Goethe C1 Mock Exam: Timing, Scoring Table and Online Simulation
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Checked against the official exam documents
A mock exam only tells you something if you sit it like the real Goethe-Zertifikat C1: same timing, no dictionary, answers on an Antwortbogen, Sprechen after 20 minutes of preparation. This guide gives you the timing of all four modules, the official conversion of correct answers into points for Lesen and Hören, a way to score your own Schreiben and Sprechen with the official criteria, and three original mini-mock items you can solve right here.
The four modules at a glance
Each module gets its own module certificate, so you can also run your mock one module at a time. If you plan to take all four on one day, rehearse the whole written block in one sitting at least once – the fatigue in the third hour is part of the test.
| Modul | Time | Parts / items | Points / pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesen | 65 min | 4 Teile, 30 items | 100 / 60 |
| Hören | ca. 40 min | 4 Teile, 30 items | 100 / 60 |
| Schreiben | 75 min | Teil 1 forum post (ca. 230 words), Teil 2 formal e-mail (ca. 120 words) | 100 / 60 |
| Sprechen | ca. 20 min (pair) / ca. 15 min (single) + 20 min preparation | Teil 1 Vortrag, Teil 2 Diskussion | 100 / 60 |
Only use mock material in the modular format valid since 1 January 2024. Material with a 190-minute written exam or a graph task in Schreiben is the old format that ran until 31.12.2023.
How to run a full mock under exam conditions
Afterwards, score Lesen and Hören with the table below and Schreiben and Sprechen with the official criteria. Write the four results side by side – that, not a gut feeling, should decide which module you register for first.
- Order: Lesen, Hören and Schreiben as one written block, Sprechen separately – the same day or another day. Take short breaks only between modules, never inside one.
- Lesen: set a timer for 65 minutes. Transferring your answers to the Antwortbogen happens within those 65 minutes, so practise it and keep a few minutes at the end.
- Hören: play each recording only as often as the exam allows – Teil 1 (podcast) once, Teil 2 (radio interview) twice, Teil 3 (conversation in four sections) each section once, Teil 4 (talk or lecture) twice. No pausing.
- Schreiben: 75 minutes for both Teile, in any order. The suggested split is about 50 minutes for the forum post and 25 minutes for the e-mail.
- Sprechen: prepare for 20 minutes with notes, then give the talk and hold the discussion without stopping. Record yourself; if you have no partner, practise with an AI partner.
- Nothing on the desk except pen, paper and the timer: no dictionary, no phone, no grammar tables.
Converting correct answers into points (Lesen and Hören)
In Lesen and Hören each correct answer is one raw point; the raw score is multiplied by 3.33 to reach the 100-point scale. These pairs come from the official table:
| Correct answers (of 30) | Points (of 100) |
|---|---|
| 30 | 100 |
| 27 | 90 |
| 24 | 80 |
| 21 | 70 |
| 18 | 60 – pass mark |
| 15 | 50 |
| 12 | 40 |
Each item is worth about 3.3 points, so one or two extra correct answers can decide between pass and fail.
Scoring your Schreiben yourself
Schreiben is scored per Teil with four criteria: Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz and Strukturen. Each criterion gets a level from A to E, with no in-between values; two graders score independently and the average counts.
For a second opinion, the Schreiben tasks on Zertifly give AI feedback with points per Teil by these criteria, plus an improved version of your text.
- Tick off the four points of the task card one by one. The most typical loss: a point is covered, but not exactly as asked.
- Count your words. A text under roughly half the required length (ca. 230 / ca. 120 words) or off topic gets Erfüllung E – and 0 points for that Teil. Writing more is not penalised.
- Teil 1 is a public forum post in a neutral register; Teil 2 is a formal e-mail with Sie, where politeness and tact count.
- Be strict: if you hesitate between two levels, give yourself the lower one.
| Criterion | Teil 1 forum (60) | Teil 2 e-mail (40) |
|---|---|---|
| Erfüllung | 14 | 10 |
| Kohärenz | 14 | 10 |
| Wortschatz | 16 | 10 |
| Strukturen | 16 | 10 |
Scoring your Sprechen yourself
Sprechen is scored by two examiners; the short introduction at the start is not scored. Listen to your recording and go through the criteria:
Without a partner, Zertifly’s Sprechen module gives you an AI examiner and an AI partner who ask spoken questions and score you by the same criteria.
- Teil 1 Vortrag (52 points): Erfüllung 10, Kohärenz 10, Wortschatz 10, Strukturen 10, Fragen/Antworten 12. Did you give an introduction, all four points and a conclusion in about 5 minutes, and then answer the questions?
- Teil 1 takes about 7 minutes per candidate: ca. 5 minutes of talk, ca. 2 minutes of questions – first from your partner, then from an examiner. Then your partner presents and you ask them a question.
- Teil 2 Diskussion (32 points): Erfüllung 8, Interaktion 4, Wortschatz 10, Strukturen 10. Did you weigh pros and cons, react to your partner, and reach an agreement or summarise the positions as the task asks?
- Aussprache (16 points) is assessed across both Teile. Total 100 points, pass mark 60.
What the Zertifly simulation tab does
Every Goethe C1 list on Zertifly – Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen – has a Simulation tab. It runs one module under exam conditions with the official timing: 65 minutes of Lesen, Hören with its exam repeats, 75 minutes for both Schreiben Teile, and Sprechen with preparation, Vortrag and Diskussion with an AI examiner and partner.
The simulation is a Pro feature. With a free account you see what it contains and get an upgrade prompt. You can try the format for free first: the first exercise in every C1 list is free, and free accounts get a few AI evaluations for Schreiben and Sprechen.
Between mocks, the personal C1 study route on your dashboard guides you through practice across all four modules, so you know which Teil comes next.
Mini mock: three original items
Set a timer for 6 minutes and answer without a dictionary. The texts are original Zertifly practice material in the exam format, not official items. The audio is read once – as in Hören Teil 1.
Lesen Teil 2 · Original exercise 1
Lesen Sie den Ausschnitt aus einem Online-Bericht über eine Studie. Wählen Sie die richtige Lösung.
Was sagt die Studienleiterin über die Mehrarbeit im Homeoffice?
Lesen Teil 3 · Original exercise 2
Lesen Sie den Ausschnitt aus einem Kommentar. Welcher Satz passt in die Lücke?
Welcher Satz passt in die Lücke (…)?
Hören Teil 1 · Original exercise 3
Sie hören einen Ausschnitt aus einem Podcast. Sie hören den Text einmal. Wählen Sie die richtige Lösung.
Wie beurteilt die Personalberaterin die Viertagewoche?
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Your next C1 mock on Zertifly
Start with the free first exercise of a C1 list, then run timed simulations module by module and follow your results on the dashboard.