German exam preparation for exactly the exam you have booked
Knowing German and passing the exam are two different things. Many people speak well but fail because the paper is unfamiliar, time runs out, or marks are lost in the writing. Exam preparation means learning how to get through that particular paper.
Which exam are you sitting?
Each exam has its own paper format and marking criteria
Practising in general and then meeting an unfamiliar paper in the exam room is the most common way to fail. The plan is built around the exact exam you have booked or are about to book.
Goethe-Zertifikat
Run by the Goethe-Institut and widely recognised both inside and outside Germany.
- Level
- A1 – C2
- Usually used for
- Visa applications, vocational training, study abroad
telc Deutsch
Very common within Germany; many authorities and employers are familiar with this certificate.
- Level
- A1 – C2
- Usually used for
- Work and applications in Germany
ÖSD
The Austrian German certificate, recognised in many places across the German- speaking region.
- Level
- A1 – C2
- Usually used for
- Applications in Austria and Germany
Another exam
DTZ, TestDaF or a test set by a school or an employer. Name the exam so Frog-Job can build the right plan.
- Level
- Depends on the exam
- Usually used for
- A case of its own
Check before you book the exam Whoever receives your application — the vocational school, the employer, the visa authority — is the one who decides which certificate is accepted and at what level. Requirements differ by field, by federal state and from year to year. Ask them directly before you pay the exam fee.
The question you are really asking
This much time left — is it enough?
The answer depends far more on your current level than on the number of weeks left. Below is what is realistically achievable in each span of time.
Tactics only
Not enough to raise your level. Only time to get used to the paper, manage the clock and fix the mistakes that cost marks fastest.
Sensible if you are already close to the level you need.
Focused paper practice
Enough to drill all four skills in exam format, sit several mock exams and fix the recurring mistakes.
Sensible if you have already completed the level you plan to sit.
The most comfortable span
Time both to shore up the gaps and to practise papers and sit mock exams without cramming.
What most learners choose.
Raise the level first, then drill the paper
Enough to go from your current level up to the level you need, and only then move into the paper-practice phase at the end.
Suitable if you are still one level below your target.
The four skills
People usually fail on one skill, not on all four
Most exams require a minimum in each part. One weak skill drags the whole paper down, so the plan identifies early which part is holding you back.
Hören
Listening
Catching the main point when people speak fast, ignoring the distractors, and not panicking when you miss a sentence.
Lesen
Reading
Reading tactically: finding the place that holds the answer instead of translating sentence by sentence until the time runs out.
Schreiben
Writing
The part where marks are most easily thrown away. Your work is corrected in detail against the exact marking criteria of the exam.
Sprechen
Speaking
Practice on the exact speaking task of the exam, including the part with a fellow candidate or answering the examiner.
Three formats
Choose by the time you have left and your budget
Interactive
Small group exam preparation
A balance of cost, close attention from the teacher and classmates to practise speaking with.
- Speaking practice with classmates, close to the real task
- Lower cost than one-to-one
- A fixed timetable that you have to fit around
One-to-one
One-to-one exam preparation
The whole lesson goes on the exact skill that is dragging your marks down.
- Written work and speaking corrected mistake by mistake
- Lesson times that fit your own schedule
- The focus shifts the moment a weak point shows up
Intensive
Crash exam preparation
For those who already have the foundations and only a few weeks before the exam.
- Priority on whatever can improve fastest
- High intensity, several lessons a week
- Mock exams marked against the official criteria
How it runs
From the first lesson to the day you walk into the exam room
Take a placement test
Establishing your real level and which skill is weakest, rather than guessing by feel.
Work backwards from the exam date
If you have an exam date, the schedule is worked backwards from it. If not, Frog-Job suggests when to sit it.
Study and drill the paper
Fill the gaps first, drill the paper format second. Written work and speaking are corrected in every lesson.
Marked mock exams
Sat under near-real conditions, marked against the real criteria, then the gaps are fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Before you book
No. Frog-Job teaches exam preparation; the exams themselves are run by accredited organisations — the Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD and their partner exam centres. You book the exam there yourself; Frog-Job advises on choosing a centre and on when to register.
That depends on whoever receives your application, not on Frog-Job. It is up to the vocational school, the employer or the authority assessing your application to say which certificate and which level they require; Frog-Job will then advise so the right plan can be built.
Yes. Schreiben and Sprechen are the two parts hardest to practise alone, because you cannot see your own mistakes. Written work is corrected against the marking criteria of the exam you are sitting, and speaking is corrected during the lesson itself.
Yes, as many as you need, sat under conditions close to the real exam room and marked against the real criteria. The point is not a flattering score but knowing where you lose marks while there is still time to fix it.
Frog-Job does not promise a 100% pass rate, because the outcome depends on how much you already know and on how quickly you take things in. Frog-Job will support you for up to 3 months of revision for the next sitting, free of charge, if you have studied here from A1 through to the exam.
A stable internet connection, a computer or tablet, a headset with a microphone and somewhere quiet enough for listening and speaking. A phone will do at a pinch, but the writing part is hard to follow on one.
The next step
Give the exam and the date, and get a schedule worked backwards
Add your current level and how many lessons a week you can manage. You will get a straight assessment of whether there is enough time — free of charge.
