7 Effective Tips on How to Pass the German A1 Exam

Are you preparing for your German A1 Exam but not yet confident enough to take the test? Don’t worry! Because in this article, I will be giving you 7 effective tips on how to pass the German A1 exam.

But bear in mind, you have to learn the A1 level in order for you to apply these tips. You can take A1 German Exam at Goethe Institut, Ösd or Telc. They are all conducting German A1 test.

Let’s start….

Know Which Part of the Exam is Your Weakness

The German A1 Test is divided into 4 parts. The Hören (listening), Lesen (reading), Schreiben (writing) and Sprechen (speaking). In order for you to pass the test, you have to have 60% above the combined score.

In short, if you have a very low score in the Sprechen part, it will pull down the other part’s score. Which might give you a failing grade. You must balance your skills in every part and it is by knowing which part of the exam is your weakness.

For example, you are not so good at Schreiben (writing), and you are doing good in other parts of the exam. It is better to exert more effort on improving your Schreiben score and set aside first the other parts which you are good at.

You don’t need to waste your time focusing on only one part. Like I’ve said, you have to balance your score, so you can get good points in your exam.

Take a Review Course

I know some of you have no budget for enrolling into paid courses. That’s why this tip is optional but very helpful and effective. Why do I suggest you to take a review course if you can do it alone? Well, taking a review course will give you strategies on how to pass the A1 exam.

You will learn techniques and hacks for answering the test. In some free resources like YouTube, you will never get such effective strategies that will guarantee you get a high passing score.

Another advantage of enrolling in a review course is that, you don’t need to research for what you need to know about the exam. The German review course will be your ultimate guide on how to answer and pass the German test.

But, if you prefer to do it alone without the review course, it is absolutely fine.

Answer Some Sample Exams (Books/Videos)

In addition to the previous tip, you can get some books with sample A1 tests. If you don’t have money for buying books, you can search on YouTube, websites, and blogs that are sharing free sample tests that you can answer to get some ideas about the test.

I remember, I bought a mock book called, “Fit für A1 Zertifikat by Heuber” in preparation for my German A1 Exam. It was very helpful at the same time, I can write my answers directly on the book, unlike Youtube, you can only hear and watch the questions.

The book also includes some warm-up exercises to improve your A1 level. It includes multiple sets of A1 exam and also with CD for Hören test. But after I finished the book, I used YouTube for more sample exams which helped me improve more, specially in Hören test.

Here are some books that I can highly recommend you to have to improve your preparation for German A1 examination:

• Deutsch Prüfunstraining Start Deutsch 1
• Mit Erfolg Start Deutsch 1

Tip: Some of these sample tests’ questions might appear on your actual exam. So, make sure you are focused on answering every question and check the correct answers if possible. If by chance, it appears on your questionnaire, then you already have 1 correct point, since you already answered it from the sample test.

Join the Group Community

Only those people who have already taken the test can tell you how the exam will be. Try to join some German learner community, and ask how was the last exam. What were the Thema in Sprechen? What were the cards they got in the Speaking test?

By asking them, you can have some ideas if you are ready enough to take the exam or not.

If you think you don’t know what they are saying, then your preparation is not enough. For example, they said they got “Gemüse” in Sprechen, and you don’t know what “Gemüse” means.

In that case, you have to search for the meaning of it, so if that card will be your card, then you are well prepared to answer the examiner.

Try to talk or chat with other members of the group page. It will not only enhance your German skills but to help you build a good relationship with other German language learners.

Avoid Cramming Before the Exam

Yes!! Never ever cram a day before your exam. For those who don’t know what cramming is. This is when you are still studying or memorizing a day before your exam.

Cramming is not effective in taking the A1 test. This will only store information in short-term memory. And cramming will cause a “mental block” in your actual exam.

In my experience, one person in my Sprechen team did cramming a few minutes before our speaking test. Because her brain is fully loaded, plus nervous, she never got a chance to answer any questions. She was mentally blocked. And yes, unfortunately. She got zero in Sprechen.

TIP: I suggest that you relax your brain 1 or 2 days before the exam. By this method, you are giving your brain to relax. By the time you’ll take the exam, your brain will be functioning well and the information you got from your preparation will be delivered well in your actual exam.

Believe me. It is very effective. Never torture your brain before the exam.

Sit Near the Audio Player

I know you’re wondering, why would you sit next to the audio player?

Weird huh? Well, simply because sometimes the examiner will use a “cd player” which the audio is not so clear.

If you will sit far from the audio player, then it will be a bit difficult to understand the conversation on the Hören exam.

When I took the exam, I sat in the second row from the audio player. It’s not too far and not too close. Enough to hear the audio properly. 

TIP: I suggest you not to wear earphones or headphones when practicing Hören. With earphones and headphones, the audio is very clear and easy to understand. You have to train your ears to understand the conversation with external noise. The external noises are the sounds from air-conditioned or the noise outside the exam room.

Assess your Score from the Sample Tests

When practicing some sample exams, try to assess your score. If you are having 8/15 score in every part, then it’s good to go but higher is better. But if you are getting below 8/15, I suggest you practice more and improve what you need to improve.

Remember, you have to balance your score in every part so it will not be hard for you to get a good score on your German A1 test.

Conclusion

There you have it. You have learned effective tips on how to prepare and pass the German A1 exam.

Whatever happens, just be confident and trust yourself. You did all your best to prepare for the exam. Apply these tips and for sure you will pass your A1 German test.

Bear in mind that without your A1 knowledge, these tips will be useless. So, it’s better to have a good foundation of your A1 language when taking the A1 test.

Don’t forget to share your experience by commenting down below if these tips helped you on your A1 German Test. Good luck.