Goethe A2 Writing:
SMS and email samples, graded

How Goethe A2 writing works

Goethe A2 writing takes 30 minutes and has two parts: an SMS (20–30 words) and an email (30–40 words). As of October 2026, based on the official model test for adults.

Each task describes a short situation and gives you three points. You must write something about all three. You write on the answer sheet (Antwortbogen), without a dictionary or phone.

The time split is our suggestion: the 30 minutes cover both parts together.

Teil 1: the SMS – sample and grading

In Teil 1 you write a short informal message to a friend in the du form, 20–30 words. Typical situations: you are late, you cancel, or you suggest something.

Practice task: You are in the supermarket and will be late for the cinema. Write an SMS to your friend Jonas. Apologise. Say why. Suggest a new place and time.

Sample A: all three points (29 words)

Sample B: one point missing (27 words)

So: sample B reads fine and is still clearly weaker. The missing third point costs more than the grammar slip. The grades are our assessment on the official A–E scale.

Teil 2: the email – sample and grading

In Teil 2 you write a semi-official email of 30–40 words, usually in the Sie form. You know the person, but not privately: a boss, colleague, landlord or course teacher.

Practice task: Your colleague Frau Becker has invited you to her birthday party. Write her an email. Thank her and say you are coming. Say that you are bringing someone. Ask for directions.

Sample C: right register (37 words)

Sample D: wrong register, one point missing (22 words)

So: in Teil 2 the register often decides. If you write „Frau Becker“, stay with Sie from the first sentence to the last. In German there is no comma after the closing („Viele Grüße“).

How it is graded: the A–E scale

Each part is graded in two areas on a scale from A to E: task fulfilment (content points and register) and language (range and accuracy of coherence, vocabulary and structures).

The E rule is the most expensive trap: this SMS has 7 words and scores 0 points, even though it has no mistakes.

How the E rule works at B1 and B2: how Goethe writing is scored.

Points and passing

Writing is worth up to 25 of 100 points, the same as reading, listening and speaking. A2 has no separate pass mark for writing.

You pass with at least 60 of 100 points. You also need at least 45 of 75 points in reading, listening and writing together and at least 15 of 25 in speaking. Otherwise the whole exam counts as failed.

So: you can make up for weaker writing with reading and listening. A zero-point task, though, leaves a big hole in those 45 points.

What we see in A2 practice texts

In A2 practice texts on GoetheCoach (July–October 2026), three things cost points again and again: too many words, the closing and the verb after weil. The sample is small and not representative, but the patterns are clear.

The practice tasks in the app were emails to friends; the exam adds an SMS and an email in the Sie form. The three mistakes above hit both parts.

Phrases for the three points (Redemittel)

A few fixed sentences cover almost every A2 task. Learn them in both forms, du and Sie.

Typical topics in A2 writing

The situations come from everyday life: appointments, invitations and small requests. The SMS goes to friends and family, the email to people from work, your course or your flat.

• Late or cancelling: late for a meeting, moving an appointment
• Invitation: accept, decline, bring someone, ask for directions
• Request: help with a move, borrow something, pick up a key
• Work and course: call in sick, ask about homework, confirm an appointment
• Flat: report something to the landlady, inform the neighbours

Five tips for A2 writing

• Tick off the three points. A missing point costs a full grade. Write at least one full sentence per point.
• Count your words. 20–30 means 20–30. Under 10 (SMS) or 15 (email) scores 0 points.
• Decide the register first. Friend = du, „Liebe Grüße“. Boss or colleague = Sie, „Viele Grüße“. Do not mix.
• Link your sentences. weil, deshalb, aber, dann show A2 rather than A1. After weil, the verb goes last.
• Copy it out cleanly. Only the answer sheet counts. Keep the last minutes for copying and checking.

The most common mistakes at every level: Goethe writing exam: common mistakes. Still at A1? Goethe A1 writing with samples. The next step: Goethe B1 writing.

Frequently asked questions

What is tested in Goethe A2 writing?

In Goethe A2 writing (Schreiben) you write two texts in 30 minutes: in Teil 1 an SMS of 20–30 words to a friend, in Teil 2 an email of 30–40 words, usually in the Sie form. Each task gives three points, and you must write something about all three.

How many points is A2 writing worth?

Writing is worth up to 25 of 100 points. It has no pass mark of its own: you pass with at least 60 of 100 points, including at least 45 of 75 in reading, listening and writing together and at least 15 of 25 in speaking.

What happens if my text is too short?

If you write less than half the required words, under 10 words in the SMS or under 15 in the email, task fulfilment gets grade E. The whole task then scores 0 points. The same happens if you miss the topic.

Can I write more than 30 or 40 words?

The tasks ask for 20–30 and 30–40 words. The official criteria do not state a fixed penalty for longer texts. Stay close to the target anyway: more text means more risk of mistakes and less time for Teil 2.

Does the email in Teil 2 have to be formal?

Teil 2 is a semi-official message, for example to your boss, your landlady or a colleague. Use Sie, a salutation like „Liebe Frau Becker“ or „Sehr geehrter Herr Lehmann“ and a closing like „Viele Grüße“. Writing du to Frau Becker costs points for register.

Can I use a dictionary?

No. Dictionaries and mobile phones are not allowed. You write your texts on the answer sheet (Antwortbogen), clearly and not in pencil. Only what is on the answer sheet is graded.