Guide to preparing the German Goethe-Zertifikat A2  exam

The Goethe Institute offers adolescents the possibility of doing so. If your level is A2, you have the possibility of obtaining the Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch certificate , which is a German exam for young people between 12 and 16 years old, which accredits simple language skills and corresponds to level A2 in all six levels of competence of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR).

Therefore, if your child or your students already have this level of German, today we want to help you prepare for the test so that they obtain the highest possible score, since obtaining a degree of these will bring them many benefits. Keep reading today’s article, it is a complete guide with all the necessary and relevant information to prepare for the official German exam for level A2 for teenagers.

Exam structure:

So that you can successfully prepare for this exam, keep in mind that it consists of four parts: reading, listening, writing and speaking, the oral exam is in group this time.

Take a good look at the specific structure of each test:

• Read:

texts such as short newspaper articles, emails, small announcements and public notice boards should be read and done on them. The duration of this test is 30 minutes.

• To write:

the students must write texts on topics in their closest environment. The duration of this test is 30 minutes.

• Hear:

listening to everyday conversations, radio announcements and interviews, telephone communications, and public announcements and performing various tasks on them. The duration of the test is 30 minutes.

• Talk:

You should ask questions and answer others about yourself, talking about your own life and agreeing or planning something together with the interlocutor. The duration of the test is 15 minutes.

Passing this exam means:

• you can understand and use frequently used phrases and expressions in everyday situations
• you know how to communicate in simple and routine situations that require an exchange of information on common and familiar topics
• you can describe in simple terms your own origins and training, as well as your immediate environment and issues related to your immediate needs.

How to prepare for the exam on your own:

You have to start preparing the different specific tests that make up this exam, for which we advise:

Reading Comprehension:

the only thing they can do to prepare for this test is read as many texts as possible. They can take magazines, blogs, etc., it is about being motivated to read.

Production of written texts:

We advise the student to write as much as they can. You have to be quite aware of the spelling, since German is a rather complex language and different from Spanish. The same Institute indicates that in all Goethe-Institut exams, the Spelling Rules approved in 2006 are applied for the evaluation of the written tests.

Oral expression:

it is about talking, if possible with natives; practice is what will ensure success. Children must make the effort and make the most of all the vocabulary they have acquired in their readings, series, songs, movies. It is advised that if you can make an exchange trip, that you take advantage of it. The latter will help you a lot when facing this type of exams.

The candidates for these tests are students between 12 and 16 years old , so it is totally difficult for them to do everything alone. For this reason, you will need the guidance of a tutor or responsible person who controls what you do, more than at the content level, which is also interesting at these ages, at the organizational level. We advise you as a teacher or parent to be the one who controls the study times and structure, especially for the youngest students. It’s important to have on mind:

• They must know what they are doing, and they must give it their time and concentration.
• For these ages, it is good that they do it with other students their age. If it’s not full-time, then at least they interact with someone, study with someone and share, so that it is entertaining and they want to continue.
• These students must already know German ; that is, they must already control level A2 to be able to take this exam. So it is advisable that they have followed a previous course or have had contact with natives in an extended way in time.
• It is recommended that they prepare the tests in advance , so that they do not feel pressured and unmotivated; It is preferable that the preparation lasts longer, but that they do it in a relaxed way.
• If possible, they should have fun studying. The playful part would be important to work with them.

Books to prepare for the exam:

We leave you a list of books that can help you prepare for this test:

1. Mit erfolg zum goethe-zertifikat a2, exercise book and test book + cd
2. Mit erfolg zum goethe-zertifikat a2: fit in deutsch, exercise book + tests
3. Arena A2: Training zur Prüfung Goethe-Zertifikat A2 “Fit in Deutsch
4. Prüfungstraining. Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Übungsbuch mit Lösungen und Audio-Dateien als Download
5. FIT F. GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT A2 (Book + CD)
6. Mit Erfolg zum Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch. Lehrerhandbuch + 2 Audio-CDs
7. Übungen zum Wortschatz der deutschen Schriftsprache .: Level A2 – C1

Recommended reading:

In the following link you have a number of books that will be good for you to start reading in German: https://elblogdeidiomas.es/lecturas-graduadas-en-aleman-a1-y-a2/ These books are adapted to the main levels , A1 and A2. It is about the students choosing some that they like and that they read, so that they can practice and expand vocabulary and grammatical structures. It is recommended that you work with a dictionary nearby, to solve all your doubts.

Inscription:

So that you can successfully prepare for the exam and not have any doubts about it, we advise you that the first thing, first of all, is to contact an exam center, where the student will take the tests, and that they explain everything you need. In the following link you can find your exam center.

The exams will be done in the morning shift . Minors will have to be registered by their legal representatives. Individual registration for a minor can be made by their legal representative through the Goethe Institute website. Registration of a whole group of candidates has to be done by the person responsible for it, their teacher, boss, etc.

The entire exam can be repeated as many times as desired. The details, also referring to possible partial repetitions, are regulated in the rules of application of each exam. Goethe-Zertifikat certificates A1 to C2 of the Goethe-Institut have unlimited validity. However, many institutions and employers require a certificate no more than two years old.

As a general rule, no duplicates are issued. However, if the exam dates back no more than ten years, the exam center where you took the exam may issue a replacement certificate subject to costs.

In order to study at a university, for example, you can certify your certificate at any administrative office (court, ministry, school, bank or similar). Employers often require the document to be certified by an accredited law firm.

If you need to translate your certificate, remember that you can order the sworn translation from a sworn translator or a translation agency.

Results:

Remember that the exam is passed if at least 60 points (60% of the maximum score) have been achieved and all parts of the exam have been taken.

You can always consult the results from the following link , although your exam center will be in charge of informing you. They are the ones who will tell you how they will do it.