Goethe & telc A1 Schreiben: Writing Exam Guide and Model Text

Writing at A1 sounds scary, but the Goethe A1 Schreiben and telc A1 Schreiben tasks are very predictable. First you fill in a form. Then you write a short message of about 30 words. If you know the form vocabulary and have a reliable pattern for the message, you can score highly even with simple German. This guide covers both parts of the Start Deutsch 1 writing test: what examiners check, a model text with notes, the phrases you need and a checklist. It works as a complete A1 writing practice plan and a summary of German A1 writing exam tips.

What the exam looks like

Schreiben comes after Lesen in the same written session. About 20 minutes are planned for it. The maximum is 15 points: 5 for the form and 10 for the message.

The scoring tells you what matters most: 9 of the 10 points in Teil 2 are for covering the three content points. A short, simple text that answers all three points clearly beats a long, ambitious text that forgets one.

Strategy for each part

Teil 1: completing a form

1. Read the form first. Look at which fields are empty (1–5) and what each field wants: a name, a date, a number, a yes/no box.
2. Read the text and underline the matching information.
3. Copy carefully. Spelling counts for names, streets and e-mail addresses. Write clearly, ideally in capitals for names.
4. Write only what is asked. One word or number is usually enough. A full sentence is not necessary.

Typical traps:

• Calculations. If the text says „Ich bin mit meiner Frau und unseren zwei Kindern dort“, then Anzahl der Personen is 4.
• Formats. A date like Geburtsdatum is written day.month.year, e.g. 14.03.1995.
• Two people in the text. You are usually filling in the form for one of them. Check whose details are needed.

Teil 2: the short message (approx. 30 words)

1. Read the situation. Who are you writing to? A friend (du) or a school, landlord or office (Sie)? This decides your greeting, closing and verb forms.
2. Number the three content points on the task sheet.
3. Write 1–2 simple sentences for each point, in the same order as the task. Tick each point when it’s done.
4. Add the frame: greeting at the top, closing and your name at the bottom.
5. Check verb position, du/Sie and capital letters on nouns.

Time management: about 6 minutes for the form and about 14 for the message. If Lesen took longer, cut the message checking time, not the content.

Typical trap: a content point that is mentioned but not answered. If the task says „Fragen Sie nach dem Preis“, you must actually ask a question: „Was kostet der Kurs?“ The sentence „Der Preis ist wichtig“ does not do the job.

Useful phrases (Redemittel)

Simple connectors make your text flow and are perfectly A1:

Form vocabulary for Teil 1:

• Vorname / Familienname (Nachname): first name / surname
• Straße, Hausnummer, Postleitzahl (PLZ), Wohnort: street, house number, postcode, town
• Geburtsdatum / Geburtsort: date / place of birth
• Staatsangehörigkeit: nationality
• Familienstand: ledig / verheiratet / geschieden: marital status: single / married / divorced
• Anzahl der Personen: number of people
• Zahlungsweise: bar / mit Karte / Überweisung: payment: cash / by card / bank transfer
• Unterschrift: signature

Sample task, model text and checklist

Task (original example): Ihr Freund Jonas hat am Samstag Geburtstag und lädt Sie zur Party ein. Schreiben Sie Jonas eine E-Mail.

• Danken Sie für die Einladung.
• Sie kommen später. Warum?
• Fragen Sie: Was können Sie mitbringen?

Schreiben Sie zu jedem Punkt ein bis zwei Sätze (ca. 30 Wörter). Vergessen Sie nicht Anrede und Gruß.

Model text (33 words):

Lieber Jonas,

vielen Dank für deine Einladung! Ich komme gern. Aber ich komme erst um neun Uhr, denn ich muss bis acht arbeiten. Was kann ich mitbringen? Vielleicht einen Salat?

Viele Grüße

Sara

Notes on the model:

• Lieber Jonas, is the right greeting for a male friend. After the comma, the next line starts with a small letter (vielen).
• Point 1 (thanks): vielen Dank für deine Einladung. The informal deine matches the situation.
• Point 2 (later + reason): erst um neun Uhr says “later”, and denn ich muss … arbeiten gives the reason. denn keeps normal word order, so it’s a safe choice at A1.
• Point 3 (question): a real question with a question mark, plus an offer.
• Viele Grüße + name: the communicative form point is secured.

Your checklist before you hand in:

• All three content points answered, in order?
• Greeting and closing match du or Sie?
• Verb in second position in each statement (Am Samstag habe ich …)?
• All nouns capitalised?
• About 30 words? Not 12, and not 80.
• Form: five fields filled, spelling copied exactly?

Practice: write your own

Try these two tasks (about 30 words each), then compare with the sample answers.

1. Sie sind krank und können morgen nicht zum Deutschkurs kommen. Schreiben Sie Ihrer Lehrerin, Frau Wolf. – Sie sind krank. – Fragen Sie nach den Hausaufgaben. – Wann kommen Sie wieder?
2. Sie möchten mit Ihrer Freundin Mia am Sonntag ins Kino gehen. – Laden Sie Mia ein. – Welcher Film? – Wo und wann treffen Sie sich?

Sample answers

1. Sehr geehrte Frau Wolf,

ich bin leider krank und kann morgen nicht zum Kurs kommen. Was sind die Hausaufgaben? Können Sie mir bitte eine E-Mail schreiben? Am Montag komme ich wieder.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Ahmed Karimi

2. Liebe Mia,

hast du am Sonntag Zeit? Ich möchte mit dir ins Kino gehen. Der neue Film „Sommer in Rom“ läuft. Wir treffen uns um 18 Uhr vor dem Kino, okay?

Liebe Grüße

Lucía

Common mistakes in A1 Schreiben

1. Mixing du and Sie. Liebe Frau Wolf, kannst du … is wrong. Use Sehr geehrte Frau Wolf, können Sie …
2. Wrong verb position. Morgen ich komme nicht. → Morgen komme ich nicht.
3. Lower-case nouns. ich habe keine zeit → Ich habe keine Zeit.
4. Using weil without verb-final order. …, weil ich bin krank → …, weil ich krank bin, or simply …, denn ich bin krank.
5. Forgetting a content point. That costs 3 points, more than any grammar error.
6. Copying the task sentences. „Fragen Sie nach den Hausaufgaben“ is an instruction. Write your own question instead: „Was sind die Hausaufgaben?“
7. Wrong form of Liebe/Lieber. Lieber Jonas (male), Liebe Mia (female), Liebe Freunde (plural).

Weekly practice plan

• Mon: fill in two real German forms, for example a library card or a gym registration.
• Tue: learn three greetings and three closings by heart, informal and formal.
• Wed/Thu: write one 30-word message per day from a mock exam task. Tick off the three points.
• Fri: rewrite an informal message as a formal one, and the other way round.
• Weekend: a full timed Lesen and Schreiben block in the exam simulator.

FAQ

How many words do I need for Goethe A1 Schreiben?

The task asks for about 30 words, with one or two sentences for each of the three points. Small differences are fine. What matters most is that all three points are clearly covered.

How many points do I need to pass the A1 writing part?

Neither exam has a separate pass mark for Schreiben. At Goethe A1, the 15 raw points are multiplied by 1.66 and count towards the 60 of 100 points you need overall. You also need at least 35 points in the written part to take Sprechen. At telc Deutsch A1, you need 36 of 60 points in total. Please check the official provider for current details.

Do spelling mistakes cost points?

In the message, the scoring focuses on whether each point is communicated and on the right text form, so small errors that don’t block understanding matter less. In the form, copy names and numbers exactly. A wrong entry can cost that field’s point.

Do I have to write a formal or an informal message?

It depends on the task. Writing to a friend means du. Writing to a school, an office or a landlord means Sie. The register is part of the communicative form point.