Goethe C1 Schreiben correction: criteria, checklist, AI feedback
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Checked against the official exam documents
Before you have your Goethe C1 Schreiben corrected, it helps to know what the two examiners actually look at. This guide explains the official criteria of the modular C1 (in force since 1 January 2024), where strong candidates still lose points, a checklist for the minutes before you hand in, and what Zertifly’s AI feedback can and cannot tell you.
What the examiners check
Both Teile are rated with the same four criteria, but the weighting differs. In Teil 1 language weighs a little more (Wortschatz and Strukturen 16 points each). In Teil 2 all four criteria count equally, and politeness is part of Erfüllung: the e-mail goes to someone you are not close to and address with Sie.
The criteria look at the whole text. One wrong article does not cost a level; the same error over and over, or errors that change the meaning, do.
| Kriterium | Teil 1 | Teil 2 | What the examiner asks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erfüllung | 14 | 10 | Are all four points handled as asked? Do text type, register and length fit? |
| Kohärenz | 14 | 10 | Is the text logically ordered, are sentences and paragraphs linked? |
| Wortschatz | 16 | 10 | Is the vocabulary varied, precise and right for the register? |
| Strukturen | 16 | 10 | Are complex structures used with variety and accuracy (subordinate clauses, passive, nominal style, Konjunktiv)? |
| Total | 60 | 40 | Module 100 points, pass mark 60 |
How the points are given
- Each criterion gets exactly one level: A, B, C, D or E. There are no in-between values such as “B plus”; A is the highest level, E the lowest.
- Two examiners rate your text independently; the result is the average of their ratings.
- Word count only matters when a text is clearly too short: below roughly half the required length (about 115 words in Teil 1, about 60 in Teil 2), Erfüllung is set to E and the whole Teil scores 0.
- Off-topic texts are treated the same way: Erfüllung E, 0 points for that Teil.
- Going beyond 230 or 120 words is not penalised – but a longer text means more room for errors and less time for checking.
- The order of the two Teile is up to you. The suggested times are 50 minutes for Teil 1 and 25 for Teil 2.
Schreiben Teil 1 · Original exercise 1
Ein Forumsbeitrag für Teil 1 (gefordert: ca. 230 Wörter) behandelt das Thema, hat aber nur etwa 100 Wörter. Wie wird er bewertet?
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
Where good candidates lose points
At C1 most lost points come from Erfüllung, not grammar: one of the four points is touched on but not handled exactly as the task asks. If a point says “argue for a solution”, a list of drawbacks does not count; if it says “show understanding for the other side”, a polite tone is not enough – you need a sentence that says so.
- A point gets mixed up with its neighbour: you give an example where a counter-argument was asked for.
- Teil 2 sounds polite but the tactful element is missing: no understanding, no compromise, no reason for the refusal.
- Register slips: colloquial words in the forum post, “du” or “Hallo” in the e-mail.
- Paragraphs follow each other without connectors, so the argument is hard to follow (Kohärenz).
- The same simple words and main clauses throughout: correct, but not C1 (Wortschatz, Strukturen).
Schreiben Teil 2 · Original exercise 1
Aufgabe: Ihr Weiterbildungskurs wurde kurzfristig abgesagt. Schreiben Sie an Herrn Dr. Lorenz, den Leiter des Instituts. Behandeln Sie diese vier Punkte: Grund Ihres Schreibens nennen – Verständnis für die Lage des Instituts zeigen – eine Lösung vorschlagen – um eine Rückmeldung bitten.
Welcher Punkt der Aufgabe fehlt in diesem Ausschnitt?
Schreiben Teil 1 · Original exercise 2
Forum „Bildung heute“ – Thema: Sollten Universitäten Vorlesungen nur noch online anbieten?
Welcher Satz passt NICHT zum Register eines Forumsbeitrags?
Zertifly created these original tasks from the official task formats; they are not past exam questions.
Checklist before you hand in
- Tick off the four points: can you point to the sentence that answers each one?
- Does each point do what its verb says (begründen, abwägen, vorschlagen, ablehnen…)?
- Teil 1: is there a clear opinion, at least one counter-argument you weigh, and a conclusion?
- Teil 2: Anrede with the name (Sehr geehrte Frau …), Sie throughout, the reason for writing in the first sentence, a Grußformel at the end?
- Rough word count: about 230 / 120 – and never anywhere near half of that.
- Does each paragraph start with a connector or a reference back to the previous one?
- Verb position in subordinate clauses, adjective endings, case after prepositions.
- Replace two or three repeated words with more precise ones.
- Read once only for errors, and once only for the four points.
How Zertifly’s AI feedback works
On Zertifly you write the 30 Goethe C1 Schreiben tasks (15 forum posts, 15 formal e-mails) in the same format as the exam: forum name, topic box with title and guiding question and four points in Teil 1; situation, named recipient and four points in Teil 2. When you submit, the AI rates your text by the four official criteria.
- A level and points for Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz and Strukturen, added up per Teil (out of 60 or 40).
- An explanation for each criterion: which point was handled fully or only partly, where the line of argument breaks, which words and structures hold you back.
- “Enhance Text”: a C1 rewrite of your own text, so you can see how the same ideas read with better linking, vocabulary and structures.
The most useful routine: write against the clock, read the Erfüllung explanation first, then compare your text with the improved version sentence by sentence – and write the next task.
What the AI feedback is not
The AI score is a practice estimate based on the official criteria, not an official grade. In the exam, two trained examiners rate your text, and their judgement can differ from any automatic score, especially near a level boundary. Use the points to spot trends – which criterion stays lowest across several tasks – rather than as a forecast of your result.
Free accounts get a small number of AI evaluations, and the first task in each list is free. The timed simulation of the whole Schreiben module (both Teile, 75 minutes) is a Pro feature; free users can see what it contains. On the dashboard you can also choose a personal C1 study route that plans writing alongside the other modules.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Write your first C1 task now
Start with a Teil 1 forum post or a Teil 2 e-mail in the C1 Schreiben module and see your points per criterion. The first task in each list is free.