Hören is the listening module of the Goethe-Zertifikat. What matters most is how often you hear each recording, and that changes from Teil to Teil: some are played twice, some only once, and at C1 one discussion is cut into four sections you hear once each. The tables below give the play count and the reading time for every Teil at every level.
| Level | Time | Teile | Items / tasks | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | about 20 min | 3 | 15 | 15 raw points (1 per item) |
| A2 | about 30 min | 4 | 20 | 20 raw points (1 per item) |
| B1 | about 40 min | 4 | 30 | 30 raw points (1 per item) |
| B2 | about 40 min | 4 | 30 | 30 raw points (1 per item) |
| C1 | about 40 min | 4 | 30 | 30 raw points (1 per item) |
| C2 | about 35 min | 3 | 30 | 100 points (30 + 20 + 50) |
From B1 upwards Hören is its own module, scored out of 100 and passed with 60. At A1 and A2 it is one part of a single exam and worth 25 of the 100 total points. The module times include the pauses and repeats.
| Level | Played twice | Played once |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Teil 1, Teil 3 | Teil 2 |
| A2 | Teil 1, Teil 4 | Teil 2, Teil 3 |
| B1 | Teil 1, Teil 4 | Teil 2, Teil 3 |
| B2 | Teil 2, Teil 4 | Teil 1, Teil 3 |
| C1 | Teil 2, Teil 4 | Teil 1, Teil 3 (four sections, each once) |
| C2 | Teil 3 | Teil 1, Teil 2 |
Time
about 20 min
Teile
3
Items / tasks
15
Points
15 raw points (1 per item)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Kurze Alltagsgespräche Short everyday conversations Sample task | 6 | Short dialogues (street, home, school, work). One question per dialogue and three answer options a/b/c, each a small line drawing with a caption (for example three price tags or three clocks). | twice | — |
| Teil 2 | Öffentliche Lautsprecherdurchsagen Public announcements Sample task | 4 | Announcements at an airport, in a supermarket, at a station or on a train. One Richtig/Falsch (true/false) statement per announcement. | once | — |
| Teil 3 | Telefonansagen Phone messages Sample task | 5 | Answering-machine messages, private and official (for example a doctor’s office). A question with three text options a/b/c. | twice | — |
About 3 minutes to transfer answers on paper.
A1 and A2 give only the module time, not a time per Teil.
Time
about 30 min
Teile
4
Items / tasks
20
Points
20 raw points (1 per item)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Kurze Hörtexte Short radio texts and messages Sample task | 5 | Five short texts (radio, answering machine, announcements such as parking or weather) with one multiple-choice question a/b/c each. | twice | — |
| Teil 2 | Gespräch: Bilder zuordnen Conversation: match pictures to days Sample task | 5 | Two people talk about their week. Assign one picture from a–i to each day (Montag is the example). Each letter is used only once; three pictures are distractors. | once | — |
| Teil 3 | Kurze Gespräche Short conversations with picture options Sample task | 5 | Five short conversations, each with one question and three picture options a/b/c. | once | — |
| Teil 4 | Radiointerview Radio interview Sample task | 5 | A radio interview with five Ja/Nein (yes/no) statements. | twice | — |
A1 and A2 give only the module time, not a time per Teil.
Time
about 40 min
Teile
4
Items / tasks
30
Points
30 raw points (1 per item)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Kurze Texte Short texts (announcements, messages, radio) Sample task | 10 | Five short texts; for each, one Richtig/Falsch statement and one multiple-choice question a/b/c. | twice | — |
| Teil 2 | Monolog A talk or guided tour Sample task | 5 | One monologue, for example a guided tour or programme information, with five multiple-choice questions a/b/c. | once | 60 s |
| Teil 3 | Gespräch An everyday conversation Sample task | 7 | A conversation between two people (for example on a tram) with seven Richtig/Falsch statements. | once | 60 s |
| Teil 4 | Radiodiskussion Radio discussion: who says what? Sample task | 8 | A radio discussion with a presenter and two guests. For eight statements, decide who says it. | twice | 60 s |
60 seconds of reading time before Teile 2–4. On paper, 5 minutes to transfer answers after listening.
Time
about 40 min
Teile
4
Items / tasks
30
Points
30 raw points (1 per item)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Alltagsgespräche Everyday conversations Sample task | 10 | Five conversations or statements; for each, one Richtig/Falsch statement and one multiple-choice question a/b/c. 15 seconds for the example. | once | — |
| Teil 2 | Informationen verstehen Radio interview Sample task | 6 | A radio interview with an expert, with six multiple-choice questions a/b/c. | twice | 90 s |
| Teil 3 | Aussagen verstehen Radio conversation: who says that? Sample task | 6 | A radio conversation with a presenter and two guests. For six statements, decide who says it. | once | 60 s |
| Teil 4 | Vorträge verstehen A short lecture Sample task | 8 | A short lecture with eight multiple-choice questions a/b/c. | twice | 90 s |
On paper, 5 minutes to transfer answers.
Time
about 40 min
Teile
4
Items / tasks
30
Points
30 raw points (1 per item)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Podcast über neue Bücher Podcast reviewing three books Sample task | 6 | A podcast reviews three new books. For six statements, decide which book (1, 2 or 3) it is about. | once | 60 s |
| Teil 2 | Radiointerview Radio interview with an expert Sample task | 9 | A radio interview with nine multiple-choice questions a/b/c. | twice | 60 s |
| Teil 3 | Diskussion in vier Abschnitten Discussion in four sections Sample task | 8 | A discussion with three people, played in four sections, each once, with two multiple-choice questions a/b/c per section. 30 seconds of reading time before each section. | once | 30 s per section |
| Teil 4 | Vortrag Lecture Sample task | 7 | A lecture with seven multiple-choice questions a/b/c. | twice | 90 s |
Time
about 35 min
Teile
3
Items / tasks
30
Points
100 points (30 + 20 + 50)
| Teil | Task | Items | What you do | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Radiosendungen Excerpts from radio programmes | 15 | Five excerpts from radio programmes, three Ja/Nein statements each. 2 points each. | once | — |
| Teil 2 | Gespräch Conversation between two people | 5 | A conversation between two people; five opinions: person 1, person 2 or both? 4 points each. | once | — |
| Teil 3 | Interview Interview | 10 | An interview (for example with a climate researcher) with ten multiple-choice questions a/b/c. 5 points each. | twice | — |
On paper, 3 minutes to transfer answers.
Sample tasks with answers or model answers are on the Goethe Hören samples page. How points are counted and converted is on the Goethe Hören scoring page, and common questions are answered in the Hören FAQ. The whole exam is summarised on the Goethe-Zertifikat format page.
For timed practice of every Teil with instant scoring and feedback from AI trained by our experts, use the Goethe practice section or sit a full Goethe mock test.
Written by Kirill O'Nayd
Language test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He works through the official Goethe-Institut model papers for every level from A1 to C2, part by part, and explains how each module awards its points. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.