Goethe B1 Schreiben: the 3 tasks with tips and examples
Two e-mails and a discussion post in 60 minutes. Here you see what each task asks for, how it is scored and which mistake sets a whole task to 0 points.
Schreiben is the third module of the written exam. In 60 minutes you write three texts: an e-mail to a friend (approx. 80 words), a discussion post with your opinion (approx. 80 words) and a short, polite e-mail (approx. 40 words). You can start with any task. Only what is on the answer sheet is scored.
Aufgabe 1 and 2 are worth 40 points each, Aufgabe 3 is worth 20. Each task is scored against four criteria, Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz and Strukturen, each from A to E. If Erfüllung gets an E, the whole task scores 0 points, for example when the text has fewer than half the words. You pass from 60 of 100 points.
Part by part
The 3 tasks in Schreiben
The minutes are the recommendation printed on the task sheet. You choose the order yourself.
Aufgabe 1 · E-Mail · du
E-mail to a friend
20 min
approx. 80 words
40 points
You write to a friend about something that happened. Three points are given: describe something, give a reason for something, make a suggestion.
How to approach it
Three verbs, three jobs: describe with a detail, give a reason with “weil” or “deshalb”, suggest with a day, time and place.
One paragraph per point, in the order of the task sheet.
Greeting and opening at the start, closing and sign-off at the end, “du” all the way through.
Typical traps
A point only touched on briefly: that costs points in Erfüllung.
Filler sentences instead of details: your word count should come from the content.
Under 40 words or off topic: 0 points for the whole task.
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The course: 28 lessons
Short lessons take you step by step through every exam task: how it is built, where points get lost and how to win them. With exercises and checkpoints.
How many words do I have to write in Goethe B1 Schreiben?
Aufgabe 1 and 2 approx. 80 words each, Aufgabe 3 approx. 40 words. The lower limit matters most: if a text has less than half, so under 40 or under 20 words, Erfüllung gets an E and the whole task scores 0 points.
How many points do I need in Schreiben?
60 of 100 points. Aufgabe 1 and 2 are worth 40 points each, Aufgabe 3 is worth 20. Each task is scored on Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz and Strukturen, and two raters score it independently of each other.
Which task should I start with?
You can start with any task. Many people write Aufgabe 3 first because it is short. The recommendation is 20 minutes for Aufgabe 1, 25 for Aufgabe 2 and 15 for Aufgabe 3. What matters is that every task is on the answer sheet at the end.
Do I write “du” or “Sie”?
In Aufgabe 1 you write to a friend, so “du”. Aufgabe 2 is a post for everyone, without addressing one person. Aufgabe 3 usually goes to a course teacher, so “Sie” with “Sehr geehrte …” or “Liebe Frau …”.
Do spelling and grammar count?
Yes, in the Strukturen criterion: grammar, sentence structure and spelling. Small mistakes cost little as long as you are easy to understand. You lose more points when a content point is missing or the text is too short.
ExamReady is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD. All tasks are original materials written in the exam format.
Write your first Goethe e-mail and get it scored.
Five tasks per type, one from each model test. Your texts are scored against the four criteria, with every correction and a model answer.
