Goethe B1 Schreiben: Teil 1, 2 and 3 Explained (With Examples)
What each of the three B1 writing tasks asks for, how long to spend on each, the phrases examiners expect, and the mistakes that cost the most marks.
Schreiben is the module most B1 candidates underestimate. You get about 60 minutes for three very different tasks, and each one is marked on whether you covered the required points, not on how long you wrote. Here is what each part expects.
Teil 1 — informal email to a friend
You reply to a short message from a friend, covering the given content points. Around 80 words, roughly 20 minutes.
- Cover every bullet point given in the task. A missing point costs more than a grammar mistake.
- Use du, informal greetings (Liebe/Lieber ...) and a closing (Viele Grüße, Bis bald).
- Connect ideas with weil, deshalb, aber and dann — B1 marking rewards linked sentences over short ones.
Teil 2 — opinion post in a forum
You write a comment on a discussion topic, giving your opinion with reasons. Around 80 words, roughly 25 minutes.
- Open with your position: "Meiner Meinung nach ...", "Ich finde, dass ...".
- Give two reasons and one example from your own life.
- Close with a conclusion or a suggestion: "Deshalb finde ich, dass ...".
Teil 3 — short formal message
You write a short formal message, for example cancelling an appointment or apologising to a teacher or colleague. Around 40 words, roughly 15 minutes.
- Use Sie throughout, and Sehr geehrte Frau ... / Sehr geehrter Herr ... with Mit freundlichen Grüßen.
- Say what you cannot do, why, and what you propose instead. Three sentences is often enough.
- Do not switch to du halfway. Mixing registers is one of the most common B1 errors.
Time management on the day
Write Teil 3 last but do not leave it under five minutes — it is the easiest part to complete fully. A realistic split is 20 / 25 / 15 minutes, keeping two minutes at the end to check verb endings, word order and capitalised nouns.
What examiners look for
- Task completion: every content point addressed.
- Register: informal for Teil 1 and 2, formal for Teil 3.
- Range: subordinate clauses, connectors and varied verbs.
- Accuracy: mistakes are tolerated at B1 as long as the meaning stays clear.
The full B1 module breakdown, timings and pass mark are on our B1 exam page. To practise, write your answers under the clock and have them marked — GermanArena mock papers include Schreiben tasks in the Goethe format with teacher feedback.