Goethe B1 Hören
the listening module, part by part
30 items in 40 minutes, four parts, and you pass with 18 correct answers. Here is what you hear in each Teil, which recordings play only once, how your raw score becomes points — and an original Teil 1 text to try.
B1 Hören at a glance
The module has exactly 30 items, split 10 / 5 / 7 / 8 across the four parts. You read the questions first, then hear the recording. Each item has one right answer and earns one raw point.
| Part | What you hear | Task | Items | Played | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Five short announcements, messages and broadcasts | Richtig/Falsch + a/b/c, alternating | 10 (1–10) | twice | 10 s per pair |
| Teil 2 | One talk in front of an audience (tour, briefing) | a/b/c | 5 (11–15) | once | 60 s |
| Teil 3 | One conversation between two native speakers | Richtig/Falsch | 7 (16–22) | once | 60 s |
| Teil 4 | A radio discussion with a moderator and two guests | Who says what? a/b/c | 8 (23–30) | twice | 60 s |
Teil 1: announcements and messages (items 1–10)
You hear five short texts of everyday listening: a station announcement, a voicemail, a radio traffic report, the weather. Each text opens with a spoken line that tells you what kind of text follows — for example „Sie hören eine Durchsage am Hauptbahnhof.“ Every text is played twice.
Each text carries two items, and the types alternate: the odd item is Richtig/Falsch, the even one a choice between a, b and c. The example at the start is numbered 01 and 02 — the only place in the exam with two-digit example numbers. You get 10 seconds to read the example and 10 seconds before each new pair.
Strategy: in those 10 seconds, underline the one word each item hinges on (a time, a platform, a price). The second play is for checking, not for hearing the text for the first time.
Try it: one Teil 1 text with both items
Read items 1 and 2, then play the announcement. In the exam you would hear it twice. This is our own text, written in the official format — not Goethe material.
1Der Zug nach Salzburg fährt pünktlich ab.
- Richtig
- Falsch
Show answer and why
Correct answer: Falsch
Falsch. The announcement says the train is expected to be about twenty minutes late because of a signal fault, so it does not leave on time.
2Was sollen Reisende mit Anschluss nach Innsbruck tun?
- Sie sollen zu Gleis acht gehen.
- Sie sollen am Informationsschalter fragen.
- Sie sollen einen späteren Zug nehmen.
Show answer and why
Correct answer: b
b. Passengers with a connection to Innsbruck should go to the staff at the information desk. Platform eight is a trap: the move from platform five to eight applies to everyone travelling to Salzburg, not only to those changing trains.
Show the transcript (German)
Achtung, eine Durchsage für die Reisenden nach Salzburg. Der Intercity 2283 nach Salzburg, planmäßige Abfahrt 14:32 Uhr, fährt heute nicht von Gleis fünf, sondern von Gleis acht ab. Wegen einer Signalstörung hat der Zug voraussichtlich zwanzig Minuten Verspätung. Reisende mit Anschluss nach Innsbruck wenden sich bitte an das Personal am Informationsschalter in der Bahnhofshalle. Wir bitten um Ihr Verständnis.
Teil 2: a talk to an audience (items 11–15)
One person speaks to a group — a museum guide, a tour leader, someone introducing a sports programme. You answer five a/b/c questions, and you hear the text only once. There is no example. You have 60 seconds to read items 11 to 15 first.
The items usually follow the order of the talk. If you miss one, let it go and listen for the next — a guess beats a blank, and stopping to think costs you the following item too.
Teil 3: an everyday conversation (items 16–22)
You overhear two native speakers talking — friends on a train, colleagues after work. Seven statements are Richtig or Falsch, again heard only once and without an example. Reading time: 60 seconds.
The traps sit in small words: a statement can be false because of never versus sometimes, or because it mixes up who said what. Read each statement for its subject and its frequency word before the recording starts.
Teil 4: a radio discussion — who says what? (items 23–30)
A radio programme with three speakers: the moderator and two guests. Eight statements must each be matched to the person who makes them. Option a is the moderator, b and c are the two guests, named on the sheet. The discussion is played twice, with an example numbered 0 and 60 seconds of reading time.
It is easy to think only of "guest one or guest two" — and it costs points: the moderator is a valid answer too. On the first play, mark the speaker you hear; on the second, confirm the items you were unsure of.
How 18 of 30 becomes a pass
Each correct item is one raw point. Goethe converts the 30 raw points to 100 with a fixed table — it is not a simple percentage at every step. Every B1 module passes on its own at 60 points, which in Hören means 18 correct answers. There is no overall score across modules.
| Correct | Points |
|---|---|
| 30 | 100 |
| 29 | 97 |
| 28 | 93 |
| 27 | 90 |
| 26 | 87 |
| 25 | 83 |
| 24 | 80 |
| 23 | 77 |
| 22 | 73 |
| 21 | 70 |
| 20 | 67 |
| 19 | 63 |
| 18pass | 60 |
| 17 | 57 |
| 16 | 53 |
| 15 | 50 |
| Correct | Points |
|---|---|
| 14 | 47 |
| 13 | 43 |
| 12 | 40 |
| 11 | 37 |
| 10 | 33 |
| 9 | 30 |
| 8 | 27 |
| 7 | 23 |
| 6 | 20 |
| 5 | 17 |
| 4 | 13 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 2 | 7 |
| 1 | 3 |
| 0 | 0 |
What the recording sounds like
- Each part starts with „Hören, Teil 1“ (2, 3, 4) and the task read aloud, and ends with „Ende von Hören, Teil 1“.
- Reading pauses are announced with their length — „zehn Sekunden“, „60 Sekunden“ — and the silence that follows is exactly that long.
- No beep marks the end of a pause or an item in the official B1 recordings.
- Before a repeat you hear „Sie hören jetzt den Text noch einmal.“ (in Teil 4: „… die Diskussion noch einmal.“)
- It is audio only: no pictures anywhere in B1 Hören.
Six mistakes that cost points
Waiting for a second play in Teil 2 or 3
Only Teil 1 and Teil 4 are played twice. Teil 2 and Teil 3 run once — answer as you listen and do not leave an item "for the repeat".
Forgetting the moderator in Teil 4
Each statement belongs to the moderator (a) or one of the two guests (b, c). The moderator is a real answer option; candidates who only track the guests lose easy points.
Waiting for a beep
The official B1 recordings play no signal tone between items. The narrator's spoken cues ("Lesen Sie jetzt …", "Ende von Hören, Teil 1") are your only markers.
Mixing up the item types in Teil 1
Odd items (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are Richtig/Falsch, even items (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) are a/b/c. Check which type you are answering before you mark.
Wasting the 5 transfer minutes
After Teil 4 you get five minutes to copy your answers onto the answer sheet. Only the answer sheet is marked — use the time to transfer cleanly, not to rethink every item.
Expecting one accent
The exam is run by Goethe-Institut, ÖSD and the University of Fribourg together, so recordings mix German, Austrian and Swiss German words. An unfamiliar word is not a mistake.
Where to practise
Start with the official material: the Goethe-Institut publishes a free B1 exam training set with Hören audio and answers. Do it once under exam conditions — no pausing, no replaying Teil 2 and 3.
Then build the timing reflex with full mocks. ScoreUp's Goethe B1 Hören mocks follow the official format part by part, score you with the official conversion table and explain every answer. New accounts get three free exam credits; one complete Hören mock uses one.
Why practise on ScoreUp
- Mock exams in the official Goethe-Zertifikat format — the same parts, item counts and timing as the real exam
- Writing graded by AI against the official criteria, with feedback in your language
- Reading and listening scored instantly, every answer explained
- 3 free exam credits, no credit card — practice stays free
Take a full B1 Hören mock
30 items, the real order of parts, scored with the official table — free with your starter credits.Frequently asked questions
How long is the Goethe B1 Hören module?
40 minutes in total, including 5 minutes at the end to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet. The official material prints no separate time per Teil — the recording itself sets the pace.
How many points do I need to pass B1 Hören?
You need 18 of the 30 items right. The 30 raw points are converted to 100 points with an official table, and 18 correct answers equal 60 points — the pass mark of every B1 module.
Is every text played twice?
No. Teil 1 (announcements) and Teil 4 (radio discussion) are played twice. Teil 2 (the talk) and Teil 3 (the conversation) are played only once.
What happens if I fail only the Hören module?
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is modular: each module is scored on its own and passes at 60 of 100 points. You can retake Hören alone.
Are there pictures in the B1 listening test?
No. At B1 every Hören task is audio plus printed text. There are no photos or picture-matching items.
Is there a beep between the items?
Not in the official model recordings we measured: the narrator announces each reading pause and says "Ende von Hören, Teil 1" (2, 3, 4) at the end of every part. Listen for those spoken cues instead of a tone.
Can I use a dictionary or my phone?
No. Dictionaries, phones and other aids are not allowed in the Hören module.