Goethe C1 Übungssatz & Modellsatz PDF: old or modular format?
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Checked against the official exam documents
Search for „Goethe C1 Modellsatz PDF“ and many of the files you find show the old exam, valid only until 31 December 2023. Since 1 January 2024 the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 has been modular: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben and Sprechen are each scored out of 100, and Schreiben no longer has a graph task. This guide shows where the official material is, how the old and the modular format differ, how to work through an Übungssatz under exam conditions and score yourself, and what to practise once the official set is used up.
Where the official Goethe C1 material is
There are three official places to check: the Goethe-Institut's exam page for the Goethe-Zertifikat C1, the Übungsmaterialien (practice materials) page linked from it, and the Durchführungsbestimmungen PDF. The Durchführungsbestimmungen describe the duration, Teile, scoring and rules of every module; reading them once before your first Übungssatz saves you surprises.
Whenever you download a file, look at the cover and the first page: is it for the modular C1 or for the exam before 2024? If you see any of the signs below, the set is the old format.
- The written exam is given as one 190-minute block.
- Schreiben Aufgabe 1 contains a graph and asks for at least 200 words.
- The oral exam is a pair exam of about 15 minutes without the Vortrag/Diskussion structure.
- The file carries a note such as „nur bis 31.12.2023“.
Old C1 (until 2023) vs modular C1 (since 2024)
| Feature | Old exam (until 31.12.2023) | Modular C1 (since 1.1.2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Valid for | Exams up to 31.12.2023 | All exams since 1.1.2024 |
| Written exam | 190 minutes | Lesen 65 + Hören about 40 + Schreiben 75 min (about 180 min without breaks); modules taken individually or combined |
| Schreiben | Aufgabe 1 with a graph, at least 200 words | Teil 1 forum post about 230 words (60 pts), Teil 2 formal e-mail about 120 words (40 pts); no graph |
| Sprechen | Pair exam, about 15 minutes | Pair exam about 20 min + 20 min preparation; Teil 1 Vortrag (about 5 min), Teil 2 Diskussion (about 5 min) |
| Lesen / Hören | Still useful for reading and listening technique | 4 Teile and 30 items each; raw score × 3.33 → 100 |
| Use today | Lesen/Hören technique only | A full mock of all modules |
Don't train Schreiben or Sprechen with the old Modellsatz: the task types, word counts and scoring have changed.
How to work through an Übungssatz
A practice set only gives you a meaningful score if you sit it like the real exam. Block out a morning and fix the order in advance, for example Lesen, then Hören, then Schreiben, and do Sprechen with a partner on another day.
- Lesen: set a 65-minute timer and transfer your answers to the Antwortbogen within that time – transferring is part of the 65 minutes.
- Hören: play each recording as often as in the exam – Teil 1 once, Teil 2 twice, each section of Teil 3 once, Teil 4 twice. No pausing, no rewinding.
- Schreiben: 75 minutes; the suggestion is about 50 for Teil 1 and about 25 for Teil 2. You choose the order.
- No dictionary, phone or translation tool – they are not allowed in the exam either.
- Sprechen: prepare for 20 minutes, keep your notes, record a talk of about 5 minutes, then discuss with a partner for about 5 minutes.
Scoring yourself: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen
In Lesen and Hören, count your correct answers and multiply by 3.33. The table shows the common values; 18 correct is exactly the pass mark of 60.
- Schreiben Teil 1 (60 pts): Erfüllung 14, Kohärenz 14, Wortschatz 16, Strukturen 16. Teil 2 (40 pts): 10 for each of the four criteria. Each criterion gets one level A–E, with no in-between values.
- A text under roughly half the required length, or off topic, gets E for Erfüllung – that Teil scores 0. Writing more is not penalised.
- The most common loss: one of the four points is not handled exactly as asked. Tick each point off in your own text.
- Sprechen: Teil 1 = 52 points (Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz, Strukturen 10 each, Fragen/Antworten 12), Teil 2 = 32 points (Erfüllung 8, Interaktion 4, Wortschatz 10, Strukturen 10), plus Aussprache over both Teile = 16.
| Correct answers (of 30) | Points (of 100) |
|---|---|
| 30 | 100 |
| 27 | 90 |
| 24 | 80 |
| 21 | 70 |
| 18 | 60 |
| 15 | 50 |
| 12 | 40 |
After the official set: 15 sets per module on Zertifly
You can only sit an official Übungssatz once – the second time you remember the answers – so you need fresh material in the same format afterwards. Zertifly has 15 Lesen sets for Goethe C1 (all 4 Teile, an explanation for every item), 15 Hören sets (exam-like audio with the repeats) and 30 Schreiben tasks (15 forum posts, 15 formal e-mails). Schreiben is marked by AI against the official criteria (Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz, Strukturen) with points per Teil; in Sprechen you give your Vortrag and hold the Diskussion with an AI examiner and an AI partner.
The first exercise in every list is free. The timed exam simulation per module sits in each list's „Simulation“ tab and is a Pro feature.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat C1 – Prüfungsinformationen
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat C1 – Übungsmaterialien
- Goethe-Institut: Durchführungsbestimmungen Goethe-Zertifikat C1 (Stand 1. September 2025, PDF)
- Goethe-Institut: Modellsatz Goethe-Zertifikat C1 – alte Prüfung, nur bis 31.12.2023 (PDF)
Related guide
Finished the Übungssatz? Keep going with new sets
Open the Goethe C1 module on Zertifly, practise your weakest module with new sets in the same format and see your score by the official criteria.