school. There is a text which you need to read carefully and answer the asked questions. One just needs to find out whether the sentences are true or false.
Second main question consists of 2 Texts and 6 sub-questions, 3 for each text. Every question will have three options a, b or c. Find out the correct answer after you carefully read the given text.
Third main question also consists of 7 sub-questions. Here, you’ll mostly read a summary of an advertisement. You need to find out which summary suits which advertisement. This is not a difficult one, but could be tricky and confusing if you don’t understand the words well.
Fourth main question has 7 sub-questions. One of the trickiest parts of the listening module. An argumentative topic is given to you which can draw an opinion of an individual. Different people here give their opinions. Either they are for the topic or they are against it. Your task here is to identify their opinions correctly and mark the answers as either Yes (for) or No (against)
Fifth main question has 4 sub-questions. This is an easy task. A leaflet that contains information will be given to you with some questions along with it. You have to read the leaflet carefully and mark the correct answers among a, b or c.
Important: Reading Module at B1 level is challenging in two ways. First the Vocabulary and second is the time constraint. Even though it is easy to understand the structure of the questions, to solve them could be a little stressful. A tip here is to learn your vocabulary thoroughly and read…read…..and read… books, newspapers, articles, transcripts anything and everything that is available with you.
Hören – Listening
Marks – 100
Time – 40 mins
This module consists of 4 main questions. (4 Teilen)
First main question has 5 sub-questions. Each question is a dialogue between two people or a radio news or an announcement which you will be listening to twice. Each of this Conversation will have two questions; 1. True or False, 2. Mark the correct answer a, b or c.
Important: You get 60 secs time before starting the Listening exam and this is the best time to mark all those important words in the questions as well as in the answers. They could be the keywords during the conversations.
Second main question has 5 sub-questions. This question contains a person talking about a certain place or guiding the tourists in a city or museum. You get to listen to this conversation only once. Listen to what the man or the woman says carefully and mark the correct answer between a, b or c.
Important: These sentences could be tricky and they could use synonyms and antonyms to confuse you. The best part to get through this question is by being thorough with your vocabulary and practising a lot of Audios from and outside of the Textbooks. Listening to podcasts will be the biggest help here. LINK THE PODCAST BLOG
Third main Question consists of 8 sub-questions. This part contains a conversation between two people and one must mark if the given sentences are true or false. You get to listen to the whole conversation only once and you have to mark the correct option.
Important: Though this question is quite easy and scoring, knowledge of vocabulary is a must. Read the sentences very carefully and mark all the important words. You get approximately 10-15 seconds before the conversation starts. Utilise it to the fullest!
Fourth main Question consists of 8 sub-questions. You will be listening to an interview and it will be played twice. One needs to find out which sentence was said by which person; the anchor or one of the two guests. Listen to the interview carefully and mark the correct answer.
Important: The biggest challenge in this question is identifying the voices of the guests. Rigorous practice needs to be done to ace this part of the Listening module. Reading the questions before listening is extremely important. Also try to understand the context of the interview by reading the questions carefully. This might help you to understand the questions (just a little trick :P)
Schreiben – Writing
Marks – 100
Time – 60 mins
This Module has 3 main questions.
First question is essay writing. A situation along with 3 points will be given to you. This is the most extensive part of the writing module. It is always a descriptive, informal letter or an Email. While the question is easy to understand, the writing part can be a bit tiring. You have the freedom to write. Describe as much as you can, but do not lose track of time.
Second question is giving your opinion in the form of a comment on the given topic. You’ll aso read an opinion of another person under the question. This will help you to frame your opinion correctly. You can either agree to what the person is saying or you can give a counter comment on that opinion. Now, because this is a comment you do not need to address it to anyone or write the greetings at the end. Just a plain comment.
Third question is a formal letter that you already have practiced at the A2 level. Only one change here is that there are no points given. Only a question and los geht’s!
Important: Again, for almost the fifth time now, it is important to know your vocabulary. Other important points are grammar, spellings and the way of writing in German language. For example, all the nouns (proper or common) start with capital letters only. You will lose marks if not written that way. Use the Connectors wisely and keep your texts clear and crisp but with all points included. While there is plenty of freedom to write and you know a lot of new words, make sure you do not extend the given word limit.
Sprechen – Speaking
Marks – 100
Time – approximately 15 mins for 2 participants
And lastly, this module has 3 questions.
First question is planning something together. For Example you both want to plan to go to a Museum together. Some discussion points will also be given to you like When would you like to visit, how will you travel, who will buy the tickets, how to pay and any other questions that you will need to plan out your visit. This conversation should last around 3 – 4 mins. One of the easiest parts of the Speaking Module.
Second question is about a presentation. Of Course you don’t need to present anything using a computer or something. Two Argumentative topics will be given to you, first only the summary. You have to read them and decide which one you would choose. Once you choose them you’ll get a detailed info sheet after that. You need to present on this topic. The five common points that you need to make your Presentation around are
- Introduction of your topic
- Your opinion on the argument
- Situation in your Homeland
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Conclude and thank everyone listening to you in the room.
One of the most important Parts of the Speaking Module. You will get around 10-15 minutes to prepare for your presentation. You can only make points of the presentation and not full sentences. A lot of reading and keeping up with current affairs is necessary.
Third question is a continuation of the second question. You need to listen to the presentation of your partner carefully and phrase a question to him/her and you are also allowed to give an opinion on the presentation. Same will be done by your partner.
Important: While speaking, pronunciations are extremely important and so are your sentence structures. You will be tested on your response skills, what you ask and how you answer. There are 16 Marks only for your pronunciations. They must be correct only. Make sure you are well prepared and have spoken maximum German during the course. The more you talk, the more confident you become.
*Super important: The marking system for B1 is a little different. Your minimum score for Listening, Reading and Writing and Speaking should be 60% each. The best part about this exam is you can appear for this exam module wise or with different combinations. For example, you can appear for Listening and Reading first and then Writing and Speaking or even individually. We would suggest appearing for all the modules at the same time.
And that’s it folks! It is not difficult if you know the vocabulary and grammar rules well without translating anything in English 🙂
Here is a Sample paper.
Also check this out.
if you want a quick Grammar revision for B1, we have a special course,
just reach out at info@lingothougths.com to register.
Timing: 09:15 PM – 10:45 PM
just reach out at info@lingothougths.com to register.
If you wish to learn B2, we have ongoing batches check out, www.lingothoughts.com
Also, remember, exams are only temporary, languages are permanent. You can join our B2 course, reading sessions, speaking courses or subscribe to our Youtube channel and read our German content!
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