German A1 Writing Examples – Goethe & telc (Official Format)

In the Goethe-Institut A1 and telc A1 exams, the writing part checks whether you can write a simple, correct, and understandable message in everyday situations. You are NOT tested on creativity, but on: clarity, correct structure, basic grammar, and completing all required points.

Many candidates fail not because of vocabulary, but because they ignore format rules.

German A1 Writing: Official Task Types (Goethe & telc)

These task types appear in both Goethe and telc A1 exams:

Message / SMS
Short informal message
Email
Simple personal or semi-formal email
Invitation
Invite someone + give details
Reply to invitation
Accept or refuse
Appointment / Request
Ask for help, meeting, or information
Apology
Say sorry and explain briefly
You must always answer ALL bullet points given in the task.

Universal A1 Writing Formula (Works for ALL Topics)

Use this structure every single time:

A1 WRITING FORMULA
1Greeting
2Reason for writing
3Answer ALL task points (1 sentence each)
4Closing sentence
5Sign-off + Name
If one bullet point is missing → automatic point loss.

German A1 Writing Example (Official Style)

Task (Example)

You write to friend Anna: • invite her to your birthday • say when and where • ask her to come

Model Answer (A1 Correct)

Liebe Anna, ich habe bald Geburtstag und lade dich zu meiner Party ein. Die Party ist am Samstag um 18 Uhr bei mir zu Hause. Kannst du bitte kommen? Liebe Grüße Ahmed

SimpleAll points answeredCorrect formatA1-level language

Common A1 Writing Mistakes (That Cost Points)

MOST IMPORTANT: Avoid these errors

No capital letters
ich habe
Ich habe Zeit
Missing greeting
[No greeting] Ich lade dich ein
Liebe Anna, Ich lade dich ein
Missing sign-off
…bis bald [No formal closing]
Viele Grüße
Missing task point
Nur die ZeitMissing location
Zeit + OrtBoth required
Sentence too complex
Wenn ich Zeit hätte…Too complex for A1 level
Ich habe Zeit.Simple present tense
Wrong verb position
Ich kann kommen nichtWrong word order
Ich kann nicht kommenCorrect word order
Informal/formal mixed
Liebe Frau Müller, wie geht's dirMixed informal with formal
Liebe Frau Müller, wie geht es IhnenConsistent formal tone
No punctuation
Ich komme am Montag [missing .]
Ich komme am Montag.

Capital letters and punctuation are mandatory in German.

Goethe & telc A1 Scoring Rules

Criterion
What examiners check
Task completion
All bullet points answered
Understandability
Easy to understand
Grammar
Basic A1 grammar
Vocabulary
Simple everyday words
Format
Greeting + closing

You do NOT lose points for: short sentences, repeating words, simple vocabulary

You DO lose points for: missing information, wrong format, unreadable structure

German A1 Writing Cheat Sheet (SAVE POINTS)

Quick Structure Cheat Sheet

Greeting
Liebe Anna, / Sehr geehrter Herr Müller,
Reason
ich schreibe dir, weil…
Time
am Montag um 10 Uhr
Place
bei mir zu Hause / im Büro
Request
Kannst du bitte…?
Closing
Viele Grüße / Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Name
Maria

A1 Safe Sentences (Use These!)

Ich schreibe dir, weil…
I'm writing because…
Ich habe am … Zeit
I have time on…
Ich kann leider nicht
Unfortunately I can't
Danke für deine Einladung
Thanks for your invitation
Bis bald
See you soon

Goethe vs telc A1 Writing – Any Difference?

Short answer: Almost no difference.

Aspect
Goethe A1
telc A1
Task type
Message / Email
Message / Email
Length
Short
Short
Difficulty
Same
Same
Scoring focus
Completion & clarity
Completion & clarity

If you prepare correctly, the same strategy works for both.

Official References

Goethe-Institut A1 Exam Description
telc Deutsch A1 Prüfung Information
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR A1)

Content based on official public exam guidelines and sample tasks.

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