Goethe A1 Exam (Start Deutsch 1): Format, Pass Mark and How to Prepare
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 is the entry-level German exam. It has a written part (listening, reading, writing, about 65 minutes in total) and a speaking part (about 15 minutes), it is scored out of 100 points, and you pass with at least 60. It is considered an easy exam for people who have studied for a few months, but the speaking part catches many candidates who only practised on paper.
This guide is based on the official Goethe-Institut exam regulations and sample paper. Details such as fees, dates and result times differ by country and exam centre, so use the numbers here as a map and confirm them with your own centre. Figures are as of October 2026.
The exam at a glance
| Part | What you do | Approx. time | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hören (listening) | Short dialogues, announcements, phone messages | about 20 min | 3 parts, 15 items (multiple choice and true/false) |
| Lesen (reading) | Emails, websites, public signs | about 25 min | 3 parts, 15 items (true/false and matching) |
| Schreiben (writing) | Fill in a form, write a very short message | about 20 min | 2 parts |
| Sprechen (speaking) | Introduce yourself, ask and answer questions, make requests | about 15 min | 3 parts, group exam |
The written parts add up to roughly 65 minutes with no break. The speaking exam is taken in a small group of up to four candidates. Together with waiting and instructions, plan on a morning or an afternoon at the centre, not a few minutes.
Start Deutsch 1 is aimed at adults and young people from about 16. A younger version, Fit in Deutsch 1, exists for children and teenagers (recommended from about 10) and has slightly different rules, so make sure you book the right one.
Points and pass mark
The maximum is 100 points: 75 for the written part and 25 for speaking. You pass with at least 60 points (60 percent) and you must have sat every part of the exam. Goethe labels the results like this:
| Points | Rating |
|---|---|
| 100 to 90 | very good |
| 89 to 80 | good |
| 79 to 70 | satisfactory |
| 69 to 60 | pass |
| 59 to 0 | not passed |
So a “good score” in A1 is anything from 80 upwards, but for almost every purpose a pass is a pass. Visa offices and employers look at the certificate level, not whether you got 63 or 88.
Who needs the Goethe A1 exam?
Most candidates take it for one of three reasons:
- Spouse or family visa. German missions abroad ask many spouses to show basic German at A1 level. Their guidance lists Goethe’s Start Deutsch 1, telc’s Start Deutsch 1 and the ÖSD Zertifikat A1 among the accepted certificates. Rules and exceptions depend on your case, so read the page of the embassy that handles your application. We cover the date question in how long an A1 certificate stays valid.
- A first milestone. Many learners book A1 simply to have a fixed date to work towards.
- A course requirement. Some language schools use it as a progress check.
If your real goal is work or training in Germany, A1 is only the first rung. For example, nurses typically need B1 or B2; see what German level nurses need.
How hard is the Goethe A1 exam?
For most candidates, the written part is manageable: the texts are short, the topics are everyday (shopping, appointments, travel announcements) and many items are multiple choice or true/false. If you have followed a course for two to three months, you will recognise nearly everything.
The difficulty usually sits in three places:
- Listening speed. Recordings play at natural speed, often with announcements or background sound. Practise with audio, not only with text.
- Writing under time pressure. You have about 20 minutes for the form and the short message, including greeting and closing. The task names the points your message must cover, so check each one off before you finish.
- Speaking in front of other people. Part 1 asks you to introduce yourself, part 2 uses question cards, and part 3 asks you to make or answer simple requests. The examiners reward clear, complete answers. A short sentence that is correct and understandable beats a long one that stalls halfway.
For the full question-by-question picture, see our deeper article is Goethe A1 hard? and the walkthrough of the Goethe A1 speaking parts.
The three speaking parts in plain English
- Part 1, introduction. You get keywords (name, country, city, languages, job, hobbies) and talk about yourself. You may also be asked to spell your name or say a phone number.
- Part 2, questions and answers. You draw cards with a topic word and ask a partner a question, then answer theirs.
- Part 3, requests. You get picture cards and formulate a polite request, or react to someone else’s.
A model self-introduction at A1:
Ich heiße Maria Lopez. Ich komme aus Spanien, aus Valencia. Ich wohne jetzt in Leipzig. Ich spreche Spanisch, Englisch und ein bisschen Deutsch. Ich bin Krankenschwester. Mein Hobby ist Schwimmen.
(My name is Maria Lopez. I come from Spain, from Valencia. I now live in Leipzig. I speak Spanish, English and a little German. I am a nurse. My hobby is swimming.)
And a part 3 request:
Entschuldigung, können Sie bitte das Fenster aufmachen?
(Excuse me, could you please open the window?)
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Practising the speaking part
Reading these sentences silently is not practice. The exam is spoken, with strangers, and nerves cut your vocabulary in half. The cure is saying the sentences aloud many times until the structure comes without translation.
SipLingo (our app) lets you rehearse this out loud: you talk to an AI partner in everyday situations, and it corrects grammar, word order and vocabulary, explaining the fix in your own language with the correct sentence. It is a speaking-practice tool; it does not replace a course or the official practice papers, and it cannot promise you a pass.
How to prepare in 6 to 8 weeks
You can adapt this plan to your own pace. It assumes about 45 to 60 minutes a day.
- Weeks 1 to 2: base. Greetings, numbers, the alphabet, personal information, the verbs sein, haben and the regular present tense. Learn to say your phone number and spell your name aloud.
- Weeks 3 to 4: situations. Shopping, food, time and dates, simple appointments, transport. Learn the question words (wer, was, wo, wann, wie viel).
- Weeks 5 to 6: the exam format. Do the official sample paper once under time. Write three practice messages of about 30 words each with a greeting, all the required points, and a closing.
- Weeks 7 to 8: speaking and review. Rehearse parts 1 to 3 out loud, ideally with another person or an AI partner, and repeat the weakest listening items.
For the word order that trips up many beginners, see German word order rules.
Official practice material
Goethe publishes a free Modellsatz (model paper) for Start Deutsch 1 as a PDF on goethe.de: Start Deutsch 1 Modellsatz. Use it at least once under exam conditions, because it shows the exact layout and the way tasks are phrased.
Booking, fees and results
- Fee. On the Goethe-Institut Germany fee page for 2026, Start Deutsch 1 costs 155 EUR for the whole exam; the page notes a 20 percent reduction for people who took a course at the Goethe-Institut within the previous six months. Prices abroad are different and set locally, so check your own centre.
- Online? The Goethe-Institut says it does not currently offer remote online exams: you sit the exam in person. Some centres run digital exams on Goethe laptops.
- Results. You normally see them in your Goethe account (Mein Goethe.de) after the exam. The waiting time depends on the centre: one Goethe-Institut FAQ mentions about 7 working days, while a partner centre in Switzerland quotes two to four weeks. Ask your centre.
- Retakes. Start Deutsch 1 can only be repeated as a whole, not module by module; see what happens if you fail Goethe A1.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 – official exam page – 4 modules, durations (80 min total), group speaking test, booking
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe A1 practice materials (model test, audio, speaking video) – Free A1 model set, 2 practice sets, listening audio and a speaking-module video
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe A1 Start Deutsch 1 word list (PDF) – ~650 A1 words and everyday expressions by topic, with example sentences
Frequently asked questions
Is the German A1 exam difficult?
Not for people who have studied the basics for a couple of months. The topics are everyday and the texts are short, but listening speed and the speaking part need real practice.
What is a good score in German A1?
Goethe rates 80 to 89 points as “good” and 90 to 100 as “very good”. You pass with 60.
How long is the Goethe A1 exam?
The written part takes about 65 minutes (listening about 20, reading 25, writing 20) and the speaking exam about 15 minutes.
Can I take the German A1 exam online?
Goethe says it does not currently offer remote online exams; you must attend a centre. Some centres run the exam on laptops on site, so check which format yours uses.
How long does it take to get Goethe A1 results?
It depends on the centre. Goethe centres commonly mention roughly one week, while some partner centres quote two to four weeks, so ask where you register.
Rehearse your A1 introduction and requests out loud before exam day, with corrections in your own language.
