A practical guide to the German Schreiben (writing) exam: what the section looks like from A1 to C2, how it is scored, and a repeatable method to pass it.
For most candidates, the Schreiben (writing) section is the hardest part of a German exam. You cannot pass it by recognising the right answer the way you can in reading or listening. You have to produce correct, structured German under time pressure. The good news: writing is also the most trainable section, because the tasks and the way they are marked are predictable at every level. This guide shows what the writing section looks like from A1 to C2, how it is scored, and a repeatable method to pass it.
Exam formats last verified July 2026 against the Goethe-Institut Durchführungsbestimmungen (Stand 1 September 2025).
What the writing section looks like at every level
The writing section grows with the level: from filling a form at A1 to arguing a position at C1 and reformulating text at C2. Here is the shape of it across the Goethe ladder.
| Level | Time | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 20 min | Fill a form (5 fields) + a short message (~30 words) |
| A2 | 30 min | An SMS (20-30 words) + an email (30-40 words) |
| B1 | 60 min | 3 tasks: informal email (~80), opinion post (~80), formal message (~40) |
| B2 | 75 min | A forum post (~150 words, 50 min) + a message (~100 words, 25 min) |
| C1 | 75 min | A discussion piece (~230 words, 50 min) + a (semi-)formal email (~120 words, 25 min) |
| C2 | 80 min | 10 reformulations + one longer text (letter to the editor or book review) |
For the full format of a specific level, see the level guides, for example the B1 exam guide, the B2 guide, and the C1 guide.
How the writing section is scored
Across levels, examiners judge your writing on a small set of criteria, not on length. The wording differs by level, but they come down to four things:
- Task fulfilment. Did you cover every point the task asked for? Most tasks list guide points (Leitpunkte), and missing one costs more than a grammar slip.
- Coherence and structure. Does the text hang together, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and connectors that link ideas?
- Vocabulary. Is your word choice varied and appropriate for the topic and register?
- Grammatical accuracy. Are your structures correct, and do you attempt the range the level expects?
The single most common reason strong writers still lose marks is ignoring a guide point. Cover all of them, even briefly, before you polish your language. The pass mark is 60 percent, and task fulfilment is the fastest place to protect points.
A repeatable method that works at any level
Use the same four steps every time, and scale the depth to the level:
- Read the task twice and underline every guide point. These are your checklist. Your text must address each one.
- Plan for two minutes. Jot the order of your points and the opening and closing lines. A plan prevents the mid-text stall that eats your time.
- Write to the structure, not to a word count. Open, develop each point with a reason or example, and close. Hit the target length naturally.
- Leave time to check. Reserve the last few minutes for verb endings, cases, word order, and whether you actually covered every point.
A worked example: turning guide points into a plan
Say a B1 task asks you to write to a friend who has invited you to visit. The guide points are: thank them, say when you can come, ask what to bring, and suggest an activity. That is four points, and each one is a scored box you must tick.
Spend two minutes turning those four points into a skeleton before you write a full sentence:
- Greeting: Liebe Anna, informal, because it is a friend.
- Point 1, thank: Vielen Dank für die Einladung, ich freue mich sehr.
- Point 2, when: I can come the weekend of the 12th.
- Point 3, ask: Was soll ich mitbringen?
- Point 4, suggest: maybe we cook together or go for a walk.
- Closing: Bis bald, plus your name.
Now write full sentences from the skeleton, adding one connector between points (dann, außerdem, deshalb) so the text flows. The plan guarantees you cover all four points and gives the text a clear shape. This is the same move at every level; only the number of points and the length changes.
The register trap: formal vs informal
Many tasks specify who you are writing to, and the wrong register costs marks. An informal message to a friend uses du, contractions, and a casual sign-off; a formal or semi-formal message uses Sie, full forms, and a proper greeting and closing. Decide the register before you write the first line, and keep it consistent to the end. From B1 upward, at least one task is formal or semi-formal, so learn a small bank of set phrases for openings, requests, and closings in both registers. For a full breakdown of the phrases and layout each register needs, see our guide to formal and informal letters.
More strategies that separate a pass from a fail
- Budget your minutes per task, not per section. At B2 and C1, the longer task gets 50 minutes and the shorter one 25. Split your clock the same way in practice so the second task never gets squeezed. At B1, give each of the three tasks a share of the 60 minutes and move on when the time is up.
- Write one point per paragraph. A new guide point means a new paragraph. This alone gives your text visible structure and makes it easy for the examiner to see that every point is covered.
- Use connectors on purpose. Words like weil, trotzdem, deshalb, and einerseits ... andererseits raise your coherence score and show range. Keep a short list you can deploy without thinking.
- Play to structures you control. Under time pressure, a correct simple sentence beats a broken complex one. Show the range your level expects, but do not gamble the text on a construction you are unsure of.
Mistakes that quietly cost points
- Skipping a guide point, or covering three of four well and forgetting the last.
- Mixing du and Sie, or a casual tone in a formal task.
- Writing far under the target length (too little to show range) or far over (rushed, error-prone, and out of time).
- One long block of text with no paragraphs or connectors.
- Memorised phrases dropped in that do not fit the task. Examiners spot them, and they do not earn task-fulfilment marks.
Level-by-level notes: what each level actually demands
At A1, writing is short and controlled. You fill a form with five personal fields, then write a message of about 30 words covering three simple points. Correct basic word order and covering the points matter far more than range. At A2, you write two short texts, an SMS of 20 to 30 words and an email of 30 to 40 words, still on everyday topics like appointments and invitations. Note that A2 has a written minimum: you need at least 45 of the written points to pass, so the writing task carries real weight.
At B1, the section jumps to real production across three tasks: an informal email of about 80 words, an opinion post of about 80 words, and a formal message of about 40 words. This is where many learners first feel the gap, because you now switch register within one exam. At B2, you write a forum post of about 150 words where you support an opinion, then a message of about 100 words. Argument and structure now carry it. At C1, you produce a discussion piece of about 230 words with a clear line of reasoning, plus a (semi-)formal email of about 120 words. At C2, the first task is ten reformulations, rewriting given phrases in new words without changing the meaning, which tests precision directly; the second is one longer text, a letter to the editor or a book review from a set of topics. Match your preparation to the tasks your level actually sets, and check the exact requirements for your target level, for example on the B2 exam requirements page.
How to practise writing (the part people skip)
Reading model texts is not practice. Writing is a productive skill, so you improve it only by producing under the same conditions as the exam and then checking your work against the official criteria. Set a timer, write a full task by hand if your exam is on paper, then mark it: did you cover every point, keep one register, structure it, and stay near the word count? Studying model answers alongside the scoring criteria turns a vague "my writing is weak" into a concrete list of fixes. Working with graded sample answers, such as the ones in SagaDeutsch Sample Writing, shows you what a passing response at your level looks like before you sit the real thing.
Frequently asked questions
Word counts are targets, not hard limits, but writing far over usually means you run out of time and make more errors, while writing far under gives too little language to assess. Aim to land near the target for each task.
Most Goethe exams are still handwritten on paper, so practise writing by hand and keep it legible. Some centres offer a digital version, so confirm the format with your test centre before the day.
A small bank of set phrases for greetings, opinions, and closings helps, but only if they fit the task. Memorised paragraphs that ignore the guide points do not earn task-fulfilment marks, and examiners recognise them quickly.
Write full tasks under time, then self-mark against the four criteria and a set of model answers. Check the mechanical things first: did you cover every guide point, keep one register, and structure the text? Those you can protect without an expert reader.
Underlining and ticking off every guide point. Task fulfilment is the criterion most learners lose points on, and it is the one you control completely, so the checklist habit lifts borderline scores faster than any grammar drill.
Faster than most people expect, because the tasks are predictable. A few weeks of regular timed practice with honest self-marking usually moves a borderline writer over the line.
