Goethe-Zertifikat A2 exam and online mock test

1. 1. b) 3. Stock — The situation involves two jobs, writing and printing ('schreiben und ausdrucken'), and the laptop is broken. Only the 3rd floor offers computers and a printer together: 'Computerplätze mit Drucker'. The 'Kopierer' on the ground floor is the distractor: a photocopier copies a page you already have, you cannot write an application with it. The task says 'ausdrucken', the board says 'Drucker'; at A2, recognising different words from the same root is half the job.
2. 2. a) 2. Stock — The key words are 'Spanisch lernen' and 'zum Hören': the person wants something to listen to in order to learn a language. There are CDs on three floors: 'Kinder-CDs' on the 1st, 'Musik: CDs und Noten' on the 4th and 'Sprachen lernen: Bücher mit CD' on the 2nd. Only the 2nd floor is for language learning. Choosing the 4th floor because you spot 'CD' is the trap; check what the CD is for.
3. 3. c) anderer Stock — The cloakroom ('Garderobe') and the lockers for large bags ('Schließfächer für große Taschen') are in the basement, the 'Untergeschoss'. The basement is not among the options, so the answer is 'anderer Stock' (another floor). The 'Rückgabe' on the ground floor is the distractor: 'abgeben' and 'Rückgabe' look alike, but the Rückgabe is where borrowed books are returned, not where you leave a bag. If the floor you need is not listed, don't hesitate to choose 'anderer Stock'.
4. 4. b) 4. Stock — A gardener will talk about balcony plants this evening: that is an event, so it takes place in the 'Veranstaltungssaal (Lesungen und Vorträge)' on the 4th floor. The distractor is 'Sachbücher: Garten, Kochen, Gesundheit' on the 2nd floor: same topic (gardening), but there are only books there, no talk. The word 'Vortrag' never appears in the task; 'spricht … über' and 'zuhören' describe it. Look for the place that fits what the person wants to do, not just the topic.
5. 5. a) Erdgeschoss — The group study rooms are on the 3rd floor, but the board adds a condition in brackets: 'bitte an der Information reservieren'. Nothing has been booked yet, and the task asks where you go 'zuerst' (first). The information desk ('Information und Anmeldung') is on the ground floor, so that is where you go first. The 3rd floor is the distractor: you only go there in the second step. Brackets and small notes on a board often change the answer.

In the real exam the reading section takes 30 minutes and has 20 items in four parts; it is worth 25 points (1.25 points per correct answer). Teil 2 gives you an information board, a directory or a web page and five situations (items 6–10); for each one you choose a, b or c. Don't read the whole board first: read the situation, work out what the person really needs (a computer, a book, an event?), then look for it on the board. The word in the situation rarely appears on the board as it is, and notes in brackets or words like 'zuerst' can change the answer. In Level Exams' full mock exams the section runs on the real clock; here you can take your time.

1. 1. e) den Transporter fahren — Two jobs come up around Felix. Lena says 'Wir haben einen Transporter gemietet, und Felix fährt', and right after that Jonas asks who will carry the boxes. The answer is 'Das machen zwei Freunde von Felix': his friends carry the boxes, not Felix. Because Felix's name is mentioned again, 'Kisten tragen' (g) is the distractor; the answer is e.
2. 2. d) auf die Katze aufpassen — First you hear about a cake: 'sie wollte uns eigentlich einen Kuchen backen'. 'eigentlich' followed by 'aber' signals that the plan changed: she has to work on Saturday, so 'Kuchen backen' (a) is the distractor. What she actually does: 'Dafür nimmt sie meine Katze für das ganze Wochenende.' The option doesn't say 'nehmen' but 'aufpassen': taking the cat in for the weekend means looking after it. 'eigentlich … aber' is the most common trap in this task.
3. 3. h) Lampen aufhängen — 'Er hängt in der neuen Wohnung alle Lampen auf.' That he is an electrician is an extra clue. Jonas's next question ('Baut er auch die Möbel auf?') brings in a distractor, but Lena rules it out: 'Nein, dafür hat er keine Geduld.'
4. 4. b) einen Schrank aufbauen — The wardrobe comes up in a question about the father, but the answer brings in Pia: 'Den Schrank baut meine Freundin Pia auf.' In German the object can come first: in this sentence starting with 'Den Schrank' (accusative) the subject is 'meine Freundin Pia'. A job being mentioned with one person and then given to another is typical of this task; look at the subject of the sentence, not at who asked the question.
5. 5. i) die Küche putzen — Jonas first offers to cook ('Soll ich vielleicht für alle kochen?') and Lena declines: they will order pizza at lunchtime. Then she mentions that the kitchen in the old flat is still dirty, and Jonas says 'die mache ich sauber'; 'sauber machen' means 'putzen'. 'für alle kochen' (f) belongs to nobody: in this task some options are mentioned in the conversation but match no one.

In the real exam the listening section has 20 items in four parts and is worth 25 points (1.25 points per correct answer). Teil 1 and Teil 4 are played twice, Teil 2 and Teil 3 only once. Teil 2 has five items and nine options, a to i; each letter is used only once, so four options are left over. In this sample the leftovers are all mentioned but belong to no one: the cancelled cake, the walls already painted last week, the declined offer to cook and the boxes carried by Felix's friends. Read the people and the options before the recording starts, and listen for what follows words like 'eigentlich', 'aber' or 'nein, dafür …'. If you miss an item, let it go: the recording does not stop. In Level Exams' full mock exams the audio cannot be paused and plays the set number of times, as in the real exam; the player on this page can be replayed freely.

In the real exam the writing section takes 30 minutes and has two tasks: in Teil 1 a short message (SMS) of 20–30 words to a friend, in Teil 2 a semi-formal e-mail of 30–40 words. In both you must cover all three given points; there is no choosing between them. Each task is marked on two criteria, task fulfilment (Aufgabenerfüllung) and language (Sprache), each worth up to 5, in steps of 5, 3.5, 2, 0.5 and 0. These 10 raw points are multiplied by 1.25, so each task is worth 12.5 and the section 25 points. In a semi-formal text a greeting such as 'Liebe Frau …' or 'Sehr geehrte Frau …' and a closing such as 'Viele Grüße' are part of the task. The model text (36 words including greeting and name) covers the three points in order: when the writer can work more, which week she can't and why ('denn da habe ich …'), and a question about the morning start time. A point that begins 'Fragen Sie …' needs a real question; just mentioning working hours is not enough. Reading, listening and writing together form the written part, where you need at least 45 of 75 points. On Level Exams your text is scored by AI against Goethe's official criteria for this level.

• Verkehrsmittel? „Zur Arbeit fahre ich meistens mit der Straßenbahn. Am Wochenende nehme ich lieber das Fahrrad.“ — 'mit' always takes the dative: mit der Straßenbahn, mit dem Bus, mit dem Fahrrad. On foot is 'zu Fuß', without 'mit'. If you start with a time phrase like 'Am Wochenende', the verb still comes second: 'Am Wochenende nehme ich …'.
• Wie lange? „Mit der Straßenbahn brauche ich ungefähr zwanzig Minuten. Mit dem Fahrrad dauert es nur eine Viertelstunde.“ — Two frames for duration: 'Ich brauche zwanzig Minuten' or 'Es dauert eine Viertelstunde'. 'ungefähr' or 'etwa' sound natural at A2; you don't need the exact minute. Comparing two means of transport shows more language than a single answer.
• Was machen Sie unterwegs? „In der Bahn höre ich Podcasts oder lerne Wörter mit einer App. So geht die Fahrt schnell vorbei.“ — In a sentence starting with 'In der Bahn' the subject follows the verb: 'höre ich'. 'oder' links two actions and does not change the word order. 'vorbeigehen' is separable: 'So geht die Fahrt schnell vorbei.'
• Probleme? „Im Winter kommt die Bahn oft zu spät. Letzten Monat habe ich deshalb einen Arzttermin verpasst.“ — Tell a short experience in the Perfekt: 'habe … verpasst'. If you start with 'deshalb', the verb still comes second: 'Deshalb habe ich …'. Answering a one-word point like 'Probleme?' with a concrete example strengthens your task-fulfilment score.
• Zusatzfrage: Möchten Sie ein Auto haben? „Nein, im Moment nicht. Ein Auto ist teuer, und in meinem Viertel gibt es kaum Parkplätze.“ — Give a clear answer first ('Nein, im Moment nicht.'), then a reason. 'und' links two reasons; with 'weil' the verb goes to the end: '…, weil ein Auto teuer ist.' 'kaum' (hardly any) is a very useful word at this level.

In the real exam the speaking section takes about 15 minutes, has three parts and gives no separate preparation time. In Teil 2 you get a topic card; you talk about your own life along the points on it, then answer one follow-up question from the examiner (Zusatzfrage). This task is worth 8 points: 4 for task fulfilment, 4 for language. Pronunciation is also rated across the whole section, for 5 points. Speaking is worth 25 points in total and has its own threshold of at least 15 points; extra written points do not make up for it. Give each point one or two sentences, link them with 'und', 'aber', 'denn' or 'deshalb', and tell at least one concrete experience in the Perfekt. You can't know the follow-up question in advance: answer it clearly first, then add a reason. On Level Exams your answer is recorded and scored by AI against Goethe's official criteria; pronunciation can only be estimated from a recording.