Goethe A1: Writing
Fill in the form, then write a short message of about 30 words that covers all three points. No hints, no spellcheck.
Schreiben · 20 minutes
| 1. filling in a form | Fields: 5 · Points: 1 · Format: form |
|---|---|
| 2. short message | Words: 30 · Format: text |
Listening · Reading · Speaking
FAQ
How long is Writing?
Writing is 20 minutes.
What are the tasks in Writing?
1. filling in a form; 2. short message
What score do you need to pass?
You pass with 60 of 100. In this app you are marked ready when every module is at least 70.
How to prepare
A1 writing has two jobs under one timer: a form with a few fields, then a short message that covers three points in about thirty words. Spelling only costs the point when the reader cannot understand you.
The form wants facts you already know: name, address, number. Write them in the order the field asks. The message wants a greeting, the three points, and your name.
A worked example
Liebe Frau Berg, ich kann am Samstag nicht kommen. Ich bin krank. Können wir uns am Montag treffen? Viele Grüße, Omar.
The three points are: Saturday, the reason, a new day. The greeting uses Sie because the name is Frau Berg.
A missing point scores zero for that point even if the German around it is tidy. The wrong du or Sie costs the small text-type point, not the whole task.
What usually drops the point
- Writing eighty words and never stating one of the three points.
- Using du with a surname, or Sie with a first name, in the same message.
- Leaving a form field empty because the spelling felt uncertain. An understandable attempt scores; a blank does not.
How to use the mock
Before you write, copy the three points as three short lines in German. Then join them. Count words only after the points are all there.
- Fill your name and city on paper in thirty seconds.
- Write a message that cancels a meeting and offers a new time. Mark the three points.
- Open the A1 writing mock and use the rubric: each point is full, half, or missing.
Author: Fahrplan Deutsch. Last reviewed 2026-10-27. reviewed: false. A native-speaker review is still open. This page is not a Goethe-Institut paper.
How to spend the time
Split the timer in your head before you write: a short block for the form, the rest for the message. The form is facts you know. If a spelling feels ugly, write the understandable version and move. A blank field scores nothing. The message is three points plus a greeting and your name. Draft the three points as three lines, then join them. Count words only after every point is on the page.
Decide du or Sie from the name in the task and do not mix them. Frau Berg and a surname take Sie. A first name in a note to a friend takes du. The greeting, the pronoun and the closing have to agree. One wrong pronoun does not delete the three points, but it is a cheap point to keep.
When you review, underline the three points in your own text. If you cannot find one, the extra sentences did not help. Add the missing point in a short sentence even if the message then looks plain. Plain and complete is the A1 target.