Before you start
This plan assumes you already know basic A1 German. A complete beginner should add language-learning time before these exam weeks.
If you finished an A1 course, you can compress the first two weeks into one. If you are starting from zero, allow about eight weeks and keep daily listening from the beginning.
Adjust the pace to your starting point
You already work comfortably at A1
Use the 4-week plan as written and spend extra time on your weakest exam skill.
Your German is close, but uneven
Repeat the first training block before you add the clock. Let practice evidence set the date.
You are still building toward A1
Add language-learning weeks first. This plan prepares the exam format, not the whole language level.
2, 4 or 8 weeks: how to stretch or compress this plan
Plan roughly 60 to 120 learning hours from zero. Exam-only preparation after an A1 course can be much shorter.
- 2 weeks
- Use two weeks only after finishing A1. Spend the first week on task shapes and the second on timed work and speaking aloud.
- 4 weeks
- Use the schedule as written when you know some German but the exam format is new.
- 8 weeks
- From zero, spend the first five weeks building A1 German, then use the final three for exam-format work.
How to split your study time
Hören
Listen every day. Short, repeated exposure matters more than one long block.
Lesen
Train the three fixed reading task shapes and answer only from the text.
Schreiben
Repeat the form and short-message formats until both feel automatic.
Sprechen
Rehearse introductions, questions and requests aloud every day in the final week.
Your week-by-week plan
Each week has one focus, the matching Sprachpass drills, and one honest checkpoint before you move on.
Week 1
45 to 60 minutes a day
Learn the usual Goethe A1 order: Hören Teile 1 to 3, Lesen Teile 1 to 3, the form and the message in Schreiben, then Sprechen Teile 1 to 3 in a group. Drill numbers, prices, clock times and spelling for Hören, plus dates for the Schreiben form.
Week 2
60 minutes a day
Untimed accuracy across Hören and Lesen, one Teil at a time. Fill in the Schreiben Teil 1 form, write the short Teil 2 message and say your Sprechen Teil 1 introduction aloud.
Week 3
60 to 90 minutes a day
Put on the written clock: about 20 minutes for Hören, 25 for Lesen and 20 for Schreiben. Practise Sprechen Teil 2 questions and Teil 3 requests aloud with a partner or a recording.
Week 4
60 to 90 minutes a day
Sit one timed rehearsal and add the parts into a single score out of 100, since Goethe A1 gives one result for the whole exam. Fix the weakest Teil, then keep the last days short.
Ready to look for an exam date?
Sprachpass handles preparation. BookGermanTest handles current dates, centres and booking details. Check there only when your rehearsal evidence feels steady.
Sources
Use these official model papers and rules when you want to check the exam format behind this plan.
Questions about the plan
Is 4 weeks enough for Goethe A1?
4 weeks can be enough when your German is already near A1. If the first two weeks show large language gaps, add time before the timed rehearsal block.
How is Goethe A1 scored, and what does that change in this plan?
You need 60 of 100 points in total across Hören, Lesen, Schreiben and Sprechen, and all four parts must be taken. So the plan tracks one running total and gives extra time to whichever part pulls it down most.
Which week rehearses each Goethe A1 part?
Week 1 maps all eleven Teile, and week 2 practises Hören, Lesen, both Schreiben tasks and Sprechen Teil 1 without a clock. Week 3 adds the written timing plus Sprechen Teile 2 and 3, and week 4 rehearses the whole exam.
Which German should I focus on for Goethe A1?
Numbers, prices, clock times, dates and the spelling of names. Hören asks for numbers, prices and times, the Schreiben form needs details such as dates written correctly, and Sprechen Teil 1 can ask you to spell a name or say a number.
How many days a week should I practise?
Five or six short days usually work better than one long weekend. Keep one lighter day and protect daily listening when it appears in the plan.
When should I book the exam?
Use a timed rehearsal as evidence. If the format feels familiar and your results are steady across skills, check current dates on BookGermanTest. If not, extend the repair block first.