Goethe B1 Scoring and Pass Mark: How Each Module Is Calculated
Last updated: 30 September 2026 · Verified against current official Goethe-Institut sources
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 has no single overall pass mark. Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking are separate modules, each scored out of 100, and you need at least 60 points in each. The current rules are set out in the Terms and Conditions for Exam Administration dated 1 September 2025.
Reading and Listening conversion
| Correct | Points | Correct | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 100 | 20 | 67 |
| 27 | 90 | 19 | 63 |
| 24 | 80 | 18 | 60 (pass) |
| 21 | 70 | 17 | 57 (fail) |
Values follow the official 3.33 conversion in the Terms and Conditions for Exam Administration.
How Writing and Speaking are graded
- Two graders mark Writing independently; the result is the arithmetic mean.
- If one grader is below 60, the other above, and the mean is below 60, a third assessment is made.
- Writing criteria: task completion, coherence, vocabulary and structures. If task completion receives 0, the whole task scores 0.
- In Speaking, two examiners score separately and the average is rounded to a whole number. The introductory exchange is not graded.
Grade bands
| Points | Rating |
|---|---|
| 90–100 | sehr gut (very good) |
| 80–89 | gut (good) |
| 70–79 | befriedigend (satisfactory) |
| 60–69 | ausreichend (pass) |
| 0–59 | nicht bestanden (fail) |
Modules can be retaken as often as the centre allows; a strong module never offsets a weak one.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Measure the 60-point line in advance
Take Goethe B1 Reading and Listening sets on Zertifly, convert your correct answers into points and see which module is at risk.