Guide to preparing the German Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam (teenagers)

The Goethe Institute offers these students the possibility of making it possible. If your level is B1, you have the possibility of obtaining the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 certificate , which is a German exam for young people, which accredits an autonomous use of German and corresponds to the third level (B1) of the six on the scale of competences of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR).

This certificate is intended for young people who wish to:

• Attend a pre-university institute in Germany;
• work and live in Germany;
• demonstrate that you have reached level B1;
• obtain an internationally recognized official certificate.

Exam structure:

In order for you to prepare for this exam and obtain the certification successfully, 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:

You should read blog posts, emails, newspaper articles, advertisements, and written instructions that can include essential information and important details, as well as views and opinions. The total duration of this test is 65 minutes.

• To write:

You should write personal texts and more formal emails or letters and express your views in writing as a comment for a forum. The total duration of this test is 60 minutes.

• Hear:

you should listen to public announcements, short lectures, informal conversations and radio discussions, which can include essential information and important details. The total duration of this test is 40 minutes.

• Talk:

You should talk with your partner about an everyday topic, such as travel. You must answer questions, express your opinion, and make suggestions. You must make a presentation on an everyday topic, formulating it freely, and answer a few questions. The approximate duration of this test is 15 minutes.

Passing this exam means:

• you can understand the main points of a clear conversation in standard language that deals with familiar topics such as work, studies, free time, etc .;
• you know how to handle most of the situations that may arise when traveling to an area where the German language is spoken;
• You can express yourself in a simple and coherent way on familiar topics or of personal interest;
• You can give information about experiences and events, describe dreams, desires and ambitions, and explain or argue briefly.

The Goethe Institut puts at your disposal these exam regulations , surely it can help you a lot; We advise you to read it carefully, in addition to this manual with the objectives and description of the exam and this one that can help you a lot.

How to prepare for the exam on your own:

Candidates for these tests are young students who are used to studying and preparing exams on their own, so they should be able to face these types of tests alone. In any case, depending on the degree of maturity, some of them will need help: having someone around to help them organize, especially. We advise you as a teacher or parent to be the one who controls the study times and structure, especially for students who need it. 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. That will cheer them up a lot.
• These students must already know German; that is, they must already control the B1 level 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 an intermediate level, so they must have extensive knowledge of the German language.
• 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. That the time they dedicate to it be of quality and full concentration.

In addition to the above general tips, you must prepare 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, so it is better for them to find and decide the topics. -Production of written texts: we advise that the boy write everything he 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 comprehension:

As it is about listening, we recommend that children dedicate themselves to listening to what they like the most, such as music in German, series, movies, etc.

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.

Books to prepare for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam:

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

1. Mit erfolg zum goethe- / ösd-zertifikat b1 für jugendliche, test book + cd
2. Prüfungstraining: Goethe-Zertifikat B1
3. Prüfungstraining: Goethe-Zertifikat B1
4. So geht’s noch besser zum Goethe- / ÖSD-Zertifikat B1: Testbuch + 3 Audio-CDs
5. Wichtige Themen zum Schreiben und Sprechen
6. Arena B1: Training zur Prüfung Goethe- / ÖSD Zertifikat B1 für Jugendliche
7. FIT FÜRS ZERTIFIKAT B1.NEU. Book + 2CD: Deutschprüfung für Erwachsene.Deutsch als Fremdsprache

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-aleman-b1-y-b2/ These books are adapted to the main levels, B1 . 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.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam registration :

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.

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 from the Goethe-Institut are valid for an unlimited period.
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.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam results:

Remember that a module is approved if at least 60 points have been reached (60% of the maximum score).

The four modules can be overcome one at a time or together. The individual certificates of the four modules mentioned are equivalent to a global certificate.

This exam has been developed jointly by the Goethe-Institut, the University of Friborg / Switzerland and the ÖSD (Austrian German Language Diploma) and is offered worldwide under the name Goethe-Zertifikat B1 or ÖSD-Zertifikat B1.

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.