Goethe B1 Writing Exam: Tasks, Word Counts and Model Answers
The Goethe B1 writing exam (Modul Schreiben) lasts 60 minutes and has three tasks: an informal email of about 80 words, an opinion post of about 80 words, and a short semi-formal message of about 40 words. You pass the module with at least 60 of 100 points, and two examiners rate your texts independently.
Below: each task, the scoring, a model answer per task written for this guide, and the costliest mistakes. Facts were checked against the Goethe-Institut’s B1 exam regulations (status 1 September 2025) and the official B1 model paper for adults in October 2026.
The B1 Schreiben module at a glance
| Task | Text type | Length | Suggested time | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Email to a friend | about 80 words | 20 min | informal (du) |
| Teil 2 | Opinion post on a discussion topic | about 80 words | 25 min | neutral |
| Teil 3 | Message to someone you know formally (teacher, boss, landlord) | about 40 words | 15 min | semi-formal (Sie) |
The suggested times come from the official model paper.
Schreiben is one of four separately scored modules, so you can retake writing alone if your centre offers it.
How the writing module is scored
Each task is rated on four criteria:
- Erfüllung (task completion): Did you cover every content point and use the right register and text type?
- Kohärenz (coherence): Are your sentences connected logically, with linking words and a clear order?
- Wortschatz (vocabulary): Is your vocabulary varied and appropriate for B1?
- Strukturen (grammar and spelling): How accurate are your sentences?
In the practice materials, Teil 1 and Teil 2 are each rated with up to 10 points per criterion, and Teil 3 uses the same criteria on a smaller scale, so the 40-word message carries less weight than the two longer texts. The total is converted to a score out of 100, and 60 is the pass mark. For how that interacts with the other modules, see the Goethe B1 passing score guide.
The practical lesson: content points come first. A text with a few grammar slips that answers every point usually scores better than a polished text that forgets one of them.
Teil 1: the informal email (about 80 words)
You get a short situation and three content points, for example: something happened, explain why, suggest a meeting. You write to a friend, so you use du.
Model task (written for this guide): You moved to a new flat last month. Write to your friend Anna: describe the flat, say why you moved, and suggest a day to visit.
Liebe Anna,
vielen Dank für deine Nachricht! Stell dir vor, ich bin letzten Monat umgezogen. Meine neue Wohnung liegt im Zentrum und hat einen kleinen Balkon. Ich bin umgezogen, weil ich jetzt nur zehn Minuten zur Arbeit brauche. Vorher bin ich jeden Tag eine Stunde mit dem Bus gefahren. Die Wohnung ist nicht groß, aber sie ist hell und ruhig. Hast du am Samstag, den 14., Zeit? Ich mache eine kleine Einweihungsparty und würde mich sehr freuen, wenn du kommst.
Liebe Grüße
Maria
Translation: Dear Anna, thank you for your message! Imagine, I moved last month. My new flat is in the centre and has a small balcony. I moved because I now need only ten minutes to get to work. Before, I took the bus for an hour every day. The flat is not big, but it is bright and quiet. Are you free on Saturday the 14th? I’m having a small housewarming party and would be very happy if you came. Love, Maria
Why it works: every point gets a sentence, plus a weil clause, a Perfekt and a contrast with aber.
Teil 2: the opinion post (about 80 words)
You read a short opinion on a discussion topic (in the model paper it is framed as a comment on a TV discussion show) and write your own view. There are no bullet points to tick off, so structure is your job: opinion, reason, counter-argument, conclusion.
Model task (written for this guide): Topic: “Working from home: only advantages?”
Ich arbeite seit zwei Jahren zwei Tage pro Woche im Homeoffice. Meiner Meinung nach hat das viele Vorteile. Ich spare Zeit, weil ich nicht ins Büro fahren muss, und ich kann mich zu Hause besser konzentrieren. Andererseits fehlt mir manchmal der Kontakt zu meinen Kollegen. Im Büro kann man Probleme oft schneller zusammen lösen. Deshalb finde ich eine Mischung am besten: zwei oder drei Tage zu Hause, den Rest im Büro. So hat man die Vorteile von beidem.
Translation: I have been working from home two days a week for two years. In my opinion, that has many advantages. I save time because I don’t have to travel to the office, and I can concentrate better at home. On the other hand, I sometimes miss contact with my colleagues. In the office you can often solve problems faster together. That’s why I think a mix is best: two or three days at home, the rest in the office. That way you get the advantages of both.
Note the Präsens with seit for something that started in the past and continues (“Ich arbeite seit zwei Jahren”). English speakers often write “Ich habe … gearbeitet” here, which is wrong.
Teil 3: the semi-formal message (about 40 words)
You write to someone you address with Sie: a course leader, a boss, a neighbour you do not know well. The typical situation is cancelling, apologising or asking for something. Forty words is short, so every sentence must do a job.
Model task (written for this guide): You cannot attend tomorrow’s team meeting. Write to your boss, Frau Becker: apologise, give a reason, and suggest an alternative.
Sehr geehrte Frau Becker,
leider kann ich morgen nicht an der Teambesprechung um 10 Uhr teilnehmen, weil mein Sohn krank ist und ich mit ihm zum Arzt gehen muss. Könnten wir einen neuen Termin finden? Am Donnerstag hätte ich Zeit.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Daniel Weber
Translation: Dear Ms Becker, unfortunately I cannot attend the team meeting tomorrow at 10, because my son is ill and I have to take him to the doctor. Could we find a new date? I would be free on Thursday. Kind regards, Daniel Weber
Common point losses: du forms, and forgetting to propose something. For greetings and closings in more detail, see how to write a formal email in German.
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Which topics come up
Goethe publishes no topic list, but tasks stay within everyday life:
- Celebrations, invitations, moving house, holidays, visits
- Work and training: colleagues, a new job, a course, homeoffice
- Media and technology: phones, social media, online shopping
- Health, sport, eating habits
- Living together: neighbours, house rules, city vs countryside
- Education: learning languages, school, children and screens
Useful phrases by task
| Function | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| Open an informal email | Vielen Dank für deine Nachricht! / Wie geht es dir? | Thanks for your message! / How are you? |
| Suggest a meeting | Hast du am … Zeit? / Wollen wir uns am … treffen? | Are you free on …? / Shall we meet on …? |
| Give an opinion | Meiner Meinung nach … / Ich finde, dass … | In my opinion … / I think that … |
| Contrast | Andererseits … / Trotzdem … | On the other hand … / Nevertheless … |
| Apologise formally | Leider kann ich … nicht … / Es tut mir leid, dass … | Unfortunately I cannot … / I am sorry that … |
| Ask formally | Könnten Sie …? / Wäre es möglich, …? | Could you …? / Would it be possible to …? |
| Close formally | Mit freundlichen Grüßen | Kind regards |
If weil, denn and deshalb still trip you up, read weil vs denn vs da before your exam: each one changes the word order differently.
The mistakes that cost the most points
- Skipping a content point. Before writing, number the three points in the margin and tick each one when it appears in your text.
- Wrong register. du in Teil 1, Sie in Teil 3. Mixing them (Sie in the greeting, dein later) is a common slip.
- Verb position after weil, dass, wenn. “weil ich habe keine Zeit” should be “weil ich keine Zeit habe.”
- No connectors. A list of short main clauses scores low on Kohärenz. Use weil, aber, deshalb, außerdem, trotzdem.
- Far too short or far too long. The word counts are guidance, but 40 words in Teil 1 rarely covers three points, and 160 words multiplies the chances of errors.
- Missing greeting or closing. Both emails need an Anrede and a Grußformel. They are easy points.
Practise with the free official B1 model paper on goethe.de: one full writing module in 60 minutes, then one task per day on new topics, with feedback from a teacher at least twice before the exam.
Writing improves faster when your spoken sentences are already solid, because you stop translating word by word. SipLingo (our app) is a voice practice tool: you talk through everyday situations like those in B1 tasks and get instant corrections of grammar and word order, explained in your own language. It does not grade written exam texts and does not replace a teacher who checks your Schreiben.
The other B1 modules are covered in Goethe B1 reading and listening tips and the Goethe B1 speaking exam guide.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat B1 – official exam page – Modules, durations, fees, 350–650 lessons to B1, results in 2 days–2 weeks
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe B1 practice materials (model tests, audio, speaking video) – Free B1 model and practice sets for adults and teens, audio and a speaking video
Frequently asked questions
How many words for Goethe B1 writing?
About 80 words for Teil 1, about 80 for Teil 2 and about 40 for Teil 3, roughly 200 in total. The counts are guidance; covering every content point matters more than hitting the exact number.
How long is the B1 writing exam?
The Schreiben module lasts 60 minutes. The official model paper suggests 20 minutes for Teil 1, 25 for Teil 2 and 15 for Teil 3.
How do I pass the B1 writing exam?
Score at least 60 of 100 points. Cover every content point, use the right register, link your sentences with connectors, and practise all three tasks under time pressure with feedback.
What topics come in the B1 writing exam?
Everyday topics: invitations, moving, work, holidays, health, media, living together. Goethe does not publish a fixed list, so practise a broad range.
Is B1 writing hard?
For most learners it is manageable if they practise the three formats, because the texts are short. The main risks are a missing content point and wrong word order in subordinate clauses.
Make your spoken German solid first, and your writing will follow: start a free conversation in SipLingo.
