Goethe B2 cheat sheet

Teil 1–2: multiple choice with 3 options (A/B/C); exactly one option is correct, the other two are distractors that echo words from the text but contradict it.

Teil 3: matching - 7 short ads/notices must be assigned to 4 situations or 4 people; each item is used at most once and some ads are distractors.

Teil 4: 8 yes/no judgments on opinions in reader comments; the criterion is whether the statement matches the writer's position, not whether it is factually true.

Teil 5: gap-fill from a word bank of 8 items for 6 gaps; the two extra words are distractors, so eliminate by grammar (case, preposition, collocation) before meaning.

Total Lesen: 5 parts, 30 items, 65 minutes; all items carry equal weight, so no part deserves more time than another.

Correct answer = paraphrase of the text, never a verbatim copy; an option that repeats the original wording is usually the trap.

Signal words for contrast decide the answer: aber, allerdings, dennoch, trotzdem, vielmehr negate the preceding clause - the answer sits after them.

For matching tasks, first extract the key noun phrase of each situation (what is needed), then scan ads only for that feature; ignore price or location details that are not asked.

Total Hören: 4 parts, 30 items, approx. 40 minutes including the 5-minute transfer time at the end.

Each audio is played twice; the first pass is for global meaning, the second for verifying the specific item and eliminating distractors.

Teil 1: short everyday dialogues/monologues, one multiple-choice item each (3 options); the answer is often corrected mid-speech - the last statement wins.

Teil 2: one longer monologue or interview with 10 multiple-choice items; items follow the order of the audio, so track position by question number.

Teil 3: a conversation with 7 statements to judge as richtig/falsch; statements paraphrase the speaker, so listen for agreement or rejection, not exact words.

Teil 4: 8 short statements matched to 4–5 speakers or announcements; each speaker is used once, and one option is a distractor.

Numbers, times and prices are usually stated twice with a correction (e.g. "nicht um acht, sondern um Viertel nach acht") - the corrected value is the answer.

Negation and modal particles (doch, ja, wohl, eigentlich) flip the meaning of a statement; a distractor often drops the negation.

Total Schreiben: 2 tasks, 75 minutes; Teil 1 is a formal letter/email (~80 words minimum) and Teil 2 is a discussion/opinion post (~80 words minimum).

Teil 1 requires all four content points (Leitpunkte) plus a suitable formal opening and closing (Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren / Mit freundlichen Grüßen).

Register rule: Teil 1 formal (Sie-form, no contractions, no colloquialisms); Teil 2 semi-formal forum post (du/ihr or neutral, direct address allowed).

Scoring uses four criteria: Erfüllung (content points), Kohärenz (connectors, paragraphing), Wortschatz (range and precision), Grammatik (accuracy and complexity) - each weighted equally.

Connector inventory for coherence: zunächst, darüber hinaus, außerdem, allerdings, dennoch, daher, folglich, zusammenfassend.

Teil 2 structure: state position, give two reasons with examples, name one counter-argument and rebut it, close with a conclusion.

Word-count discipline: falling clearly below the minimum loses content points; exceeding it wastes time - aim for minimum +10 to +20 words.

Formal letter conventions: Betreff line without article, comma after the salutation is lowercase-continued, and no "Liebe" in a formal context.

Total Sprechen: 2 tasks with 15 minutes preparation time; Teil 1 is a presentation (ca. 3–4 min) on a topic from a list, Teil 2 is a discussion with a partner (ca. 5 min).

Teil 1 fixed structure: Vorstellung des Themas, Beschreibung der Situation/Erfahrung, Vor- und Nachteile, eigene Meinung, Fazit, then answer follow-up questions.

Teil 1 requires a visual aid (Stichpunkte on a sheet) and explicit signposting: "Ich möchte zunächst …", "Ein weiterer Aspekt ist …", "Abschließend …".

Teil 2 is interactive: you must react to the partner (zustimmen, widersprechen, nachfragen), not deliver a monologue - turn-taking is scored.

Useful disagreement formulas: "Da stimme ich dir teilweise zu, aber …", "Das sehe ich anders, weil …", "Kannst du das näher erläutern?".

Scoring criteria: Erfüllung (task completion), Aussprache (intelligibility, not native accent), Wortschatz, Grammatik, and Interaktion in Teil 2.

Self-correction is permitted and preferred over silence; an unfinished sentence with a repair scores better than a stalled turn.

Preparation rule: write keywords only, never full sentences - reading aloud lowers fluency and interaction scores.