Goethe A1 cheat sheet

The Hören section has three parts and lasts about 20 minutes; each recording is played twice.

Teil 1: short everyday announcements or messages (voicemail, answering machine, public announcement); tasks are true/false or multiple choice with pictures.

Teil 2: short dialogues or monologues on everyday topics; you choose from three written options (a, b, c).

Teil 3: short public announcements (station, airport, shop); match each announcement to a picture or a written item.

Numbers, prices, times and dates are common distractors: two numbers are usually mentioned, and only one answers the question.

Signal words for the answer: 'aber', 'leider', 'doch', 'nicht mehr', 'erst', 'schon' - the correction after 'aber' is usually the correct option.

Question words to listen for: wann (time), wo (place), wie viel/wie viele (quantity), wer (person), warum (reason).

Negation in audio ('kein', 'nicht', 'geschlossen') often reverses the meaning of a keyword that appears in a wrong option.

The Lesen section has three parts, lasts about 25 minutes, and includes short texts such as emails, ads, notices and signs.

Teil 1: two short texts (often email or letter) with true/false statements about their content.

Teil 2: a notice or ad with multiple-choice questions; the answer is stated directly in the text, not inferred.

Teil 3: small ads or notices matched to a person's situation or need - one ad fits, the others do not.

Match by keywords: look for the same noun or verb in text and question, but check the qualifier (day, price, place) before choosing.

Watch for opposites: 'geöffnet/geschlossen', 'frei/besetzt', 'mit/ohne', 'ab/bis' - these change the correct answer.

Time and price formats: '14.30 Uhr', '8–12 Uhr', '5 € pro Person', 'kostenlos' - read numbers exactly as written.

In matching tasks, eliminate ads that contradict one hard requirement (wrong day, wrong place, wrong age) before comparing the rest.

The Schreiben section has two parts and lasts about 20 minutes; you write a short message and fill in a form or short reply.

Teil 1: write a short message (about 30 words) covering all three given points (for example: greeting, reason, request).

Teil 2: complete a form or write a brief reply with personal details (name, address, date, time) as requested.

Always include a greeting ('Liebe/Lieber …', 'Hallo …') and a closing ('Viele Grüße', 'Bis bald') - these count toward the task.

Every bullet point in the prompt must be addressed; a missing point loses points even if the German is correct.

Use simple main clauses; correct verb-second position matters more than long sentences: 'Ich komme am Montag um 10 Uhr.'

Informal du-form for friends and family; formal Sie-form for offices, doctors, landlords - match the prompt's tone.

Separable verbs split in main clauses: 'Ich rufe dich um 8 Uhr an.' Modal verbs send the infinitive to the end: 'Ich kann nicht kommen.'

The Sprechen section has three parts and is done in pairs or small groups; it lasts about 15 minutes with preparation time.

Teil 1: introduce yourself - name, age, country, language, job, hobby; spell your name and say your phone number if asked.

Teil 2: ask and answer questions using prompt cards (theme words such as 'Wohnung', 'Freizeit', 'Essen'); form a W-question and reply.

Teil 3: make requests and respond to them ('Können Sie mir bitte …?', 'Würden Sie …?') and react to yes/no answers.

Question formation: W-word + verb + subject - 'Wo wohnst du?', 'Wann beginnt der Kurs?', 'Wie viel kostet das?'

Polite request pattern: 'Könnten Sie bitte …?' or 'Ich möchte gern …' - the verb goes to the end after 'möchte'.

Numbers and spelling: know the German alphabet names and how to say prices, times and phone numbers digit by digit.

Answer in complete short sentences; a one-word answer ('Ja.') is acceptable but a full sentence ('Ja, gern. Das mache ich.') scores higher.

Read the task options before the audio starts; the pause is there for this purpose.

In true/false items, the audio usually paraphrases the statement rather than repeating it - match meaning, not words.

Times in announcements often change ('Der Zug fährt nicht um 10, sondern um 10.15 Uhr') - the second time is the answer.

Public announcements often start with a place or line ('Achtung, Gleis 3 …') - the location identifies which question is being answered.

In Teil 1 true/false, a statement is false if the text says the opposite or gives a different detail (day, person, price).

In Teil 3, the correct ad satisfies every condition in the person's description; a partial match is a distractor.

Signs and notices are short: 'Zutritt verboten', 'Nur für Kunden', 'Am Wochenende geschlossen' - learn these fixed phrases.

If two options seem possible, the one that repeats a word from the text without a matching detail is usually wrong.

Word order after time expressions: time before place - 'Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin.', 'Wir treffen uns um 7 Uhr am Bahnhof.'

Negation: 'nicht' before an adjective or verb, 'kein/keine' before a noun - 'Das ist nicht teuer.' / 'Ich habe keine Zeit.'

Invitation pattern covers three typical points: 'Ich habe am Samstag Geburtstag. Kommst du? Bring bitte einen Kuchen mit.'

Apology pattern: 'Es tut mir leid, aber ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss.' - 'weil' sends the verb to the end.

Self-introduction frame: 'Ich heiße …', 'Ich bin … Jahre alt.', 'Ich komme aus …', 'Ich wohne in …', 'Ich arbeite als …', 'Mein Hobby ist …'.

Spelling: use German letter names (A = 'ah', E = 'eh', I = 'ih', U = 'uh', J = 'jott', Y = 'üpsilon'); double letters are said as 'doppel-'.

Answering a card question: repeat the question word structure - 'Wann? - Um 8 Uhr.' 'Wo? - In der Schule.' 'Wie oft? - Zweimal pro Woche.'

Reacting to a request: accept with 'Ja, gern.' / 'Kein Problem.'; refuse politely with 'Es tut mir leid, das geht leider nicht.'