German exams · B2

Goethe-Zertifikat B2

Goethe-Zertifikat B2 (new format since 2019, for adults and for young people). Run by Goethe-Institut; work, vocational training, nursing recognition, some universities of applied sciences; modular.

The exam in detail

Modular like B1: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen, 100 points each, 60 points pass each module, modules can be taken separately and a passed module does not have to be repeated. Same grade bands as B1.
Lesen: 65 minutes, 5 Teile, 30 items: opinions of several people on a topic in a forum ("who says what"), a press article with multiple choice, a text with removed sentences to put back, matching short comments/statements to headings or people, and an instruction or rules text with multiple choice. Texts are longer and more abstract than at B1.
Hören: about 40 minutes, 4 Teile, 30 items: several short everyday texts, a radio interview or report, a conversation between several people ("who says what"), and a talk or lecture with multiple choice; some parts are played twice, others only once.
Schreiben: 75 minutes, 2 Aufgaben. Aufgabe 1 (about 50 minutes, weighted more heavily): a discussion contribution for an online forum on a given topic with guiding points, at least 150 words. Aufgabe 2 (about 25 minutes): a formal or semi-formal message, e.g. to a colleague, boss or teacher, at least 100 words, on given content points. Criteria: task fulfilment/content, coherence, vocabulary, grammar.
Sprechen: about 15 minutes for two candidates, 15 minutes preparation, 2 Teile. Teil 1 "Vortrag": a short talk (about 4 minutes) on one of two offered topics, structured as introduction, several options/alternatives, advantages and disadvantages, your opinion, conclusion; afterwards the partner and the examiner ask questions. Teil 2 "Diskussion": both candidates discuss a controversial statement (about 5 minutes), give arguments, react to the other, and reach a conclusion.

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