Goethe-Zertifikat A2
Goethe A2 Is Four Modules and One Awkward Rule
The Goethe-Zertifikat A2 runs 105 minutes across four parts, and the thing that catches people out is not the German. You can clear the overall pass mark and still fail, because the written half and the spoken half each carry their own minimum. Most candidates find that out from the letter.
What the Paper Actually Asks
A2 is the level people sit for a spouse visa, for a job that asks for basic German in writing, and as the honest checkpoint before B1. It expects you to handle everyday situations in short texts: an advert, a message from a colleague, a notice on a door. Nothing here rewards elaborate sentences; it rewards answering the question that was asked.
Lesen
30 min · 20 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3 · Teil 4
Four short reading tasks, each on a different document type. The trap is the one where two adverts both look right and only one answers the situation in the question, so read the question before the adverts, not after.
Hören
30 min · 20 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3 · Teil 4
Four listening tasks, and the audio plays a fixed number of times. Announcements and short conversations, where the speaker usually corrects themselves once. The first number you hear is often not the answer.
Schreiben
30 min · 20 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2
Two writing tasks, 30 minutes for both. Every content point in the task list has to appear in your text, and marks come off for a missing one no matter how good the German around it is. Write the greeting and the sign-off; they are marked.
Sprechen
15 min · 25 P.
Teil 1 · Teil 2 · Teil 3 · Aussprache
A live 15-minute test with an examiner and usually a partner, marked on four criteria including pronunciation. You cannot practise this against a screen, so the mock leaves it to you to mark honestly.
How It Is Actually Marked
You need 60 of 100 points overall, and at least 45 across the written parts, and at least 15 in Sprechen. Clearing the total is not enough on its own.
The written parts (Lesen, Hören, Schreiben) carry 60 of the 85 raw points, and Sprechen is examined separately by a person on the day.
ab 90 sehr gut · ab 80 gut · ab 70 befriedigend · ab 60 ausreichend · darunter nicht bestanden
Goethe A2 and telc A2 Are Not the Same Exam
They sit at the same CEFR level and share almost nothing else. Goethe A2 is a solo format on a 100-point scale where you can resit a single module, and it converts the written parts upward before adding them. telc Deutsch A2 is the continuation of the old Start Deutsch 2: a 60-point scale, a different subtest shape, and the whole exam is resat together. Prepare for the one on your booking confirmation, and check the certificate name rather than the level.
Practise the Real Thing
- 6 full mock sets in this exact format, the first one free.
- Timed per module, with the answer sheet and the official scoring, ending in a certificate.
- Recorded listening with a separate voice per speaker, so a dialogue sounds like a conversation.
- A2 and above, the course chapters build the same skills in the order the exam tests them.
Questions About This Exam
Can I pass Goethe A2 with a strong written half and a weak Sprechen?
Not automatically. Passing needs 60 of 100 overall AND at least 45 across the written modules AND at least 15 in Sprechen. A total over the line with an oral score under 15 is a fail, which is the single most common surprise on this paper.
Can I resit just one module?
Goethe allows module resits at A2, which is one of the real differences from telc A2. Check the terms at the centre you book with, since availability varies by centre and date.
How long is the exam?
The written parts run 90 minutes in total: 30 for Lesen, 30 for Hören and 30 for Schreiben. Sprechen adds about 15 minutes and is usually scheduled separately, often on another day.
Is your mock the real Goethe exam?
No. It follows the official format part for part, with the same timings, the same answer sheet and the same scoring, but every text and question is written from scratch. Reprinting Goethe’s own passages would be copyright infringement, and only a licensed centre can award the certificate.
What should I do first?
Sit one full mock under the clock before you study anything. It costs you 105 minutes and tells you which of the four modules is actually the problem, which is usually not the one people assume.