Goethe B2 Schreiben: forum post and message, Teil 1 and Teil 2, marking, example and Redemittel

Schreiben is the writing module of the Goethe-Zertifikat B2. You write two texts: a forum post giving your opinion, and a message to a specific person, in the official sample paper your supervisor during an internship. You can take and retake the module separately from reading, listening and speaking. The points are not split evenly: the first text weighs more than the second, and if it is too short or off topic it can sink the whole module. You can prepare on your own with the official sample paper and this guide.¹

Goethe B2 writing exam format

The module takes 75 minutes and has two parts, which you can do in any order. Dictionaries and phones are not allowed, and only what is on the answer sheet gets marked.²

Each task lists four points, and you have to cover all of them. Teil 1 needs an introduction and a conclusion, Teil 2 a greeting and a sign-off, and in the second text you choose the order of the points yourself.²

This guide covers Goethe B2 only. How ÖSD B2 and telc B2 differ from it is explained in our comparison of Goethe, ÖSD and telc.

Points for the forum post and the message

You pass the module with at least 60 of 100 points. On the marking sheet Teil 1 carries up to 60 points and Teil 2 up to 40.^1·2

So Teil 1 alone is worth exactly the pass mark. Score zero there and even a perfect Teil 2 cannot save the module, since it brings at most 40. That is why you should split your time the way the task recommends.

Goethe B2 Schreiben marking criteria

Each text is marked on four criteria in five bands, A to E. In Teil 1 task completion and coherence are worth up to 14 points each, vocabulary and structures up to 16; in Teil 2 every criterion is worth up to 10.²

• Aufgabenerfüllung, task completion: are all four points covered, and does the register suit the reader? The top band needs all four; three points get the second band.
• Kohärenz, coherence: introduction and conclusion, a logical structure, links between sentences and paragraphs.
• Wortschatz, vocabulary: range, and mistakes that get in the way of understanding.
• Strukturen, structures: the same for sentence building, grammar and spelling.

If a text is shorter than half the required length or misses the topic, task completion gets an E and the whole part scores 0. For Teil 1 that means fewer than 75 words, for Teil 2 fewer than 50. Nobody expects a flawless text: even the top band for vocabulary and structures allows the odd mistake that does not affect understanding.²

Two examiners mark independently and your score is the average. When one mark is below 60, the other above, and the average falls short of 60, a third examiner reads the text. Only the fair copy on the answer sheet is marked.¹

Goethe B2 Schreiben example: a forum post

We wrote this task ourselves in the exam format; it is not in the official sample paper.

Sie schreiben einen Forumsbeitrag zum Thema „Kostenloser Nahverkehr“.

• Äußern Sie Ihre Meinung zu kostenlosen Bussen und Bahnen in der Stadt.
• Nennen Sie Vorteile.
• Nennen Sie Nachteile.
• Machen Sie einen Vorschlag, wie die Stadt den Nahverkehr attraktiver machen könnte.

A possible answer of 143 words:

In diesem Forum wird gerade darüber diskutiert, ob Busse und Bahnen in unserer Stadt kostenlos sein sollten. Ich fahre selbst jeden Tag mit der Straßenbahn und finde die Idee grundsätzlich gut, auch wenn sie nicht leicht umzusetzen ist.

Der größte Vorteil liegt auf der Hand: Wenn der Nahverkehr nichts kostet, lassen viele Menschen ihr Auto stehen. Dadurch gibt es weniger Staus und bessere Luft. Außerdem profitieren vor allem Menschen mit wenig Geld, zum Beispiel Studierende oder Rentner.

Allerdings hat das Ganze auch Nachteile. Irgendjemand muss die Busse bezahlen, und am Ende geschieht das wahrscheinlich über höhere Steuern. Zudem sind die Bahnen schon jetzt zu Stoßzeiten überfüllt.

Deshalb schlage ich einen Mittelweg vor: Zuerst sollte die Stadt mehr Busse einsetzen und die Takte verkürzen. Danach könnte man mit einem günstigen Monatsticket beginnen. So wird der Nahverkehr für alle attraktiver, ohne dass das System zusammenbricht.

The opening paragraph states the opinion straight away, each of the next three answers one point, and the last one ends on a suggestion. Linking words such as "außerdem", "allerdings", "zudem" and "deshalb" hold the text together. This is what would cost points:

1. No suggestion. Without the last paragraph only three of the four points are covered, so task completion gets the second band at best: 10.5 points instead of 14.²
2. Only one side. If you never name a drawback, the third point is missing, even though your opinion is clear.
3. A 70-word answer. That is under half of 150, so Teil 1 scores 0 of 60 and the module goes with it.
4. One block of text without paragraphs or links. The points are covered, but you lose marks for coherence.

Redemittel for Goethe B2 Schreiben

These phrases are ours. Learn them as blocks; they fit almost any topic.

How to prepare for Goethe B2 Schreiben

The official sample paper has both parts in exam format, the marking sheet with points and real texts by B2 learners. Write both parts in 75 minutes, then check them yourself: are all points covered, is there an introduction and conclusion or a greeting and sign-off, is the text long enough? Practise Teil 1 first. Before you write, list the four points and plan one paragraph for each, so none gets lost.²

If you still score under 60 in practice, take Schreiben later than the other modules: certificates from different sittings can be combined. The whole exam is described in our guide to the Goethe-Zertifikat B2.³

Источники

· 3 проверены 08.11.2026

1. 1Goethe-Zertifikat B2: Durchführungsbestimmungen, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025
2. 2Goethe-Zertifikat B2: Modellsatz Erwachsene, Goethe-Institut
3. 3Prüfungsordnung, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025