Which task types appear in Goethe A1?

Hören has 3 parts (dialogues, announcements, voicemails), Lesen 3 parts (notes/e-mails, ads, signs), Schreiben 2 parts (form + short message) and Sprechen 3 parts (introduction, question cards, requests). Task types are identical in every sitting.

Are real past papers published?

The Goethe-Institut publishes official **Modellsatz** and **Übungssatz** sets; actual exam papers are not released. Since the format is fixed, practice sets serve the same purpose.

How many times is the audio played?

Teil 1 and Teil 3 are played **twice**; the announcements in Teil 2 only **once**. Train keyword-focused listening for the single-play part.

How many words should I write in Schreiben?

Teil 2 asks for a short message of about **30 words**, and you must cover all three given content points.

How many practice sets should I solve before the exam?

At least **5-6 sets per module** is a good target. What matters is analysing your mistakes and retrying the same task type.

Goethe A1 Sample Questions: Task Types and Strategies for All 4 Modules

Level:A1Duration:~65 min + 15 min oralFee:Varies by centerValidity:UnlimitedFormat:4 modules

Last updated: July 2026 · 9 min read

The biggest advantage of the Goethe A1 exam is that the task types are identical in every sitting. Once you know the format, there are no surprises on exam day. This article introduces every task type of the four modules with sample questions and a strategy for each. For the overall structure, see our Goethe A1 guide.

Hören (Listening) — 3 Parts

Teil 1 (6 questions): Short everyday dialogues, each played twice; you pick the correct one of three picture options. Example: "Was kauft die Frau?" — you hear what the woman buys at a supermarket.
Teil 2 (4 questions): Airport, supermarket and station announcements — played once; you mark Richtig/Falsch.
Teil 3 (5 questions): Voicemail messages, played twice; you choose from three written options.

Strategy: Questions come in order — scan the pictures and keywords before listening. Numbers, times and prices are the most frequently tested details. Practise with real-format audio sets in Zertifly Hören A1.

Lesen (Reading) — 3 Parts

Teil 1 (5 questions): Read a short e-mail or note and mark Richtig/Falsch. Example: a friend's message changing a meeting time.
Teil 2 (5 questions): Choose which of two ads matches a given situation. Example: "You are looking for a cheap bicycle — which ad?"
Teil 3 (5 questions): Signs and notices: Richtig/Falsch questions like "According to this sign, is the shop open on Sunday?"

Strategy: Don't try to understand every word; hunt for the specific information the question asks for. Times, places and prices decide almost every item. Practise the format in Zertifly Lesen A1.

Schreiben (Writing) — 2 Parts

Teil 1: Complete a form (name, address, date of birth, nationality). Example: a hotel registration or course application form.
Teil 2: Write a short e-mail/message of about 30 words covering all three content points (Leitpunkte). Example: "Write to your friend: Why can't you come? Suggest a new time. What will you bring?"

Strategy: Memorise the skeleton — greeting (Liebe/Lieber …), one sentence per content point, closing (Viele Grüße). It works in every sitting. Have your texts evaluated by AI in Zertifly Schreiben A1.

Sprechen (Speaking) — 3 Parts

Teil 1: Introduce yourself: Name, Alter, Land, Wohnort, Sprachen, Beruf, Hobby. Then spell a word and say a number.
Teil 2: Ask and answer questions using topic cards. Example: topic "Essen", card "Frühstück" → "Was isst du zum Frühstück?"
Teil 3: Make requests using picture cards. Example: a picture of water → "Kann ich bitte ein Glas Wasser haben?"

We collected sample dialogues and scoring tips for all three parts in a separate guide: Goethe A1 Sprechen questions and model answers.

Solve Sample Questions Under Real Exam Conditions

Reading about tasks is one thing — solving them at exam pace is another. On Zertifly you solve Goethe A1–format listening sets with real audio and rehearse all three parts of the oral exam in the speaking simulation. AI scores your answers instantly and shows you what to fix.

Conclusion

The formula for Goethe A1 is simple: learn the task types, solve at least 5–6 sets per module, and rehearse the speaking part out loud. If you are preparing for the family reunification visa, also read our step-by-step visa guide.