Goethe B1 Schreiben has three writing tasks in 60 minutes: an informal email, an opinion post and a short formal email. This guide gives you an original model answer for each task, explains the choices behind it and shows how to revise your own text. Use the 14-day plan to build a regular writing routine.
This guide follows the adult Goethe-Zertifikat B1 format. The exercises and answers below are original Citizify practice material, not past exam questions or answers graded by Goethe. The 14-day plan is for learners already working at B1; it does not promise to take a beginner to B1 or guarantee a pass.
Affiliate disclosure: Citizify may earn a commission from an eligible registration through the Audible and Prime Student links in this article, at no extra cost to you. You can follow the practice plan with free materials.
Goethe B1 Schreiben format: 3 tasks in 60 minutes
The writing module has three tasks within 60 minutes. The task timings and approximate word targets below follow the official sample: Goethe B1 writing sample.
The official assessment considers task fulfilment, coherence, vocabulary and structures. For practice, ask four questions: Did I cover the requested points? Are my sentences connected? Do my words suit the situation? Are verb positions and sentence structures correct? This review is not an official score.
Aufgabe 1: Informal email example
Turn the content points into brief notes first. After the greeting, describe the event, give the requested explanation and add a concrete suggestion if needed. Use “du” when writing to a friend and keep the closing equally informal.
Original practice task
Model answer
What should you notice?
- The tour and the stop cover the description requested in the exercise.
- The sentence with “weil” explains why the picnic was enjoyable instead of simply calling it nice.
- The invitation includes a day, time and meeting place. Anna has enough information to respond.
Aufgabe 2: Opinion post example (Diskussionsbeitrag)
You do not need an email greeting here. State your position, add a reason and give a specific example. End with a conclusion. Briefly considering another perspective can help, but you do not need a long list of advantages and disadvantages for every topic.
Original practice task
Model answer
What should you notice?
- The opening states a clear position on Sunday library opening.
- Working during the week and a crowded Saturday library give the opinion concrete support.
- The answer considers staff time off and suggests shorter opening hours. The conclusion remains consistent with the position.
Aufgabe 3: Short formal email example
A short message still needs an appropriate greeting, a purpose and a closing. If the task requests an apology and a reason, write both explicitly. Remove unnecessary background information. Suggest another appointment only when it fits the situation and instructions.
Original practice task
Model answer
What should you notice?
- “Sehr geehrte Frau Schneider” matches the formal closing.
- The reason for missing the appointment and the apology are both explicit.
- The request for another appointment is brief and polite; a long explanation does not bury the message.
Common B1 formal email mistakes and how to fix them
The following response to Task 3 communicates part of the message, but its greeting, explanation and request need work for an email to a course tutor:
- Choose a formal greeting suitable for the recipient instead of “Hallo”.
- Replace “Ich habe Arzt” with a complete reason: “weil ich einen Arzttermin habe”.
- Include the requested apology as well as saying you cannot attend.
- Replace “Machen wir Freitag?” with a polite question. Match the closing to the greeting.
Compare these changes with the third model answer. Rewrite the message with a different reason. Start by repairing missing information and unclear sentences; replacing every word with more difficult vocabulary is not the goal.
Goethe B1 Schreiben phrases: 6 useful expressions
Learn what each phrase does rather than inserting the whole phrase into every topic. Complete it with your own idea. Check verb position after “weil” and “dass”.
- Besonders gut hat mir … gefallen.Describe a detail you enjoyed.
- Hast du Lust, …?Invite a friend or suggest an activity.
- Meiner Meinung nach …Introduce your opinion.
- Einerseits …, andererseits …Connect two sides of an issue.
- Leider kann ich … nicht …Explain that you cannot attend or do something.
- Wäre ein neuer Termin … möglich?Ask politely to change an appointment.
A 14-day Goethe B1 writing practice plan
Allow about 25–35 minutes on shorter practice days. Full mock writing sessions need 60 minutes plus review time. Your output should be a text you have written or corrected, not just a page you have read.
Week 1
- Baseline: write the three tasks from a free official sample under timed conditions; record what was hardest.
- Underline the content points in your first email and add anything you missed.
- Write a new personal email; make necessary details such as date, time and place explicit.
- Review sentences using “weil”, “deshalb” and “dass”; correct verb positions.
- Write an opinion text; mark your position, reason and example separately.
- Write an opinion on a different topic; avoid using the same connector in every sentence.
- Reread three texts from the first week; choose and correct your three most frequent mistakes.
Week 2
- Write a short formal email; check the greeting, reason, apology and closing.
- Write a second formal email; remove unnecessary details and practise a polite request.
- Write a fresh personal email using only phrases that fit the task.
- Complete a full 60-minute writing practice session, including checking time.
- Correct missing task points and repeated language errors; use feedback if available.
- Write a new text for your weakest task type without looking at an earlier answer.
- Complete an unseen task set in 60 minutes. Compare error types with Day 1; familiarity with a repeated question is not the same as improvement.
Goethe B1 Schreiben checklist before submission
- Have I answered every requested content point?
- Do the greeting and closing fit this text type?
- Does Task 2 contain my opinion and a supporting reason?
- Have I kept “du” and “Sie” consistent?
- Have I checked verb position after connectors and capital letters for nouns?
- Have I removed repetition and stayed close to the requested length?
Free Goethe B1 practice resources
Start with a free official mock. Goethe provides two adult practice sets, audio files and a vocabulary list: free Goethe B1 practice materials.
For options that support vocabulary revision and a regular study routine, explore
Citizify’s resources pageFree Goethe materials
Understanding the official tasks and completing a mock.
Repeating a small number of sets does not measure performance on new tasks.
Audible
Daily German listening, noticing expressions and writing short summaries.
It is not a Goethe writing mock or a correction service.
Continue with Citizify
Explore the listening guide to build a routine. If you are taking TELC, practise its separate task format.
❓ Goethe B1 writing questions
How long is Goethe B1 Schreiben, and how many tasks are there?+
Is Goethe B1 Schreiben the same as TELC B1 writing?+
Can I use one email template for all three tasks?+
How should I practise word counts?+
Will I be ready for Goethe B1 in 14 days?+
Do I need Audible or Prime Student?+
Sources and review date
Exam format checked on 8 October 2026. The model answers are original Citizify material; official materials are linked at their source.
