Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam: pattern, pass marks and how to pass

The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 shows that you get by in German without trouble in everyday life, when travelling and in topics you know. Before you book, check with whoever wants the certificate, whether a university, an employer or an authority, which exam and level they accept. The exam has four modules that are scored separately, and a failed module is retaken on its own. You can prepare in a course or by yourself with the free official sample paper.^1–4

Goethe and ÖSD share one B1 exam

If you see "ÖSD Zertifikat B1" on a timetable, especially in Austria, it is the same exam. ÖSD, the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and the Goethe-Institut developed it together, and it is taken at Goethe exam centres as the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and at ÖSD exam centres as the ÖSD Zertifikat B1. The modules are identical at both and can be taken separately at different times. As an example from Vienna, the University of Vienna's Language Centre, an ÖSD centre, charges 60 euros per module in 2026.^1·5

So pick by date and place, not by the name on the certificate.

Goethe B1 exam pattern

The written modules take about 165 minutes without breaks, with at least 15 minutes of break between them. Speaking is held separately.²

Dictionaries and phones are not allowed. Goethe runs the exam at its centres around the world, and each centre sets its own dates, registration deadline and fee. Outside Europe, for example, the Goethe-Institut in Kolkata listed the B1 at 18,800 rupees for all four modules and 4,700 per module for external candidates in its 2025 brochure, less for its own course participants.^3·4·6

Goethe B1 passing marks

Each module is passed with at least 60 of 100 points; there is no overall total. In Lesen and Hören each correct answer is multiplied by 3.33 and rounded: 18 of 30 correct gives 60 points and a pass, 17 gives 57.²

You can retake any module as often as you like, and module certificates from different dates combine. The centre may set a waiting period before a retake.³

Goethe B1 Schreiben: email, opinion, message

Schreiben takes an hour and has three tasks.⁴

1. An email to a friend, about 80 words, 20 minutes. The task lists three points, and you must write something about each.
2. Your opinion on someone's post in an online guestbook or forum, about 80 words, 25 minutes.
3. A short semi-formal message, such as an apology to your course teacher, about 40 words, 15 minutes, with a greeting and a sign-off.

Under the sample paper's marking criteria, full marks for task completion need every point covered. A text under half the required length, or off the topic, gets the lowest band on that criterion, however good the German. The criteria, a sample answer and Redemittel are in our guide to Goethe B1 Schreiben.⁴

Goethe B1 Sprechen: plan, present, respond

Speaking is normally taken in pairs, alone only in exceptional cases, and you get 15 minutes to prepare. You prepare on your own, may take notes, and in the exam you speak freely.^2·4

In part 1 you and your partner plan something together for about 3 minutes. In part 2 you present a topic, chosen from two, using five slides, for about 3–4 minutes each. In part 3 you respond to feedback and questions on your talk, then give your partner feedback and ask them a question. The sample paper gives full marks for the content of the presentation only when all five slides are covered. An example and Redemittel for all three parts are in our guide to Goethe B1 Sprechen.^2·4

Goethe B1 sample paper and how to prepare

The Goethe-Institut's B1 Modellsatz for adults, carrying both the Goethe and ÖSD logos, is a free PDF on goethe.de with all four modules and the marking criteria for Schreiben and Sprechen.⁴

1. Time yourself on Lesen and Hören and count: fewer than 18 of 30 means that module is not safe yet.
2. Write all three Schreiben tasks in 60 minutes and tick off every point, the greeting and the sign-off.
3. Give the five-slide presentation from the sample paper aloud in 3–4 minutes.
4. Book the modules you are sure of first and the weaker one later.

The telc B1 exam is a different exam: the written part takes 150 minutes, speaking is in pairs after 20 minutes of preparation, and you pass with 135 points written and 45 oral.⁷

How Goethe and ÖSD differ from the telc B1 exam is in the comparison of Goethe, ÖSD and telc. The next level is the Goethe-Zertifikat B2, and the other exams are on the German certificates page.

Источники

· 7 проверены 08.11.2026

1. 1ÖSD-Prüfungen, Sprachenzentrum der Universität Wien
2. 2Goethe-Zertifikat B1: Durchführungsbestimmungen, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025
3. 3Prüfungsordnung, Goethe-Institut · от 01.09.2025
4. 4Goethe-Zertifikat B1: Modellsatz Erwachsene, Goethe-Institut und ÖSD
5. 5ÖSD Zertifikat B1, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch
6. 6Courses and examinations 2025, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata
7. 7telc Deutsch B1: Übungstest 1, telc gGmbH