German A1 – C2 : Certificats and Exams
You take the exam for the certificate at the Institut National des Langues: : https://www.inll.lu/fr/
As a private provider, I cannot award certificates.
I can help you with your preparation.
My courses take place at your premises in 🇱🇺 Luxembourg.
German course: Preparation for your exam !
Targeted Training !
Speak - listen - read - write German !
Book a course :
➤ Send me an email:
- Which exam do you want to prepare for?
- Have you already planned the date?
➤ I’ll make you a price offer.
➤ We agree on a timetable
German: Certificates according to the European Framework of Reference
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) describes your language level according to internationally standardised criteria.
You need a language certificate
- if you want to apply for a job that requires language skills. The certificate gives HR an accurate idea of your skills.
- if you want to study
- if you want to work in the public sector.
Important: Enquire beforehand at the responsible office which certificate is required - there are different ones: :
The level: A1–C2
A1 is the lowest level: You can introduce yourself and express simple things from your everyday life.
C2 is the highest level: you can speak German without any problem.
Here you can find a description of the levels:
https://www.eui.eu/documents/servicesadmin/languagecentre/cef.pdf
The German Certificate - Tips for your preparation
Remember:
an exam situation is not real!
In order to prepare for an exam, you must orient yourself on the exam tasks! The general goal of speaking good German does not lead to efficient preparation.
The exam: speaking, listening, reading, writing
Make sure you practise with the model tests!
Take a look at the model test for B1 as an example.
https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/materialien/B1/b1_modellsatz_erwachsene.pdf
The oral part:
Hold a conversation
- Your interlocutor is usually another candidate. Everyone introduces themselves - what their name is, where they come from, what they study or work, what hobbies they have ... .
Be interested in your interviewer, just like in real life! - Then you will be given a task that corresponds to your level, e.g. organising a gift for a colleague together: It is important that you speak fluently as you would in a real conversation and don't spend a long time searching for words or declination endings.
- Practise speaking fluently before the exam and quickly find alternative expressions before you get stuck!
You can find many examples of the oral exam (just google p.ex. « Deutsch B1 »)
Present a topic (with preparation time)
- The first sentence is important!
- Don't start in the middle of the topic!
- Start with a striking sentence. You can simply state the topic or turn the topic into a question.
- Look at the examiner. He is your dialogue partner!
- Take yourself seriously! Imagine that you are the first person to ever talk about this topic. Even if you have to talk about an absolutely boring topic: In the exam situation, you have something serious to share - as if you were Albert Einstein who has just developed the theory of relativity!
- However, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. It's okay to state the arguments that are obvious. It is unlikely that you will find an aspect of an exam topic that the examiners have never heard before. The examiners expect reasonable, clearly formulated arguments.
- Here too, you should not spend minutes searching for the right declination ending, but practise - before your exam - finding alternatives quickly so that you can continue speaking fluently.
A simple tip:
One thought = one sentence, voice down, full stop, done!
➜ Next thought, next sentence ...
Do not make too long sentences. There is a risk that you will forget how you started your sentence!
Structure
- By the way, there are communication skills that have nothing to do with learning a foreign language: You should present your arguments and train of thought in an organised way in any language, including your mother tongue.
- Introduction, main part, conclusion! This also applies to the oral presentation of a topic.
- At higher levels: link your arguments with connectors such as außerdem, darüber hinaus, schließlich, einerseits – andererseits, während, …
My personal crazy trick for the training of the oral part:
Choose a topic from the model test and practice your presentation in front of the mirror - with raised index fingers, in rhythm, following the intonation. Make sure to lower your voice at the end of each sentence and make clear breaks between your sentences.
Listening comprehension:
Use "official" material to practice (p.ex. just google « Deutsch B1 hören »)
Reading comprehension:
Use « official » material to practice,
here is an example of a B1 test:
https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/materialien/B1/b1_modellsatz_erwachsene.pdf
When practicing, make sure that you complete the task in the given time.
Text production – writing an essay
- Your structure must be recognizable: introduction, main body, conclusion.
- Again: Do not try to be original. Make reasonable arguments about your topic. These are usually the arguments that are already known. • Connect your arguments with connectors – außerdem, schließlich, ….
- Keep an eye on the time when practising.
- At the end, correct what you wrote. A tip to check: Does the end of a sentence logically coincide with its beginning?
- Count the words in your practice essays so you know how much you have to write.
- If you have to write by hand in the exam, it is good to have "practised" beforehand.
Zertifikat Deutsch - Preparation course
If you take a preparation course with me: Write as many practice essays as you like and send them all to me: I will correct them and make suggestions for improvement!
How many hours does it take to go from one level to another?
Good question - Generally speaking, you need about 180 to 200 hours e.g. from A2 to B1. It depends on individual factors.
An online test has no official validity, but it will help you assess your current language level.
Which German course is the right one?
For our German course, it makes a difference whether you plan to pass an exam or whether you simply want to improve your German. The two are not mutually exclusive, but the focus is different.
- If you are not currently planning an exam but would like to improve your communication skills in everyday life, we focus primarily on your situation and the topics relevant to you.
- A German course to prepare for the certificate is tailored to the exam situation. Your goal is to pass the exam. Therefore, you should plan enough time to write some essays and practise your reading and listening comprehension outside the course.
