Goethe B1 Writing: The 3 Tasks with Examples and Tips

Writing at a glance: 60 minutes, 3 tasks

The module is worth 100 points and you pass from 60 points. Writing counts on its own: a good result in Reading does not make up for weak Writing. This is what the three tasks look like:

• Task 1 (Aufgabe 1): an e-mail to a friend, about 80 words, with 3 content points (describe, give a reason, make a suggestion). 40 points, 20 minutes recommended.
• Task 2 (Aufgabe 2): a post (Diskussionsbeitrag) in the online guestbook of a TV show. You react to one opinion and give your own, about 80 words. 40 points, 25 minutes recommended.
• Task 3 (Aufgabe 3): a short, polite e-mail, usually to a course teacher. You apologise and explain why you cannot come, about 40 words. 20 points, 15 minutes recommended.

Two rules many people do not know

First: you may start with any task. Many start with Task 3 because it is short and quickly brings 20 safe points. The only thing that matters is that there is time left for every task.

Second: only what is on the answer sheet (Antwortbogen) is graded. Notes on the task sheet do not count. So plan time to copy your text neatly onto the answer sheet. Dictionaries and phones are not allowed.

All facts come from the official model test (Modellsatz) and the exam regulations for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 (goethe.de) and from the documents for the ÖSD Zertifikat B1 (osd.at). As of 2026, without guarantee.

How it is graded: four criteria from A to E

Each task is graded on four criteria. Each criterion gets a level from A (very good) to E (not sufficient); there are no in-between values. In Tasks 1 and 2 each criterion is worth up to 10 points (A 10, B 7.5, C 5, D 2.5, E 0). In Task 3 it is 4 points for Erfüllung and Kohärenz and 6 points for Wortschatz and Strukturen. What the criteria mean:

• Erfüllung (task completion): did you do what the task asks? All content points, enough text, the right text type and the right tone (du for friends, Sie for the teacher).
• Kohärenz (coherence): is your text well built? Greeting, opening, the points in the right order, an ending, and sentences linked with words like weil, deshalb, aber or außerdem.
• Wortschatz (vocabulary): do you use fitting and varied words? Small mistakes are fine as long as you are easy to understand.
• Strukturen (grammar): how accurate are your grammar and spelling? For example verb position, endings and subordinate clauses.

The most important rule: Erfüllung E means 0 points

If a task gets an E for Erfüllung, the whole task scores 0 points, even if vocabulary and grammar are good. You get an E, for example, if your text has fewer than half the required words or if you miss the topic.

In practice: in Tasks 1 and 2 you need at least 40 words, in Task 3 at least 20, otherwise the task is lost. But aim for the full 80 and 40 words, because a text that is too short gets fewer points even above that limit.

Task 1: e-mail to a friend, with a model text

Our sample task: you went hiking for two days at the weekend and stayed overnight in a mountain hut. Your friend Mira wanted to come but had no time. Describe the trip, explain why you want to go back to the mountains and make a suggestion.

Model text (about 85 words): „Liebe Mira, wie geht es dir? Ich bin gerade von meiner Wanderung zurück und muss dir sofort davon erzählen. Wir sind zwei Tage gewandert und haben auf einer Berghütte übernachtet. Abends gab es Suppe für alle, und der Himmel war voller Sterne. Ich möchte bald wieder in die Berge, weil ich dort endlich keinen Stress habe. Außerdem war mein Handy fast immer still, das war wunderbar. Hast du Lust, im September mit mir eine kleine Tour zu machen? Ich suche uns einen leichten Weg aus. Liebe Grüße, Daniel“

Why it works: each of the three points gets its own sentences in the right order, with a greeting, a short opening and a sign-off, and weil and außerdem link the ideas.

Task 2: your opinion in the guestbook, with a model text

Our sample task: a TV show discusses „Nur noch Selbstbedienungskassen im Supermarkt?“ (should supermarkets only have self-checkouts?). In the guestbook Ralf writes: „Ich scanne meine Einkäufe gern selbst. Das geht schneller, und ich muss nie lange in der Schlange warten.“

Model text (about 80 words): „Nur noch Selbstbedienungskassen? Ich kann Ralf verstehen, denn mit wenigen Sachen geht es dort wirklich schnell. Trotzdem bin ich gegen diese Idee. Viele ältere Menschen kommen mit der Technik nicht gut zurecht und brauchen dann Hilfe vom Personal. Außerdem ist ein kurzes Gespräch an der Kasse für manche Leute der einzige Kontakt am Tag. Ich selbst bezahle lieber bei einer Person, weil ich dann auch Fragen stellen kann. Deshalb finde ich, dass es immer beide Möglichkeiten geben sollte.“

Why it works: it names the topic, reacts fairly to Ralf, says clearly for or against, gives two reasons plus a personal example and ends with a conclusion. No „Lieber Ralf“ and no sign-off, because it is a post for all readers, not a letter.

Task 3: short, polite e-mail, with a model text

Our sample task: your course teacher, Herr Reinhardt, is giving the class a test on Wednesday. But you have a job interview that day. Apologise politely and explain why you cannot come.

Model text (about 40 words): „Sehr geehrter Herr Reinhardt, leider kann ich am Mittwoch nicht zum Test kommen. Das tut mir sehr leid. Ich habe an diesem Tag um 9 Uhr ein Vorstellungsgespräch bei einer Firma. Könnte ich den Test vielleicht später nachschreiben? Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Lena Hoffmann“

Why it works: formal greeting and formal sign-off, a clear apology and reason, and the polite question with „Könnte ich …?“ shows the right tone. For 40 words you need nothing more.

Useful phrases for all three tasks

You can use these phrases in almost every exam. Learn each one with a sentence of your own, and they will be there on exam day.

• Greeting and sign-off, informal: „Liebe Mira,“ / „Lieber Tom,“ … „Liebe Grüße“ or „Viele Grüße“. Formal: „Sehr geehrte Frau Wolf,“ / „Sehr geehrter Herr Reinhardt,“ … „Mit freundlichen Grüßen“. After the comma the next line starts with a lower-case letter.
• Giving reasons: „…, weil ich keine Zeit habe.“ (verb at the end) / „…, denn ich habe keine Zeit.“ (verb in position 2) / „Deshalb habe ich …“ (verb right after deshalb).
• Giving your opinion: „Ich finde, dass …“ / „Meiner Meinung nach …“ / „Ich bin dafür, weil …“ / „Ich bin dagegen, denn …“ / „Einerseits …, andererseits …“ / „Ich kann Ralf gut verstehen, aber …“.
• Making suggestions: „Hast du Lust, … zu …?“ / „Wie wäre es mit …?“ / „Wollen wir … zusammen …?“
• Asking politely and apologising: „Leider kann ich … nicht …“ / „Es tut mir sehr leid, dass …“ / „Könnten Sie mir bitte …?“ / „Wäre es möglich, dass …?“

The 6 most common mistakes in Writing

We see these mistakes again and again. You can avoid almost all of them with a short check at the end:

• Forgetting a content point: in Task 1 the suggestion or the reason is often missing. Tick off the three points one by one before you hand in.
• The wrong tone: „Hallo Herr Reinhardt“ and du in Task 3, or „Sehr geehrte Mira“ in Task 1. Use du with friends and Sie with the teacher.
• Writing Task 2 as a letter: a greeting to the person and a sign-off do not belong in a guestbook post. And without a clear opinion of your own, the most important part is missing.
• Too short or too long: under half the words means 0 points. A very long text earns no extra points, but it costs time and leaves more room for mistakes.
• The verb in the wrong place after weil: not „weil ich habe keine Zeit“, but „weil ich keine Zeit habe“.
• No time for the answer sheet: if you write on the task sheet until the last minute, you lose the text, because only the answer sheet counts.

How to practise Writing with ExamReady

Our free Goethe B1 course has a lesson for each task: the personal e-mail, the guestbook post, the short e-mail and a lesson on the polite tone. You see step by step how a good text is built before you write your own.

In the five model tests you write the three tasks as in the exam, with a timer. An AI grades your texts on the four Goethe criteria with a level from A to E and shows you where you lose points. ExamReady is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD.

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