German A1 Exam Sample Questions with Answers
The Goethe A1 exam asks very short, everyday questions: a phone message about a train, an email from a friend, a form to fill in, and three speaking tasks where you introduce yourself, ask questions and make requests. Below are original practice questions in the same style for all four parts, with answers, plus the link to the free official sample paper.
These are our own exercises, written to match the task types. They are not copies of any Goethe paper, and they do not replace the official materials. Task formats are taken from the official model paper, as of October 2026.
How the real exam is built
Before practising, know what you are practising for. Based on the official Start Deutsch 1 model paper:
| Part | Task types |
|---|---|
| Hören | short dialogues and announcements, public announcements (true/false), phone messages (multiple choice) |
| Lesen | personal emails (true/false), websites or listings (matching), public notices (true/false) |
| Schreiben | fill in a form from information given; write a short message of about 30 words |
| Sprechen | introduce yourself from keywords; ask and answer questions from cards; make and answer requests |
Exam length, points and the pass mark are covered in our Goethe A1 exam guide: 60 out of 100 points to pass.
The official free sample paper
Goethe publishes a model paper (Modellsatz) for Start Deutsch 1 on its website: Start Deutsch 1 Modellsatz (PDF). Do it once under exam timing after you have worked through the exercises below. It is the best guide to how real questions are phrased and laid out.
Hören: practice questions
Read each text aloud to a friend (or play it with a text-to-speech tool) and answer without looking.
Text 1 (announcement). “Achtung, eine Durchsage. Der Zug nach München fährt heute nicht von Gleis 4, sondern von Gleis 7. Er fährt um 14 Uhr 20 ab.”
(Attention, an announcement. The train to Munich does not leave from platform 4 today but from platform 7. It leaves at 14:20.)
- Von welchem Gleis fährt der Zug nach München? a) Gleis 4 b) Gleis 7 c) Gleis 14
- Wann fährt der Zug? a) 14:02 b) 14:20 c) 15:20
Text 2 (phone message). “Hallo Herr Weber, hier ist die Praxis Doktor Braun. Ihr Termin am Dienstag um 9 Uhr ist leider nicht möglich. Bitte rufen Sie uns an: 0711 55 43 21.”
(Hello Mr Weber, this is Dr Braun’s practice. Your appointment on Tuesday at 9 is unfortunately not possible. Please call us.)
- Herr Weber hat einen Termin beim Arzt. Richtig oder falsch?
- Der Termin ist am Mittwoch. Richtig oder falsch?
- Was soll Herr Weber tun? a) Er soll zur Praxis kommen. b) Er soll die Praxis anrufen. c) Er soll eine E-Mail schreiben.
Answers: 1 b, 2 b, 3 richtig, 4 falsch (Tuesday), 5 b.
Tip: the trap is almost always a number. Write digits down while you listen (7, 14:20, 9 Uhr, the phone number) and compare after.
Lesen: practice questions
Text 1 (personal email).
Hallo Lena, ich bin jetzt in Hamburg. Die Wohnung ist klein, aber schön. Sie hat zwei Zimmer und kostet 650 Euro im Monat. Am Samstag mache ich eine Party. Kommst du? Viele Grüße, Jonas
(Hi Lena, I’m in Hamburg now. The flat is small but nice. It has two rooms and costs 650 euros a month. On Saturday I’m having a party. Are you coming?)
- Jonas wohnt jetzt in Berlin. richtig / falsch
- Die Wohnung hat zwei Zimmer. richtig / falsch
- Die Party ist am Sonntag. richtig / falsch
Text 2 (public notice).
Bäckerei Hoffmann: Montag bis Freitag 6.30 bis 18 Uhr. Samstag 6.30 bis 13 Uhr. Sonntag geschlossen.
(Hoffmann bakery: Monday to Friday 6:30 to 18:00. Saturday 6:30 to 13:00. Closed Sunday.)
- Man kann am Samstag um 15 Uhr Brot kaufen. richtig / falsch
- Am Sonntag ist die Bäckerei zu. richtig / falsch
Answers: 1 falsch (Hamburg), 2 richtig, 3 falsch (Saturday), 4 falsch, 5 richtig.
Matching practice. Two listings: (A) “Stadtführung: täglich 10 Uhr, Treffpunkt am Rathaus, 12 Euro.” (B) “Kino Central: Filme ab 18 Uhr, Karten 8 Euro.” Which one fits “Ich möchte morgens etwas über die Stadt lernen”? Answer: A. Always match the key word (morgens = 10 Uhr) and not just the topic.
Schreiben: practice tasks
Part 1: form. Read the information and fill in the blanks.
Sie sind Ana Silva. Sie wohnen in Frankfurt, Gartenstraße 12. Sie sind am 3. Mai 1996 geboren. Sie möchten einen Deutschkurs im Sprachzentrum machen. Sie bezahlen mit Karte.
| Form field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Nachname | Silva |
| Straße | Gartenstraße 12 |
| Geburtsdatum | 03.05.1996 |
| Kurs | Deutschkurs |
| Zahlung | Karte |
Check: you copy information from the text. Do not invent anything, and write numbers and dates exactly as given.
Part 2: short message (about 30 words). Task: write to a language school. You want to know the price of an evening course and when it starts. Cover three points: why you write, ask about price, ask about start date.
A model answer:
Liebe Frau Müller,
ich möchte einen Abendkurs machen. Was kostet der Kurs? Und wann beginnt er?
Vielen Dank und viele Grüße
Ana Silva
(Dear Ms Müller, I would like to take an evening course. What does the course cost? And when does it begin? Many thanks and best wishes, Ana Silva)
Checklist before you finish: greeting, all three points, closing, your name. Short and complete is better than long and incomplete.
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Sprechen: practice patterns
Part 1: introduction
Prepare six sentences you can say without thinking: name, country, city, languages, job, hobby. Example:
Mein Name ist Pedro Alves. Ich komme aus Portugal, aus Porto. Ich wohne in Zürich. Ich spreche Portugiesisch, Englisch und ein bisschen Deutsch. Ich arbeite als Pfleger. Ich spiele gern Fußball.
(My name is Pedro Alves. I come from Portugal, from Porto. I live in Zurich. I speak Portuguese, English and a little German. I work as a carer. I like playing football.)
Also be ready to spell your name: “Alves, A-L-V-E-S” and say a phone number in pairs of digits.
Part 2: question cards
You get a card with a theme word and a question word. Practice pairs:
| Card | Question you form | Possible answer |
|---|---|---|
| Frühstück? | Was essen Sie zum Frühstück? | Ich esse Brot und Käse. |
| Wochenende? | Was machen Sie am Wochenende? | Ich besuche Freunde. |
| Uhrzeit? | Wann stehen Sie auf? | Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. |
| Familie? | Haben Sie Geschwister? | Ja, ich habe einen Bruder. |
| Hobby? | Was ist Ihr Hobby? | Mein Hobby ist Kochen. |
Rule: form a full question (question word, then verb, then subject: “Was essen Sie?”) and answer in a full sentence.
Part 3: requests
You see a picture of an object or action and make a polite request. Practice:
- Fenster: “Können Sie bitte das Fenster aufmachen?”
- Wasser: “Kann ich bitte ein Glas Wasser haben?”
- Stift: “Haben Sie einen Stift für mich?”
And the answers: “Ja, gern.” / “Natürlich, hier bitte.” / “Tut mir leid, das geht leider nicht.”
Practising the speaking tasks alone
Silent reading will not prepare you for part 1 to 3. You need to hear yourself speak. With SipLingo (our app) you can run the introduction and request patterns above as spoken conversations with an AI partner, and get corrections on grammar and word order in your own language. It is a speaking-practice tool only; use the official sample paper for the written parts.
How to use these questions: a weekly routine
- Day 1: Hören exercises, twice. Note which words you missed.
- Day 2: Lesen and the matching tasks, timed at 25 minutes.
- Day 3: Schreiben, two messages of about 30 words. Check them against the checklist.
- Day 4 and 5: Speaking, out loud, with a partner or an AI. Record yourself once.
- Day 6: Do the official Modellsatz, or one part of it.
- Day 7: Rest or review mistakes.
If your A1 goal is a spouse visa, also read how long an A1 certificate stays valid. For a view of what each speaking part involves, see Goethe A1 speaking parts, and for word order basics see German word order rules.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- 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-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 – official exam page – 4 modules, durations (80 min total), group speaking test, booking
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in the German A1 exam?
Everyday ones: train and shop announcements, personal emails, filling in a form, writing a short message, introducing yourself, asking simple questions and making polite requests.
How can I prepare for the Goethe A1 German exam?
Work through the official model paper once under timed conditions, practise each part with exercises like those above, and rehearse the speaking tasks out loud.
How can I pass my A1 German exam?
You need at least 60 of 100 points. Cover every point the writing task names, write down numbers while listening, and give complete sentences in the speaking part.
How to pass the A1 German exam?
Prepare on the exam format, not only on vocabulary: time yourself, check your answers, and practise speaking with another person or a voice tool until the introduction is automatic.
What should I learn in A1 German?
Introductions, numbers, dates and times, family, food and shopping, the present tense with sein, haben and common verbs, simple questions, and polite requests with können and möchten.
Turn these A1 speaking patterns into real spoken conversations, with corrections in your own language.
