Goethe-Zertifikat C1: format, time and pass mark
Teile, timing and the pass rule for Goethe-Zertifikat C1.
Modules
- Reading Lesen65 minutes
- Listening Hören40 minutes
- Writing Schreiben75 minutes
- Speaking Sprechen20 minutes
Pass mark
- Each module is marked out of 100 and passes at 60.
- In this app you are marked ready when every module is at least 70.
Source: Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat C1 (modular, since 2024), Durchführungsbestimmungen (Stand 1 Sept 2025); Modellsatz
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FAQ
What score do you need to pass?
Each module is marked out of 100 and passes at 60. In this app you are marked ready when every module is at least 70.
How long is Reading?
Reading is 65 minutes.
How long is Listening?
Listening is 40 minutes.
How long is Writing?
Writing is 75 minutes.
How long is Speaking?
Speaking is 20 minutes.
How to prepare
C1 in this app follows the modular Goethe-Zertifikat. You pass each module separately. Reading includes a gap text and a long article. Writing is a long forum post and a formal email. Speaking is a presentation plus a discussion, with questions you must actually answer.
The extra length is the point. A correct B1 paragraph repeated four times does not become a C1 text. You need a thread and a precise verb.
A worked example
Die Studie zeigt einen Zusammenhang, nicht die Ursache. Deshalb würde ich die Gebühr nicht allein damit begründen.
You separate correlation from cause and then say what you would not conclude. That is a C1 move on a graph or a text.
Over-claiming a source is a common way to lose the task point even when the German is fluent.
What usually drops the point
- Filling a gap with a word that fits the topic but not the grammar of the sentence.
- Writing 230 words of examples and no position.
- Answering a follow-up question with the next paragraph of the presentation.
How to use the mock
When you read, mark contrasts and concessions. When you write, use one of them. When you speak, leave a pause you can fill with an answer, not with a restart.
- Summarise a course article in five lines, including one limit of the argument.
- Write a formal email that refuses a request and offers a narrower yes.
- Present for five minutes and answer a question that was not in your notes.
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.