German A1 Listening Examples (Hören)

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The Hören (Listening) section tests your ability to understand spoken German in everyday situations like announcements, short dialogues, and phone messages.

What to Expect

The A1 listening exam includes 3-4 parts: understanding public announcements, short dialogues between two people, and phone messages or voicemails. Each audio is played twice. Time allowed is approximately 20 minutes.

Expert Tips for A1 Listening

1Read the questions before the audio plays
2Listen for specific information: numbers, times, places
3Don't try to understand every word - focus on key information
4Use the second listening to verify your answers
5Practice with German radio, podcasts, or YouTube videos daily

Essential Listening Vocabulary

hören - to hear/listen

der Bahnhof - train station

die Durchsage - announcement

der Anruf - phone call

die Uhrzeit - time

die Verspätung - delay

das Gleis - platform/track

die Abfahrt - departure

Practice Examples

Task 1: Train Announcement

Listen to the announcement and answer: What platform does the train to Munich leave from? [Audio transcript]: "Achtung an Gleis 5. Der ICE nach München über Nürnberg fährt in 10 Minuten ab."

Sample Answer:

The train to Munich leaves from Platform 5 (Gleis 5).

Task 2: Dialogue

Listen to the dialogue and answer: What does the woman want to buy? [Audio transcript]: Verkäufer: "Guten Tag, kann ich Ihnen helfen?" Frau: "Ja, ich suche ein Buch über deutsche Grammatik." Verkäufer: "Die Bücher über Grammatik sind dort drüben."

Sample Answer:

The woman wants to buy a book about German grammar (ein Buch über deutsche Grammatik).

A1 Listening Exam at a Glance

3-4 parts

Announcements, Dialogues, Messages

20 minutes

Total listening time

2 times

Each audio is played twice

Goethe vs telc A1 Listening – Any Difference?

Short answer: Very similar structure.

Aspect

Goethe A1

telc A1

Parts

3-4 parts

Time

20 min

Audio plays

2 times each

Content

Daily situations

The same listening skills apply to both exam formats.

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Listening Section FAQ

The A1 listening exam includes public announcements (train stations, airports, stores), short dialogues between two people (shopping, asking directions, making appointments), phone messages and voicemails, and brief weather or news snippets. All audio uses clear, deliberately slow speech appropriate for A1 level. Speakers articulate clearly and use standard German without strong regional accents to ensure fair testing.

Each audio clip is played exactly twice in both Goethe and telc exams. Use the first listening to understand the general situation, identify speakers, and catch key words related to the questions. Use the second listening to verify your initial answers and fill in any information you missed. Read all questions before the audio starts so you know what to listen for.

Focus on specific, concrete information rather than trying to understand everything: numbers (prices, times, platform numbers, phone numbers), days of the week and dates, names of people and places, and what people want, need, or are looking for. Train yourself to recognize number patterns and time expressions since these appear in almost every listening task. Write down numbers immediately when you hear them.

Official Exam Information

Learn more about the official A1 German certification exams from the accredited providers:

Goethe-Institut

telc

ÖSD

Content based on official public exam guidelines and sample tasks.