Goethe A1 practice test: Start Deutsch 1 format, scoring and how to pass

A free Goethe A1 practice test in the Start Deutsch 1 shape, with Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, is at /exam/goethe-zertifikat/a1. The adult A1 exam, Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1, has 65 minutes of written parts (Listening about 20, Reading 25, Writing 20) and a 15-minute group speaking test with no preparation time. It is passed at 60 of 100 points, if you take every part. This guide explains each part, how the points are counted, and how to prepare; it follows the Goethe-Institut's terms of administration for Start Deutsch 1, in force since 1 September 2025.

Goethe A1 at a glance

• The written exam usually starts with Listening. Then you do Reading and Writing in the order you prefer. There is no break between the written parts.
• On paper, you mark answers on the question sheets first and copy them onto the answer sheet at the end; about 5 minutes for copying are inside the exam time. Writing Teil 2 is written directly on the answer sheet.
• The exam is taken at a Goethe-Institut or a cooperation centre, on paper or on a centre laptop. Each centre sets its own dates; our Goethe-Zertifikat 2026 guide explains booking.
• The recommended age is 16 or older. Children and young learners take Fit in Deutsch 1, a different paper.

How the points are counted

Each part's raw points are multiplied by 1.66, then added and rounded to a whole number, up to 100: 75 for the written exam and 25 for Speaking. You pass with 60 points, as long as you took every part. There is no separate pass mark inside a part, so a weak part can be made up by a strong one.

The ratings are 90–100 sehr gut, 80–89 gut, 70–79 befriedigend, 60–69 ausreichend, and below 60 nicht bestanden.

Two consequences of the rules:

• You need about 36 of the 60 raw points. For example, 10 in Listening, 10 in Reading, 8 in Writing and 9 in Speaking is 37 raw points, which is about 61 after the factor: a pass.
• The written result matters for Speaking. The terms say that with fewer than 35 points in the written exam, taking Speaking makes no sense, because 60 can no longer be reached even with full marks in Speaking.

Start Deutsch 1 is one exam: if you fail, you retake it as a whole.

Listening (Hören)

Three parts, 15 points, one point per correct answer. The recordings are short everyday texts: conversations, phone messages and public announcements. You mark your answers on the question sheet as you listen and copy them at the end.

Tip: read the questions before each recording and underline the key word (a time, a price, a day, a place). At A1 most answers turn on one such detail.

Reading (Lesen)

Three parts, 15 points, one point per answer. The texts are short and practical: notes, small ads, signs and notices.

Tip: you do not need to understand every word. Find what the question asks for (who, when, where, how much) and look only for that.

Writing (Schreiben)

Two parts, 15 points:

• Teil 1, 5 points: five short answers, one point each.
• Teil 2, 10 points: a short text on an immediate everyday matter, marked by two assessors against fixed criteria; the average is rounded to a whole point.

Tip: in Teil 2, cover every point the task lists, and begin and end the message correctly (for example "Liebe Anna," and "Viele Grüße"). Short, correct sentences score better than long, broken ones.

Speaking (Sprechen)

A group exam with up to four candidates and two examiners, three parts of about 5 minutes each, and no preparation time:

• Teil 1, 3 points: you introduce yourself using the keywords on your candidate sheet, then spell a word and say a number.
• Teil 2, 6 points: candidates talk to each other: you ask questions on a topic from a card and answer the others' questions.
• Teil 3, 6 points: you make requests or ask someone to do something, using action cards (Handlungskarten), and respond to the others' requests.

If you take the exam alone, you talk with an examiner in Teil 2 and 3.

Tip: practise the Teil 1 introduction until it is automatic; it is the easiest 3 points (about 5 after the factor). In Teil 2 and 3, a short correct question ("Was machst du am Wochenende?") is all that is needed.

A six-week plan

• Week 1: sit the full Goethe A1 practice test to find your weakest part.
• Weeks 2 to 4: daily vocabulary for everyday life (numbers, times, days, food, shopping, family, work, travel); three short listening sessions a week; one short message written every day.
• Week 5: a full practice test on a timer, then speaking practice with a partner: introductions, questions and requests.
• Week 6: another full practice test, review of your error list, and rest before the exam.

For a method to review each practice test, see how to analyse a mock test.

Free Goethe A1 practice test

The free Goethe A1 practice test follows the Start Deutsch 1 parts and shows your points out of 100 with the 1.66 factor. For booking and the other levels, read Goethe-Zertifikat 2026: test dates, format, how to book and free practice tests; the B1 test is on the Goethe-Zertifikat page.