The Goethe B1 Schreiben module is 60 minutes for three short texts: an informal email to a friend (~80 words), a forum post with your opinion (~80 words), and a short formal email (~40 words). It is worth 100 points, you pass with 60, and you can do the tasks in any order.
The good news: each task follows a fixed pattern. If you learn the three patterns, you walk into the exam knowing most of what you will write. This guide shows each task with official examples, then explains exactly how examiners score you.
Goethe B1 Schreiben at a glance
| Aufgabe 1 | Aufgabe 2 | Aufgabe 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text type | Informal email to a friend | Forum post (Diskussionsbeitrag) | Short formal email |
| Words | ~80 | ~80 | ~40 |
| Suggested time | 20 min | 25 min | 15 min |
| Points | 40 | 40 | 20 |
If Schreiben is one of your weaker skills, know the stakes: it is a full module with its own pass mark. A strong reading score cannot rescue a weak writing score — we explain that system in our Goethe vs telc comparison. (Taking telc instead? Its writing task works differently — see our telc B1 writing guide.)
Aufgabe 1: the informal email (~80 words, 40 points)
You write to a friend about something you experienced — a party, a celebration, a trip, a problem. The task gives you a two-sentence situation and three bullet points to cover.
Here is the task from the official Goethe Modellsatz:
You celebrated your birthday a week ago. A friend could not come to your party because he or she was ill.
- Beschreiben Sie: Wie war die Feier?
- Begründen Sie: Welches Geschenk finden Sie besonders toll und warum?
- Machen Sie einen Vorschlag für ein Treffen.
Schreiben Sie eine E-Mail (circa 80 Wörter). Schreiben Sie etwas zu allen drei Punkten.
Now the detail that makes this task very learnable: the three bullets always do the same three jobs, in the same order.
- Describe something (Beschreiben Sie…)
- Give reasons for an opinion or reaction (Begründen Sie…)
- Propose something to do together (Machen Sie einen Vorschlag… / Laden Sie … ein / Empfehlen Sie…)
The topic changes — the three jobs do not. So you can prepare one skeleton and reuse it for any topic:
- Anrede: Lieber Frank, / Liebe Sara, (first name — this is a friend)
- Einleitung: one warm opening line — Wie geht es dir? Schade, dass du nicht dabei warst!
- Point 1 — describe: Meine Feier war wunderbar. Wir haben zusammen gegessen, Musik gehört und bis spät in die Nacht getanzt.
- Point 2 — reasons: Am besten hat mir dein Geschenk gefallen, weil ich dieses Buch schon lange lesen wollte.
- Point 3 — propose: Hast du Lust, nächste Woche einen Kaffee zu trinken? Dann erzähle ich dir alles.
- Schluss + Gruß: Ich freue mich auf dich. Viele Grüße, Ali
Aufgabe 2: the forum post (~80 words, 40 points)
You saw a TV discussion about an everyday topic. In the show's online guestbook, one person has posted an opinion. You write your own opinion — about 80 words.
From the official materials, the topic "Rauchverbot für alle" (a smoking ban for everyone):
Rauchen ist ungesund und das weiß heutzutage auch jeder. Man sollte viel mehr tun, um Jugendliche zu überzeugen, nicht mit dem Rauchen anzufangen. Aber ein generelles Verbot kann nicht die Lösung sein… — Martha
Schreiben Sie nun Ihre Meinung zum Thema (circa 80 Wörter).
Two things most candidates get wrong here:
- It is not an email. No Anrede, no Gruß, no signature. Many learners format Aufgabe 2 like a letter out of habit — that hurts your score, because the text type is wrong.
- You do not have to answer Martha. Examiners accept a general opinion on the topic with full marks, even if you never mention the other post. Engaging with it is fine too — but it is not required.
A simple structure that fits 80 words:
- Your opinion: Meiner Meinung nach ist ein Rauchverbot eine gute Idee.
- A reason: Rauchen schadet nicht nur den Rauchern, sondern auch den Menschen daneben.
- An example or experience: In meinem Land gibt es dieses Verbot schon, und die Restaurants sind viel angenehmer.
- A short conclusion: Deshalb finde ich, dass ein Verbot allen hilft.
Useful Redemittel: Meiner Meinung nach… / Ich finde, dass… / Einerseits…, andererseits… / Ein Beispiel dafür ist… / Deshalb bin ich der Meinung, dass…
The topics are always everyday questions any adult can discuss — no expert knowledge needed. Typical examples: Homeoffice, online shopping, social media, children and career, eating vegetarian, caring for parents at home, car-free city centers.
Aufgabe 3: the short formal email (~40 words, 20 points)
The shortest task, and the one that punishes the wrong tone. You write to a person with a title and surname — a course leader, an organizer — in formal register (Sie).
The official Modellsatz example: your course leader, Frau Müller, invited you to a meeting about your learning goals. You cannot come. Write to her: apologize politely and explain why you cannot come (circa 40 Wörter).
40 words is two to three sentences plus greeting and closing. A complete answer:
Sehr geehrte Frau Müller,
vielen Dank für Ihre Einladung. Leider kann ich am Donnerstag nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss. Können wir vielleicht einen neuen Termin finden?
Ich bitte um Ihr Verständnis.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen Ali Hassan
The task always asks for one or two specific actions: apologize and give a reason, thank someone and decline, ask to change an appointment or a booking. Do exactly what it asks. Adding one extra logical step — like asking for a new appointment when you were only asked to apologize — is accepted and does not cost points.
One more thing worth knowing: in Aufgabe 3, the scoring weights vocabulary and grammar more heavily than in the other tasks. With only 40 words, every word counts double.
You now know all three patterns. Here is Aufgabe 1 of a real practice set — try it right here:
How examiners score your 100 points
Two examiners grade your texts independently, and your score is the average. Each task is graded on four criteria:
| Criterion | What it means in plain words |
|---|---|
| Erfüllung | Did you do the task? All points covered, right text type, right tone for the reader |
| Kohärenz | Is the text connected? Clear order, connectors between ideas, a beginning and an end |
| Wortschatz | Is your vocabulary varied and clear enough for B1? |
| Strukturen | Is your grammar varied and correct enough for B1? |
Each criterion gets a grade from A (upper B1) to E (not assessable). In Aufgabe 1 and 2, every criterion is worth up to 10 points; in Aufgabe 3, language weighs more than content.
The rules that decide most scores — the ones few candidates ever read:
- Write at least half the words. A text under 50% of the required length gets zero points for the whole task. Under time pressure, a short but complete text beats a perfect half-text every time.
- Going over the word count costs nothing. "Circa 80 Wörter" is a guide, not a limit. Never cut a good sentence to stay at 80.
- Do not start every sentence with "Ich". Examiners are trained to mark down texts where most sentences begin the same way. Swap in Am Samstag habe ich… / Leider kann ich… / Deshalb finde ich…
- Do not copy phrases from the task. Single words are fine; whole copied sentences cost vocabulary points.
- Mistakes are judged by one question: would a German speaker still understand you? Small errors that do not block understanding cost little. You do not need perfect German to score an A — you need clear German.
What loses points — quick reference
| Mistake | What happens |
|---|---|
| One of the three points not covered (Aufgabe 1) | Task-fulfillment score drops |
| Text under 50% of the required length | The whole task = 0 points |
| Wrong register (du to Frau Müller, Sie to a friend) | Task-fulfillment score drops |
| Forum post written like an email (Aufgabe 2) | Text-type error — score drops |
| No salutation or closing (Aufgabe 1 and 3) | Points lost on structure |
| Most sentences start with "Ich" | Points lost on coherence |
| Whole phrases copied from the prompt | Points lost on vocabulary |
| More than 80 / 40 words | Nothing — no penalty |
Using the 60 minutes
The exam suggests 20 + 25 + 15 minutes, and you may work in any order. Many candidates start with Aufgabe 3 — it is short, formulaic, and gets 20 points safely banked before the longer texts. Whatever order you choose, leave two minutes at the end for each text: read it once and check your verb positions and endings. Those small fixes are the cheapest points in the exam. To build the habit under a real clock, you can practice all three task types with corrections.
Frequently asked questions
How many points do I need to pass?
60 of 100 in this module. Schreiben passes or fails on its own — other modules cannot compensate for it. If you fail, you retake only Schreiben (around €104 in Germany).
Can I write more than 80 words?
Yes. There is no penalty for longer texts. The danger is only in writing too little: under half the required length, the task scores zero.
Do I have to reply to the forum post in Aufgabe 2 directly?
No. A clear general opinion on the topic can get full marks even if you never mention the other writer. What matters is that your opinion is recognizable and on the topic.
Which task should I do first?
Any order is allowed — the module instruction says so explicitly. Pick the order that lets you bank points early; many start with the short formal email.
Are dictionaries allowed?
No. No dictionaries, phones, or any aids — for any part of the exam.
Is there a digital version of the exam?
Yes. Many centers now offer a digital version where you do Lesen, Schreiben, and Hören on a laptop, while Sprechen stays face to face. The writing tasks, timing, word counts, and scoring are exactly the same. The digital editor shows a live word counter, but there is no spell-check — so the writing skills in this guide apply either way.
Who grades my writing?
Two licensed examiners, independently. Your score is the average of the two. If one passes you and one fails you, a third examiner decides.
Here is what a corrected text looks like in B1CLASS. The answer below is for the cat-sitting task you saw earlier — with three typical B1 mistakes still in it. Click the underlined parts: