The German Goethe A2 exam (Zertifikat Deutsch A2) is a globally recognized international exam/certificate that you may need to work or study in German-speaking countries. It was developed by the Goethe Institute in cooperation with Telc.
The Goethe Zertifikat A2 exam is intended for adults over 16 years of age. The Goethe A2 exam is popular amongst the students planning to pursue higher education in Germany. Many German universities prefer students with A2 certifications.
Note: Those under 16 are advised to take the Goethe – Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch.
Goethe A2 exam requirements
The level of knowledge of the German language A2 (Goethe-Zertifikat), allows you to
- Name and understand numbers, prices, and time
- Fill out questionnaires with personal data
- Identify relevant information in written texts
- Introduce yourself and loved ones
- Conduct short dialogues in everyday situations
- Ask and answer simple personal questions
- Formulate and respond to requests and requirements.
The Goethe German A2 exam confirms elementary knowledge of the German language and corresponds to the first level (A2) on the six-level scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Goethe A2 exam passing criteria
In the written part (Lesen, Hören, Schreiben) you need to score at least 45 out of 75 points (all 3 sections combined), and in the oral part – 15 out of 25.
Related topics:
Goethe A2 exam pattern
German Goethe A2 exam consists of 4 sections:
- Hören (Listening)
- Lesen (Reading)
- Schreiben (Writing)
- Sprechen (Speaking in a group)
1. Hören (Listening)
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Question types: Multiple choice, match, true/false
- Modules (Teile): 4
- Points: 20
The Hören (listening) part lasts about 30 minutes and during this time you need to complete 20 tasks, divided into 4 parts.
The examiner plays a single audio track for the entire Hören part. The audio track contains pauses for reading questions. At the end of the audio, you are given a few minutes to mark the answers and a signal sounds to indicate the end of Hören.
Hören Teil 1 – You will hear five short announcements of 10 – 20 seconds, from the radio or answeing machines or at the train station or shopping mall. You hear every announcement twice. For each question, you must tick the correct answer from three options.
Hören Teil 2 – You hear 5 conversations between two people who are talking about other people. You should match/correlate each conversation with the pictures. You hear each conversation once. Remember you would see extra pictures that are not related to any conversations.
Hören Teil 3 – You hear again 5 short dialogues. For each dialogue, you must choose one of the three pictures. You hear each conversation once.
Hören Teil 4 – You hear 5 interviews. There are five questions (statements or opinions) about the interviews. You hear each interview twice and you must tick “yes” or “no” for each question.
Each correct answer is 1 point. A maximum of 20 points can be obtained for the entire Listening module in the German Goethe A2 exam. After calculating the points, the resulting number must be multiplied by a factor of 1.66 to get the final number of secondary points showed on the certificate.
The good way to practice these tasks is to listen to as many of these announcements as possible with the speaker, rather than earphones.
2. Lesen (Reading)
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Modules (Teile): 4
- Points: 20
The Reading module lasts 25 minutes. During this time, you need to complete 15 tasks, divided into 3 parts.
Lesen Teil 1 – You ability to understand the German media texts is tested in this part one. You will be reading a newspaper report with five statements. For each statement/question, you must tick the correct answer from three options.
Lesen Teil 2 – A text is given about a program of events or a plan of a shopping center (what items can be purchased on each floor) or other information. There are 5 questions and you must tick the correct answer from three options for each question.
Lesen Teil 3 – A Letter or e-Mail with 5 incomplete statements. You have to choose one of the 3 possible answers for each statement/question.
Lesen Teil 4 – The task of understanding the ads. You read six classified ads. It is necessary to correlate which ad is suitable for which situation/task. You are given 5 situations (Be careful! You need to put “X” for one question for which you don’t find any suitable info/situation) and of the 6 situations (one is already given in the example and cannot be used again).
Each correct answer is 1 point. A maximum of 20 points can be obtained for the entire Reading section in the German Goethe a2 exam. After calculating the points, the number must be multiplied by a factor of 1.66 to see the total number of secondary points showed on the certificate.
Note: In the Goethe A2 exam’s reading part, you should use a special approach. It will not be enough just to read the text. Sometimes the question creators specifically add various prepositions, verb forms and synonyms in order to increase the complexity of the questions.
3. Schreiben (Writing)
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Modules (Teile): 2
- Points: 20
The module “Writing” or “Letter” of the Goethe-Institute Goethe A2 exam examination lasts 30 minutes and consists of 2 parts.
- Schreiben Teil 1 (20 to 30 words) – You should write a message (e-mail, SMS or letter) to friends and acquaintances. The context will be provided along with 3 points. Make sure to cover all 3 points in your short message.
- Schreiben Teil 2 (30 to 40 words) – You should write a semi-formal letter to a person you are not familiar with. Make sure the sentences are grammatically correct. As in the part-1, you will provided with the context and 3 points. You need to cover all 3 points in your letter.
For each part, you can get a maximum of 10 points (5 are given for covering 3 points mentioned in the question and 5 for vocabulary and grammar).
After calculating the points, the number must be multiplied by a factor of 1.66 to see the total number of secondary points showed on the Goethe A2 exam’s certificate.
4. Sprechen (Speaking)
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Modules (Teile) : 3
- Points: 25
Careful: There is no time to prepare, the exam starts right away.
Sprechen Teil 1 (1 to 2 minutes) – 4 cards are given, based on which you need to ask questions. Each card will have a word written on it and you ask your partner a related question.
First, you ask all 4 questions, and you partner answers, then you switch.
The maximum you can get is 4 points.
Sprechen Teil 2 – Everyone receives one card with a topic and highlighted points that need to be explained in more detail. You tell something about yourself and your life, for example, about your favorite holiday, how you spend your weekends, what you spend money on, etc. The Goethe A2 exam examiner then asks a couple of questions.
The maximum number of points is 8.
Tip: Here are the A2 sprechen questions with sample answers from past Goethe A2 exams.
Sprechen Teil 3 – Role play. You have the task of planning something with your partner or negotiating something. You should make suggestions, respond to suggestions and, if possible, find a solution together.
The maximum number of points is 8.
Aussprache (pronunciation) – Additional points (maximum 5) are given for pronunciation.