Lesen is the easiest Goethe module to score yourself: every item is right or wrong, and the conversion factors are published. This page shows how raw points become the exam score at each level, what you need to pass, and how the grades are set.
Every item is a closed question worth a fixed number of points; at A1 to C1 that is one point (Messpunkt) per correct answer. The example item 0 at the start of each Teil is not scored. The raw points are then converted to the exam’s scale.
| Level | Raw points | Converted |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 15 raw points (1 per item) | raw × 1.66 = max. 25 of the 100 total |
| A2 | 20 raw points (1 per item) | raw × 1.25 = max. 25 of the 100 total |
| B1 | 30 raw points (1 per item) | raw × 3.33 = max. 100 (18 correct = 60, the pass mark) |
| B2 | 30 raw points (1 per item) | raw × 3.33 = max. 100 |
| C1 | 30 raw points (1 per item) | raw × 3.33 = max. 100 |
| C2 | 100 points (40 + 18 + 18 + 24) | max. 100; items carry different weights |
At A1 the Lesen part has 15 items; the raw score is multiplied by 1.66, so 15 correct answers give 25 of the 100 exam points.
A1: max. 15 × 1.66 = 25 points.
At A2 the Lesen part has 20 items, multiplied by 1.25 to give a maximum of 25.
A2: max. 20 × 1.25 = 25 points.
At A1 and A2 there is no separate pass mark for this part. What counts is the total, and at A2 also at least 45 of the 75 written points.
From B1 to C1 Lesen has 30 items, one point each, and the raw score is multiplied by 3.33. 18 correct answers are exactly the pass mark of 60.
Rounded to whole points: 30 correct = 100, 18 = 60, 17 = 57.
| Correct answers (of 30) | Points (of 100) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 100 | pass |
| 27 | 90 | pass |
| 24 | 80 | pass |
| 21 | 70 | pass |
| 18 | 60 | pass |
| 17 | 57 | not passed |
| 15 | 50 | not passed |
| 12 | 40 | not passed |
At C2 the Lesen items carry different weights, so the Teile are not equal. The points per item are fixed and add up to 100.
| Teil | Task | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Kommentar | 10 | 40 |
| Teil 2 | Artikel | 6 | 18 |
| Teil 3 | Bericht | 6 | 18 |
| Teil 4 | Stellenanzeigen | 8 | 24 |
At C2 Lesen Teil 1 alone is worth 40 points, so the long multiple-choice Teil carries the most weight.
| Level | Modular | To pass | Retaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | No | 60 of 100 points overall, and every part must be taken. Below 35 of the 75 written points a pass is no longer possible. | Not modular: the exam can only be repeated as a whole. |
| A2 | No | 60 of 100 points overall, and at least 45 of the 75 written points and at least 15 of the 25 Sprechen points. | Not modular. Repeating only the written or only the oral part is possible in exceptional cases. |
| B1 | Yes | 60 of 100 points in each module. | Modular: each of the four modules can be taken and retaken on its own. |
| B2 | Yes | 60 of 100 points in each module. | Modular: each of the four modules can be taken and retaken on its own. |
| C1 | Yes | 60 of 100 points in each module. | Modular: each of the four modules can be taken and retaken on its own. |
| C2 | Yes | 60 of 100 points in each module. | Modular: each of the four modules can be taken and retaken on its own. |
At B1, B2, C1 and C2 each module is scored out of 100 and passed with 60, and each module can be taken and retaken on its own. At A1 and A2 the four parts add up to one score out of 100.
| Points | Grade (German) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 90-100 | sehr gut | very good |
| 80-89 | gut | good |
| 70-79 | befriedigend | satisfactory |
| 60-69 | ausreichend | sufficient |
| 0-59 | nicht bestanden | not passed |
The same grade bands are used at every level, for each module from B1 upwards and for the total at A1 and A2.
Check your raw score against these tables with the tasks on the Lesen samples page. Every Teil is described on the Lesen description page. Timed practice with automatic scoring is in the Goethe practice section and in the Goethe mock tests.
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.