Goethe A1 Listening: Question Types, Tactics and Exercises
Last updated: 18 July 2026 · 11-minute read and listening
Goethe A1 Hören lasts about 20 minutes and contains 15 questions. The key detail is that not every part is played the same number of times: six Part 1 dialogues twice, four Part 2 announcements once, and five Part 3 messages twice.
| Part | Task | Questions | Playback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short everyday dialogues | 6 | Twice |
| 2 | Public announcements, true/false | 4 | Once |
| 3 | Telephone/voicemail messages | 5 | Twice |
Six original playable exercises
Read the options first, wear headphones, and do not open the transcript until you have answered. Part 2 recordings play only once, as in the exam.
Teil 1 · Original exercise 1
Exam rule: the recording is played two time(s).
Was kostet die blaue Jacke heute?
Teil 1 · Original exercise 2
Exam rule: the recording is played two time(s).
Wann treffen sich die beiden?
Teil 2 · Original exercise 3
Exam rule: the recording is played one time(s).
Die Fahrgäste müssen zu einem anderen Gleis gehen.
Teil 2 · Original exercise 4
Exam rule: the recording is played one time(s).
Um 19 Uhr ist die Lebensmittelabteilung geöffnet.
Teil 3 · Original exercise 5
Exam rule: the recording is played two time(s).
Wann ist der neue Termin?
Teil 3 · Original exercise 6
Exam rule: the recording is played two time(s).
Wo treffen sie sich?
Audio is generated by your device's German speech engine. These original Zertifly tasks are not questions taken from a Goethe-Institut exam.
Four tactics that win points
- Follow the final decision. A dialogue can mention 18:15, then settle on 18:30.
- Catch negatives and corrections: nicht, kein, geschlossen, leider, sondern.
- Preview Part 2 statements. It plays once; listen for the one fact that confirms or rejects the statement.
- Drill number pairs: fünfzehn/fünfzig, dreizehn/dreißig, Viertel vor/halb.
Seven-day routine
- Days 1–2: dictation of times, prices and phone numbers.
- Days 3–4: key facts in station, airport and shop announcements.
- Day 5: who/when/where table for voicemail.
- Day 6: a timed full listening set.
- Day 7: repeat only your weak question types.
Continue with complete audio sets
These six tasks teach the format; full 15-question sets build exam pace.
Open Goethe A1 listening practice →Official source
Question counts and playback rules were checked against Goethe-Institut's online A1 model test. Zertifly wrote every transcript and option on this page.
