How long is the Goethe B1 exam? Every module and part timed

How long is the Goethe B1 exam in total?

The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 has four modules: Lesen (reading), Hören (listening), Schreiben (writing) and Sprechen (speaking). The first three are written and taken in a group; speaking is usually done in pairs and only in exceptional cases on your own. You can take the modules separately or together. If you take all four on one exam date, the written modules normally come first. The timings are the same for the adult and the young learners' version.

What does an exam day with all four modules look like?

Many websites add 65 + 40 + 60 + 15 minutes and say the exam takes three hours. That leaves out two things the official rules require: a break of at least 15 minutes between the written modules, and 15 minutes of preparation before speaking. This is what a day looks like if everything runs back to back:

Not included is what happens before each module: everyone shows their ID, the invigilator gives instructions, and you fill in your details on the answer sheet and rough paper. Only then does the exam time start. On top of that comes any wait for your speaking slot. Keep the whole day free.

Reading: how much time do you have for each part?

In the Goethe-Institut's official model test (Modellsatz), every reading part shows a working time. Together they add up to exactly 65 minutes. But the exam rules also tell you to keep about 5 minutes of the exam time for copying your answers onto the answer sheet (Antwortbogen). So those 5 minutes have to come out of the parts. You may start with any part you like.

The table shows where time is tight: in Teil 3 you have only 1.4 minutes per question, in Teil 2 more than twice as much. If you spend too long hunting through the ads, you lose time for the press articles. Write the time you want to finish each part at the top of the page.

Listening: why is it "about" 40 minutes?

In listening, the clock runs on the recording. Nobody stops it: the pauses for reading the questions and for answering are part of the recording itself. You cannot finish early and you cannot pause. The Goethe-Institut's exam office in Italy breaks the module down like this in its preparation booklet:

The tightest moment is Teil 1: 10 seconds to read two questions. Practise exactly that. Which recordings you hear only once, and how to handle them, is explained in German B1 listening: which recordings play only once.

Writing: how do you split 60 minutes across three texts?

You may start with any task. Your text goes on the answer sheet. If you write a full draft on rough paper (Konzeptpapier) and then copy it out, the copying comes out of the 60 minutes. A better routine: two minutes of key words on rough paper, then write straight onto the answer sheet, and keep two or three minutes at the end of each task to check that every content point is covered.

How long is the Goethe B1 speaking exam?

You may use the notes from your preparation during the exam, but you are expected to speak freely. Pairs are put together at random. In an individual exam, one of the examiners plays your partner.

Is the digital Goethe B1 exam shorter?

No, the module times are the same. In the digital exam at a test centre you work on one of the centre's laptops and type your answers and texts straight into the test platform. There is no copying onto an answer sheet, so the roughly 5 minutes in reading and listening go to the questions instead. At the start of each module you can watch a short tutorial; the exam time starts only after it. The speaking tasks are still given to you on paper.

The online exam from home, where it is offered, follows the same timetable. If you need the toilet during the written part, the clock keeps running and no time is added. Candidates with special needs can be given extra time; ask your exam centre before you register.

How to practise with real timing

1. Practise reading in 60 minutes, so 5 are left for the answer sheet.
2. Do listening in one go without pausing the recording. Nobody will pause it in the exam either.
3. Writing: all three texts one after another in 60 minutes, with a clock and a word count.
4. Speaking: 15 minutes of preparation against the clock, then give your presentation out loud with a stopwatch, aiming for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Once, do a full morning: reading, listening and writing with two 15-minute breaks. Then you know how the third hour feels.

You can work through all four modules under real timing in the Goethe B1 practice exam, and practise single parts in the practice area. How many points you need in each module is explained in Goethe B1 exam pass mark: how many points you need. What to bring on the day is in German exam day: what to bring and how the day runs.