Practise for the Goethe exam with Claude: the free GoetheCoach skill (A1–C2)

What is a Claude skill?

A skill is a package of instructions and knowledge you upload to Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant) once. From then on, whenever you talk about the Goethe exam, Claude knows how the tasks are built, how they are scored, and how a good teacher gives feedback. You don't need long prompts anymore. Something like "Give me a B1 writing task" is enough.

Claude only loads the skill when you talk about German or the Goethe exam. In other conversations it stays out of the way.

What the skill does, and what it doesn't

Modules: Lesen (every Teil in the format of the current Modellsätze A2–C1, also as a full Lesen exam; every wrong answer explained with the deciding words of the text), Schreiben (full evaluation) and Sprechen (a chat simulation where Claude plays both your partner and the examiner).

What it deliberately doesn't do:

• Hören. Claude can't play audio in chat, so use the Goethe-Institut's official Modellsätze for listening practice.
• Pronunciation. It can't be assessed in a text chat, so it is left out of the estimate.
• Official grades. The score is an estimate, so it is shown as a range, e.g. "approx. 64–70%". The official result can differ.

What's inside the skill?

Everything in the skill is open. Here's what it contains:

• Writing rubric: the four criteria Aufgabenerfüllung (task fulfilment), Kohärenz, Wortschatz, Strukturen. Each criterion is rated on a 0–5 band scale. There are also rules for Leitpunkte, greeting, register and length, a cap based on error density, and expectations per level. More on the criteria: The four Goethe writing criteria, trained with AI.
• Lesen formats A2–C1: every Teil as in the current Modellsatz, with item numbers, timing, text type and the official instructions. Before each task Claude checks itself: could the answer be guessed without the text? Is there really only one right answer? After you answer, it shows the deciding words in the text and names the trap that caught you (for example the same words with a different meaning), plus a reading strategy that fits.
• Speaking protocol: how the oral exam is simulated in chat. It is scored on task fulfilment, interaction, coherence, vocabulary and structures.
• Tutor playbook: how feedback is delivered, what happens next (self-correction, micro-drills, re-scoring), and how to handle exam anxiety and arguments about points.
• Native-language error patterns for 7 languages: Hungarian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi and English, plus a general guide for all other languages. This lets Claude explain to a Turkish learner, for example, why they put the verb at the end of the sentence.
• Calibration examples: synthetic, fully worked sample texts from A2 to B2 that keep the scoring stable.

Install in 2 minutes

In Claude.ai or the Claude desktop app (Free plan included):

1. Download the ZIP file. Don't unzip it!
2. Open Settings → Capabilities and turn on code execution. Skills need it.
3. Open Customize → Skills from the left menu.
4. Click +, then Create skill → Upload a skill, and choose the ZIP file.
5. Make sure the "goethecoach" toggle is on. Done.

On Team and Enterprise accounts, an admin may first need to allow skills in the organisation settings.

In Claude Code (for developers):

• Unzip into ~/.claude/skills/, e.g. unzip goethecoach-skill.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/.

How to use it

Start a new chat and write in your own language. Claude will then explain in English, Hungarian, Turkish and so on. Tasks and corrections stay in German, just like in the exam.

Five prompts to copy:

• "I'm taking the B1 exam in December. Give me a Schreiben Teil 1 task."
• "Grade my email, level B1, task: …" (paste the task and your text)
• "Simulate Sprechen Teil 1 at A2 with me."
• "Run a full B2 Lesen exam with me and correct my answers afterwards."
• "My exam is on 12 December, B2. I have 4 hours a week. Make me a plan."

Example from a test run (shortened). A learner sends a 55-word B1 email with some typical mistakes. Claude replies:

Result: approx. 69–77%, so you're above the 60% pass line. Top 3: 1. Write closer to 80 words and the length deduction disappears. 2. After "weil" the verb goes to the end: "weil ich am Samstag eine Prüfung habe". 3. Don't forget the reflexive pronoun: "Ich freue mich auf dich." What next? a) You fix your mistakes yourself, b) a quick drill on "weil", or c) you rewrite the text and I compare.

Tips for better results

• Give your level, exam part and native language in the first message. You'll get fewer follow-up questions and better-fitting explanations.
• Rewrite and get re-scored. The before/after comparison per criterion shows you most clearly what pays off.
• Ask for a "Lernzettel" at the end. Claude doesn't remember anything between chats. The Lernzettel is a summary sheet with your three main error patterns and your next steps.
• Don't argue with every number. The range is intentional. Watch the trend across several texts, not a single percentage.

Skill or GoetheCoach app?

The skill is your practice partner. The GoetheCoach app adds what a chat can't do reliably:

Our tip: practise with Claude, then check your best text in the Writing Check to get the exact score.

↓ Download the GoetheCoach skill for free