The A1 German exam: what to expect and how to prepare

The A1 German exam tests whether you can use very basic German in everyday situations. The best known versions are the Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 and telc Deutsch A1. Both have four parts: listening, reading, writing (a form and a short message) and speaking, where you introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions and make polite requests. With a finished A1 course, the most common words and some practice with the official model test, it is very passable.

#Who needs the A1 German exam?

Most people take A1 for one of two reasons. The first is a visa: many people who join a spouse in Germany from outside the EU are asked to show basic German at A1 before they arrive, with exceptions depending on nationality and situation. The second is motivation: a first certificate is a clear goal and proof that the basics are in place.

If you need the certificate for a visa, ask the German embassy or consulate which exams it accepts before you book. The Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖSD (the Austrian exam) all offer A1 exams, and for most purposes they are treated the same. There is more on choosing in Goethe or telc, and an overview of all levels in German levels A1 to C1.

#What is in the A1 exam?

The exact tasks differ a little between providers and change from time to time, so always look at the current model test on goethe.de or telc.net. The shape, however, is the same.

The written parts are taken together; the speaking part is usually done in a small group with other candidates and two examiners.

#How does the A1 speaking part work?

This is the part most people fear and the one you can prepare best, because the tasks are predictable.

Introducing yourself

You talk about yourself using a few prompts: name, age, country, where you live, languages, job, hobbies. Then the examiner may ask you to spell your name or say a number.

Asking and answering

You draw a card with a topic, such as food or shopping, and a word on it. You make a question with the word and ask another candidate, who answers. Then it is your turn to answer.

Questions with W-words are the safest tool here; how to ask questions in German covers them all.

Making requests

Now the cards show pictures, for example a window, a pen or a glass of water. You make a polite request, and the other person reacts.

#What do you write in the A1 exam?

The first task is a form: you read a short text about a person and fill in their details, such as their name, address, date of birth or the number of people travelling. Read carefully, because the answer is often hidden in a sentence rather than given directly.

The second task is a short message to a friend, a colleague or an office, with three points you must cover. Answer every point, add a greeting and a closing, and keep it simple.

Note the endings: Liebe Sabine for a woman, Lieber Tom for a man, and Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren for an office.

#How should you prepare for the A1 exam?

1. Learn the core vocabulary in topics. Family, food, shopping, the flat, work, time, numbers, the weather and travel cover most of the exam. The most common German words are a good base.
2. Write and memorise your self-introduction. Say it out loud every day until it flows, then practise answering follow-up questions.
3. Practise numbers, times and spelling. Prices, phone numbers, times and the German alphabet come up in listening and speaking.
4. Do the model test under real conditions. Time yourself, then check what you lost points on.
5. Read the questions before you listen. You will know what to listen for, which makes short recordings much easier.
6. Speak German out loud every day, even alone. The speaking part is easier when your mouth already knows the sentences.

#How does Linota help with the A1 exam?

Linota fits the way A1 is tested. Home brings a short text and a grammar rule at your level every morning, and tapping any word shows its meaning and article in that sentence. Saved words come back in review cards and the quick quiz, so the core vocabulary sticks. Say it yourself shows you a sentence in English and asks you to say it in German, which is good practice for the speaking part, and the Places let you walk through a supermarket or a café and hear what people say there.

#The short version

• A1 exams (Goethe Start Deutsch 1, telc Deutsch A1, ÖSD A1) test listening, reading, writing and speaking.
• Speaking: introduce yourself, ask and answer with word cards, make requests with picture cards.
• Writing: a form and a short message that covers every point.
• Prepare with topic vocabulary, a memorised introduction and the official model test.
• If you need A1 for a visa, check with the embassy which certificates count.

Once A1 is done, see what the next levels look like.