Goethe Institute German B1 test
Three weeks ago I took the German language B1 test at the Goethe Institute in Dresden. I want to give a little insight on the process and what I did to help study for it.
I posted before about my German learning experience, and I have come a long way since then. Up until we moved over to Germany I was still talking weekly lessons with a private tutor. Since I was taking private lessons I didn't have any certificate to prove how good my German skills were. That meant that when I arrived here, even though I was speaking German with the ladies at the Auslanderamt, they still needed proof of which level I could speak at. The magical level for not having to do an integration course is B1, that is why I chose to test at that level.
I choose Dresden because all the Goethe Institutes in the west of Germany were booked out until December.... so book early!
Next thing I had to do was figure out how to study for this thing. I did a little research and then went to a local bookstore and picked up this book. If you are just starting out with German this book is NOT for you. It is completely in German and not for beginners. If you have been working on your German for a while then this book is good. I found it very helpful. It is only the test book, meant for practicing the test format, it doesn't explain any of the answers if you get confused. Luckily for me I have a native German speaker at my disposal to help answer questions for me. I believe there is another book from them that is not just a test book but an exercise book, which might be better for those looking for instruction/information.
Otherwise, there is also a Goethe B1 word list book online and practice tests as well, which I found handy as well. Probably my favorite thing to help me learn is the Deutsche Welle online interactive German course. It goes through the B1 level, has nice graphics, and gives a lot of insight into German history and culture. I even learned how the voting system in Germany works through them. Deutsche Welle is a great resource for those learning German, with articles, videos, and really great podcats!
I only had two weeks from when I got the B1 practice book before I took the test, so that was pretty nerve wracking. But remember I have put in a lot of hours of practicing before this. Along with the DW website and podcats, I had a German tutor who gave me 1 to 1 lessons every week for the three years we lived in Ireland. The test itself was very very similar to the format in the book and on the Goethe website. And although I was nervous to take the test, I felt confident going in about the test format.
I am happy to say that I passed the B1 exam with a 100 in reading, 96 in speaking, 84 in writing, and 73 in listening! Wahoo! My suggestions for others wanting to do this test, book your spot early, practice, and get a book to help. Good luck!
I posted before about my German learning experience, and I have come a long way since then. Up until we moved over to Germany I was still talking weekly lessons with a private tutor. Since I was taking private lessons I didn't have any certificate to prove how good my German skills were. That meant that when I arrived here, even though I was speaking German with the ladies at the Auslanderamt, they still needed proof of which level I could speak at. The magical level for not having to do an integration course is B1, that is why I chose to test at that level.
I choose Dresden because all the Goethe Institutes in the west of Germany were booked out until December.... so book early!
Next thing I had to do was figure out how to study for this thing. I did a little research and then went to a local bookstore and picked up this book. If you are just starting out with German this book is NOT for you. It is completely in German and not for beginners. If you have been working on your German for a while then this book is good. I found it very helpful. It is only the test book, meant for practicing the test format, it doesn't explain any of the answers if you get confused. Luckily for me I have a native German speaker at my disposal to help answer questions for me. I believe there is another book from them that is not just a test book but an exercise book, which might be better for those looking for instruction/information.
Otherwise, there is also a Goethe B1 word list book online and practice tests as well, which I found handy as well. Probably my favorite thing to help me learn is the Deutsche Welle online interactive German course. It goes through the B1 level, has nice graphics, and gives a lot of insight into German history and culture. I even learned how the voting system in Germany works through them. Deutsche Welle is a great resource for those learning German, with articles, videos, and really great podcats!
I only had two weeks from when I got the B1 practice book before I took the test, so that was pretty nerve wracking. But remember I have put in a lot of hours of practicing before this. Along with the DW website and podcats, I had a German tutor who gave me 1 to 1 lessons every week for the three years we lived in Ireland. The test itself was very very similar to the format in the book and on the Goethe website. And although I was nervous to take the test, I felt confident going in about the test format.
I am happy to say that I passed the B1 exam with a 100 in reading, 96 in speaking, 84 in writing, and 73 in listening! Wahoo! My suggestions for others wanting to do this test, book your spot early, practice, and get a book to help. Good luck!
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