German A1 exam format: Goethe, telc and ÖSD compared

What happens in a German A1 exam?

Every A1 exam has the same four skills: you listen to short announcements and conversations, read notices, emails and adverts, fill in a form and write a short message, and in the speaking part you introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions and make requests. The differences are in the minutes, the points and the pass rules.

Goethe Start Deutsch 1: one total counts

The Goethe-Institut adds up all parts: 75 written and 25 oral points, 100 in total. You pass with 60 points if you sat every part. Its rules even point out that with fewer than 35 written points the speaking part is no longer worth taking, because 60 can then not be reached. If you fail, you retake the whole exam; single parts cannot be repeated. In listening you hear parts 1 and 3 twice and part 2 once.

telc Deutsch A1: 60 points, pass at 36

telc Deutsch A1 (also called Start Deutsch 1) gives 15 points each for listening, reading, writing and speaking. On telc's grading scale, 36 to 41.5 points is "ausreichend" (pass), below that the result is only "teilgenommen" (took part). Reading and writing share one 45-minute block, so you divide that time yourself, and at the end you get 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

ÖSD Zertifikat A1: two modules, two pass marks

ÖSD splits the exam into a written module (75 points) and an oral module (25 points). The written module is passed with 38 points, the oral with 12. ÖSD also sets a small minimum for reading and for listening in its score sheet. Each module can be taken and retaken separately, as often as you like. The speaking test is one to one with two examiners, after 10 minutes of preparation on your own.

Which A1 exam should I take?

For a visa, for example to join a spouse in Germany, the German missions ask for an A1 certificate from a provider that meets ALTE standards, such as the Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖSD. Which certificate counts for your case is decided by the office that asks for it; check its own page before you book. Practical points often decide: which test centre is near you, the next date, and the price, which each centre sets itself.

How to prepare

1. Learn the exam instructions, such as "Kreuzen Sie an" (tick) or "Ergänzen Sie" (fill in). At A1 they are in German.
2. Practise filling in a form with your name, address, date of birth and phone number; it brings sure points in writing.
3. Prepare your self-introduction: name, age, country, languages, job, hobbies, in short sentences.
4. Sit one full practice test with the real timings, including the listening parts you hear only once.

You can practise under real timing for Goethe Start Deutsch 1, telc Deutsch A1 and ÖSD A1.