Updated · October 12, 2026

Writing practiceUseful phrasesCommon mistakes

Goethe exam cheat sheets: 7 free infographics for writing and grammar (PDF)

Seven one-page cheat sheets for the Goethe-Zertifikat: greetings and sign-offs, the comma before subordinate clauses, connectors by function, Redemittel for the forum post, the 2-minute check before you hand in, which Leitpunkt goes missing most often, and Goethe, telc and ÖSD compared. All in one free PDF.

Download all 7 cheat sheets as a PDF (PDF, 7 pages)

Greeting and sign-off: two pairs, no guessing

Formal: Sehr geehrte Frau … → Mit freundlichen Grüßen. Informal: Liebe … / Hallo … → Viele Grüße. Plus: after the comma, carry on in lower case. A cheat sheet for the Goethe writing exam.

Greeting and sign-off: two pairs, no guessing. Formal: „Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, / Sehr geehrter Herr Kaya,“ … „Mit freundlichen Grüßen“. Informal: „Liebe Anna, / Lieber Tom, / Hallo Tom,“ … „Liebe Grüße / Viele Grüße“. Name unknown: „Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,“ … „Mit freundlichen Grüßen“. After the comma, carry on in lower case: „Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, ich schreibe Ihnen, weil …“. 1 in 6 texts get the greeting wrong or leave it out, 1 in 4 the sign-off. In A1 short notes it is almost every second one.
Data: 312 graded practice texts from 101 GoetheCoach learners (A1–C2, Mar–Sep 2026). Practice ratings, not official Goethe-Institut results.

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One comma rule fixes most of your mistakes

Put a comma before every subordinate clause, the one with the verb at the end: Ich glaube, dass … / weil … / wenn … Two thirds of punctuation mistakes in our exam data were comma errors.

One comma rule fixes most of your mistakes. Comma before every subordinate clause: the one with the verb at the end. Wrong: „Ich glaube dass das gut ist.“ Right: „Ich glaube, dass das gut ist.“ „Ich komme nicht, weil ich krank bin.“ „Das ist der Kurs, den ich mache.“ These words start one: dass, weil, wenn, ob, obwohl, als, damit, nachdem; der, die, das (relative clause). Two thirds of all punctuation mistakes in our data were comma errors, mostly a missing one.
Data: 312 graded practice texts from 101 GoetheCoach learners (A1–C2, Mar–Sep 2026). Practice ratings, not official Goethe-Institut results.

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Konnektoren by function

Cause, contrast, concession, result, purpose and more: weil, jedoch, obwohl, folglich, damit, indem … and the word order trap after deshalb. For the Goethe B2/C1 writing exam.

Konnektoren by function. Cause: weil · da · deshalb; Contrast: aber · jedoch · andererseits; Concession: obwohl · trotzdem · zwar … aber; Addition: außerdem · zudem · darüber hinaus; Result: also · folglich · somit; Time: während · nachdem · sobald; Purpose: um … zu · damit; Condition: wenn · falls · sofern; Means: indem · anstatt zu. Watch the word order: „Deshalb lerne ich jeden Tag.“ (not: „Deshalb ich lerne jeden Tag.“).

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Redemittel for your forum post

Four moves, two phrases each: open, give your opinion, argue, conclude. Meiner Meinung nach … / Ein Vorteil ist, dass … / Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen … Use 2–3 per text, not eight.

Redemittel for your forum post. 1. Open: „Das Thema … wird zurzeit kontrovers diskutiert.“ „In dem Beitrag geht es um die Frage, ob …“ 2. Give your opinion: „Meiner Meinung nach …“ „Ich bin der Ansicht, dass …“ 3. Argue: „Ein Vorteil ist, dass …“ „Hinzu kommt, dass …“ 4. Conclude: „Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass …“ „Aus meiner Sicht überwiegen daher die Vorteile.“

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The 2-minute check before you hand in

Seven checks that protect your easiest points: every Leitpunkt, greeting, sign-off, du or Sie, capitalised nouns, commas, word count. Save it for exam day.

The 2-minute check before you hand in: Every Leitpunkt covered, counted against the task; Greeting right for the register; Sign-off present and matching; Only du or only Sie, all the way through; Every noun capitalised: das Haus; Comma before dass, weil, wenn; Word count close to the target.
Data: 312 graded practice texts from 101 GoetheCoach learners (A1–C2, Mar–Sep 2026). Practice ratings, not official Goethe-Institut results.

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Almost half of all B2 texts skip a content point

In our data from 312 graded practice texts, 48% of B2 texts and 57% of C1 texts missed at least one Leitpunkt, usually the last one. Number the points before you write and tick each one off.

Almost half of all B2 texts skip a content point. Share of texts missing at least one Leitpunkt: B1 21%, B2 48%, C1 57%. It is usually the last one: First Leitpunkt skipped 8%, Last Leitpunkt skipped 25%. Fix: Number the points 1–2–3–4 before you write. One full sentence each, tick it off, save words for the last one.
Data: 312 graded practice texts from 101 GoetheCoach learners (A1–C2, Mar–Sep 2026). Practice ratings, not official Goethe-Institut results.

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Goethe, telc or ÖSD?

Same CEFR levels, four modules, 60% to pass. Goethe for study or work abroad, telc for residency and jobs in Germany, ÖSD for Austria. Fees are rough ranges and vary by centre.

Goethe, telc or ÖSD? Same CEFR levels A1–C2, four modules, 60% to pass. The difference is what you need it for. From: Goethe Germany, worldwide, telc Germany, Europe, ÖSD Austria, DACH. B2 fee*: Goethe ~€250–280, telc ~€150–200, ÖSD ~€190–220. Known for: Goethe Highest global recognition, telc Integration course, nursing, medicine, ÖSD Austrian universities. Pick it for: Goethe Study or work abroad, telc Residency, jobs in Germany, ÖSD Life in Austria. *Rough ranges, they vary by exam centre. All three are accepted for German residency and citizenship.

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Can I use these cheat sheets?

Yes. You can use the graphics and the PDF for free in class, in courses, on your website or on social media, as long as you credit GoetheCoach and link to goethecoach.de. Please don't change the content.

Frequently asked questions

Are the numbers official Goethe results?
No. The percentages come from GoetheCoach practice data: 312 graded writing texts from 101 learners (A1–C2, March to September 2026). They are practice ratings, not official Goethe-Institut results.
Can I print the cheat sheets?
Yes. The PDF has one page per cheat sheet in a 2:3 portrait format and prints on A4.
Which level are the cheat sheets for?
Greetings, the comma rule and the 2-minute check help from A2/B1. Connectors, Redemittel and the Leitpunkt data are aimed at B2 and C1.