Goethe exam online or offline? The digital exam explained

Is the Goethe exam online or offline?

Both, but the word "digital" does not mean "from home". The Goethe-Institut's official exam rules (Durchführungsbestimmungen) for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, B2 and C1, all dated 1 September 2025, set out three forms: the paper exam, the digital exam at the exam centre, and the online exam on your own computer. For the digital exam you go to the Goethe-Institut or exam centre as usual, there is an invigilator, and you work on one of the centre's laptops. Only the online exam is taken at home.

Digital German exams shall be taken in person on a laptop belonging to the Goethe-Institut exam centre.

On content, the rules say: "The digital material corresponds to the content of the paper-based exam." So you prepare for the same exam. What changes is how you see the tasks, how you answer and what happens on the day.

Paper or laptop: what is different on exam day?

On the laptop you can change your answers and texts until you submit the module or the time runs out. If you want to take notes, ask the exam centre for stamped rough paper.

Are the timings and the pass mark the same?

Yes. The annex for digital exams changes only the material and how marks are entered, not the timings. On marking it says: "The grading criteria shall correspond to the grading criteria of the paper-based exam." The pass mark stays the same too: a module is passed with 60 of 100 points.

What do you gain without the answer sheet?

On paper, the rules tell you to keep about 5 minutes of the reading and the listening time for copying your answers onto the answer sheet. For C1 listening, the German text of the rules says about 3 minutes and the English text says 5. On the laptop this step does not exist. The module time stays the same, so the minutes you would spend copying on paper go to the tasks themselves.

• No copying mistakes: on paper, one skipped line can shift several answers. On screen you enter each answer right next to its question.
• No fair copy in writing: on paper only the text on the answer sheet is marked, so drafting on rough paper costs time. On the laptop you write, edit and move text in one place.
• But you type: the keyboard is German (QWERTZ). Y and Z are swapped compared with an English keyboard, and ä, ö, ü and ß have their own keys. If you are not used to it, you lose time in writing.

Is the speaking test still in person?

Yes. In the digital exam at the centre you still receive the speaking tasks on paper, and two examiners conduct the conversation, just as in the paper exam. During the preparation time you write key points on stamped rough paper and may use them while you speak. The examiners enter their marks on the platform; nothing changes for you.

Can you take the Goethe exam online from home?

Only under certain conditions set out in the Goethe-Institut's exam regulations, and only if your exam centre offers it; check its exam listings. You then sit the exam on your own computer while an invigilator watches through the camera. The listening recordings play through speakers, not headphones. The exam rules list these requirements:

• Device: desktop computer, laptop or Chromebook on mains power, with one screen only. A smartphone is used for the security check and, if required, as a second camera.
• Sound: built-in or external speakers and a microphone in the computer or webcam. Headphones, including in-ear ones, are not allowed.
• Camera: it must be movable so the invigilator can see the whole room, including the desk surface and the underside of the desk.
• Internet and browser: at least 5 Mbit/s upload and download, 10 Mbit/s recommended; Google Chrome plus the proctoring provider's exam browser.
• Room: quiet, well lit, only one door, no large glass walls. Nobody else in the room, no pets either; you and the door stay in the picture the whole time.
• On you: your face and ears stay visible. No smartwatch, no wristwatch, no jewellery on the face, no hair jewellery, no scarves or ties; your phone is switched off and out of reach.
• Format: you take the written part alone; speaking is one-to-one or in pairs, depending on the exam centre. A toilet break does not extend the exam time.

Which format suits you?

• Digital at the centre if you type fluently on a German keyboard. You skip copying answers and write your text without a fair copy.
• Paper if you write faster by hand than on a keyboard, or prefer reading long texts on paper.
• Online at home only if your centre offers it and you can meet every technical rule above. Under the exam rules, you are responsible for the technology yourself.
• Whether a particular format is required is decided by the office that asks for your certificate: the university, the employer, or the visa or immigration office. Which format is offered on which date, your exam centre will tell you.

How to prepare for the exam on a laptop

1. Switch your computer to the German keyboard layout while you practise, until ä, ö, ü, ß and the Z are where your fingers expect them.
2. Type the writing tasks under real time limits. B1: about 80 words in 20 minutes, about 80 words in 25 minutes and about 40 words in 15 minutes. B2: about 150 words in 50 minutes and about 100 in 25 minutes. C1: about 230 words in 50 minutes and about 120 in 25 minutes.
3. Practise listening with headphones, as at the exam centre. For the online exam, practise through speakers instead.
4. Read long texts on screen. If you only practise on paper, scrolling between text and questions will be new on the day.
5. On exam day, ask for stamped rough paper if you want to take notes.

You can train this on screen and under real timing in our practice exams for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and Goethe-Zertifikat C1. For the format, scoring and retakes of B2, read Goethe B2 exam pass mark: format, timings and retakes.