MATSEC IM German cheat sheet

The listening paper is played twice; marks are awarded for gist, specific detail, and inference, so a first pass should target the general topic and a second pass should confirm numbers, names, and times.

Question rubrics are in German; key instruction verbs include 'Kreuzen Sie an' (tick), 'Ergänzen Sie' (complete), and 'Ordnen Sie zu' (match), and each dictates the answer format.

Distractors are common: a speaker may mention a time or price and then correct it, so the last stated figure is usually the intended answer.

Numbers, dates, and prices appear in authentic announcements; German uses a comma as the decimal separator (3,50 €) and a point in thousands (1.000), and times may be given in 24-hour format.

Matching tasks (A–F options to speakers or situations) require identifying the speaker's purpose or opinion, not just a repeated keyword.

True/false items often hinge on negation or modal particles such as 'doch', 'ja', and 'eigentlich', which reverse or soften the literal meaning.

Regional variation may occur in recordings; standard German is the norm, but Austrian and Swiss variants (Jänner, Velo) can appear in authentic material.

Note-taking during the first playing should record keywords, not full sentences, because the second playing is for verification.

The oral component typically comprises a short self-presentation, a picture or prompt-based description, and a discussion with the examiner; each part is assessed separately.

Assessment criteria usually cover fluency, pronunciation, range of vocabulary and structures, accuracy, and interaction; a single error type should not dominate.

The register is 'Sie' with the examiner unless invited otherwise; use 'du' only with peers in role-play scenarios.

Useful discourse markers: 'Meiner Meinung nach', 'Einerseits … andererseits', 'Das stimmt, aber …', 'Um ehrlich zu sein'.

Picture description follows a spatial routine: 'Auf dem Bild sehe ich …', 'Im Vordergrund/Hintergrund …', 'Links/rechts davon …'.

If a word is unknown, paraphrase with a definition or a superordinate term rather than switching to English; circumlocution is rewarded under strategic competence.

German word order rules apply under pressure: verb second in main clauses, verb final in subordinate clauses introduced by 'weil', 'dass', 'obwohl'.

Pronunciation targets include the ich-Laut [ç] versus ach-Laut [x], final devoicing (Tag → [taːk]), and clear long/short vowel contrasts.

The reading paper contains several short authentic-style texts (notices, adverts, emails, articles); tasks include multiple choice, matching, and true/false with justification.

Skimming for gist precedes scanning for detail; question order usually follows text order in linear tasks.

Cognates help but false friends mislead: 'bekommen' = to receive (not become), 'Gift' = poison, 'aktuell' = current, 'Mensa' = canteen.

Compound nouns carry gender from the final element: 'die Hausaufgabe', 'der Kindergarten', 'das Krankenhaus'.

Separable verbs split in main clauses ('Er steht um sieben auf'), so the prefix may appear at the end of the sentence.

The passive ('wird … gebaut') and the Konjunktiv II ('wäre', 'hätte', 'würde') are frequent in formal and hypothetical texts.

Reference words such as 'dabei', 'damit', 'dafür' and 'der/die/das' as pronouns point back to earlier nouns; tracing them resolves many comprehension items.

Inference items require combining two sentences; the answer is implied rather than stated verbatim, so matching identical wording is a warning sign.

The writing paper usually requires two tasks: a shorter transactional text (email, message, notice) and a longer piece (article, letter, or opinion essay).

Each task specifies a word count; going substantially under loses content marks, while going far over risks accuracy errors and time loss.

All content points in the prompt must be covered; a checklist drawn from the bullet points prevents omission.

Register matters: informal emails use 'du' and 'Liebe/Lieber …', while formal letters use 'Sie' and 'Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren'.

Standard conventions: date top right, salutation, body paragraphs, and a closing formula ('Mit freundlichen Grüßen' / 'Liebe Grüße').

Complex structures raise the range score: subordinate clauses, relative clauses, passive, Konjunktiv II for politeness ('Könnten Sie …?'), and connectors ('außerdem', 'trotzdem', 'deshalb').

Accuracy is assessed separately from communication; consistent case and verb-ending errors cap the language mark even when the message is clear.

A short planning phase (2–3 minutes) outlining each paragraph and its key verbs reduces mid-text hesitation and structural errors.