Goethe B1 Lesen: 10 past topics with corrected answers and method (2026)
Goethe B1 Lesen tests 4 Teile in 65 minutes — 25 questions scored on 100 points. Themes revolve around 15 recurring topics. This guide gives you 10 recently past topics classified by Teil, with commented corrections and the method to scan a long text in under 6 minutes. To combine with our « Lesen 65 min method » guide for time management strategy.
- 4 Teile in 65 minutes, 25 questions, 100 points, threshold 60/100.
- The module draws from a pool of about 15 recurring themes.
- 10 recent topics classified by Teil in this article.
- Teil 2 (blog) is the longest and most discriminating.
- 4-week practice plan to go from 12/25 to 18/25.
1. Goethe B1 Lesen format
Lesen is the first module of the Goethe B1 exam. It lasts exactly 65 minutes and tests your ability to understand different types of texts: newspaper articles, personal blogs, small ads, short opinions.
| Teil | Text type | Questions | Recommended time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | 5 titles to match to 5 short articles | 5 | 10 min |
| Teil 2 | 1 long personal blog + 6 MCQ questions | 6 | 15 min |
| Teil 3 | 7 short ads to match to 10 situations | 7 | 15 min |
| Teil 4 | 7 short opinions on a theme (Ja/Nein) | 7 | 15 min |
| Total | 25 questions | 65 min + 10 min margin | |
For the complete task-by-task method with detailed strategies, see our Lesen 65 min method guide. This article focuses on recurring topics and corrected examples.
2. The 15 recurring themes
| Theme | Teil 1 | Teil 2 | Teil 3 | Teil 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel and vacation | ✅ | ✅ | Tourism offers | Destination opinions |
| Work and employment | ✅ | — | Job offers | Remote vs office |
| Environment / ecology | ✅ | ✅ | — | Daily gestures |
| Health and sport | ✅ | ✅ | Sport classes | Healthy eating |
| Education and school | — | ✅ | Evening classes | Digital at school |
| Housing / roommates | — | — | WG-Angebote | — |
| Technology / internet | ✅ | ✅ | — | Social media |
| Food | — | ✅ | Restaurants | Organic vs industrial |
| Transport / mobility | ✅ | — | Car rental | Bike vs car |
| Leisure and culture | — | ✅ | Cultural events | — |
| Family and relationships | — | ✅ | — | — |
| Consumption | ✅ | — | Classified ads | Online shopping |
| Volunteering / mutual aid | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Immigration / integration | — | ✅ | — | — |
| Well-being / stress | — | ✅ | — | Life pace |
3. 3 Teil 1 topics — Titles and articles
At Teil 1, you match 5 titles to 5 short articles. It's a global reading test (Global-Verstehen). Here are 3 recent topics.
- Topic 1 — Environment. 5 short articles about ecological initiatives (Berlin waste sorting, Munich bike sharing, tree planting, energy saving, free public transport) to match to 5 titles.
- Topic 2 — Travel. 5 short articles about vacation types (Alps hiking, family cruise, language stay, ecological camping, cultural city) to match to 5 titles.
- Topic 3 — Employment. 5 short articles about the work world (post-Covid remote work, career change at 40, freelance vs permanent, continuing education, work-life balance) to match to 5 titles.
4. 2 Teil 2 topics — Personal blog
At Teil 2, you read a 400-500 word personal blog and answer 6 MCQ questions. It's the most discriminating Lesen module as it requires detailed reading.
- Topic 4 — A year on Erasmus. A student tells about their year in Berlin: difficult arrival, adaptation, university classes, international friends, shared apartment, return home. 6 questions on emotions, choices, key events.
- Topic 5 — Career change. A 42-year-old woman tells about her passage from bank employee to craft baker: trigger, training, financial difficulties, opening her bakery, daily satisfaction. 6 questions on her journey and motivations.
Download official Modellsätze to practice
These topics are inspired by real Goethe B1 tests. To practice on complete official topics with corrections, see our Modellsätze download guide (2 free official tests on goethe.de). Then have your answers corrected by the Deutsch Exam AI.
5. 3 Teil 3 topics — Short ads
At Teil 3, you match 7 short ads to 10 given situations. 3 situations have no match (trap). It's a selective reading test (scanning).
- Topic 6 — Shared apartment. 7 WG (Wohngemeinschaft) ads in Berlin/Munich/Hamburg (furnished room, student flatmates, family shared apartment, short-term room…) to match to 10 profiles looking for housing.
- Topic 7 — Evening classes. 7 evening class ads (yoga, German for beginners, Italian cooking, senior IT, guitar, drawing, photography) to match to 10 learner profiles.
- Topic 8 — Job offers. 7 job offers (weekend waiter, baby-sitter, private lessons, flyer distribution, pet-sitting, gardening, IT help) to match to 10 part-time job seeker profiles.
6. 2 Teil 4 topics — Opinions on a theme
At Teil 4, you read 7 short opinions (30-40 words each) on a theme and answer whether each person is rather FOR (Ja) or AGAINST (Nein) the subject.
- Topic 9 — « Should phones be banned in schools? » 7 opinions from parents, teachers, students, experts, each more or less nuanced.
- Topic 10 — « Is remote work the future of work? » 7 opinions from employees, managers, freelancers, researchers. Classic trap: some opinions are nuanced (« yes but »), requiring careful reading.
7. Complete corrected example — Teil 3 (Evening classes)
Available ads (extract):
- A. Yoga entspannt — Kurs für Anfänger, jeden Montag 18h.
- B. Italienisch kochen — Wir lernen Pasta, Pizza und Tiramisu selber machen. Kleine Gruppe, viel Spaß garantiert. Freitags 19h.
- C. Deutsch für Anfänger — 3 Monate intensiv.
- D. Fotografie mit dem Smartphone — Wochenendkurs.
Answer: B — Italienisch kochen matches « Mediterranean dishes » (Italy is Mediterranean, pasta/pizza are Mediterranean dishes) and « meet other people » (kleine Gruppe = small group).
Trap: don't confuse with « Weinverkostung » (wine tasting) which also touches gastronomy but doesn't match « learn to cook ».
8. 4 strategies to scan a text efficiently
1. Read questions BEFORE the text
Always read questions or situations first. This orients your reading — you look for specific keywords in the text instead of reading everything.
2. Underline keywords in questions
In each question/situation, underline 2-3 unique keywords. Example: « Peter looks for a yoga class for beginners on weekends » → keywords: yoga, beginners, weekend. These 3 words will be in the target ad.
3. Scan, don't read
At Teil 1 and Teil 3, you don't have time to read each text in full. Sweep the text with your eyes looking for underlined keywords. Once found, read surrounding sentences to validate.
4. Eliminate as you go
At Teil 3, check off ads already used. Each ad can only be used once. Eliminating reduces search space for each question.
9. The 5 mistakes to avoid at Lesen
- Reading texts BEFORE questions. Massive waste of time. Always the opposite.
- Wanting to understand everything. At B1, it's normal not to know 5-10 words per text. Focus on general meaning, not each word.
- Spending too much time on Teil 2. Tempting because it's a continuous text. 20 min max, otherwise you'll run out of time on Teil 3 and 4.
- Ticking randomly on Teil 4. True/False looks easy but opinions are nuanced. Look for markers (« aber », « trotzdem », « allerdings »).
- Forgetting to report answers on the sheet. Plan 5 min at end of test to report properly. Non-reported answer = 0 points.
10. 4-week practice plan
| Week | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| W1 | B1 vocabulary + daily DW reading 15 min | 200 B1 words memorized + 10 articles read |
| W2 | Timed Teil 1 + Teil 3 (5 times each) | Average score ≥ 4/5 (Teil 1) and 5/7 (Teil 3) |
| W3 | Timed Teil 2 + Teil 4 (5 times each) | Average score ≥ 4/6 (Teil 2) and 5/7 (Teil 4) |
| W4 | 3 complete Lesen mock tests (65 min) | Final score ≥ 18/25 |
Free practice resources
- Official Goethe B1 Modellsätze — 2 complete free tests on goethe.de
- Deutsche Welle « Nachrichten leicht » — daily news articles in simple German, ideal for B1 practice
- Deutsche Welle « Top-Thema » — B1/B2 articles with annotated vocabulary
- Book Fit fürs Goethe-Zertifikat B1 (Hueber) — 3 additional paid Modelltests
Sources and references
- Official Goethe-Zertifikat B1 page — goethe.de
- Deutsche Welle — Nachrichten leicht
- Fit fürs Goethe-Zertifikat B1 — Hueber Verlag
Last verified: July 23, 2026. The 10 topics are inspired by recent sessions 2024-2026.