What You Get
- ✓ Instant result confirming your German A1 level
- ✓ Detailed score breakdown and accuracy percentage
- ✓ Official PDF certificate with unique verification code — €8 (incl. EU VAT)
- ✓ QR code for instant employer verification
- ✓ Certificate delivered by email within 30 seconds
No registration required to take the test
What A1 Means for German
German A1 is the first level of the CEFR scale, indicating you can handle basic everyday interactions in German. At this level, you understand and use familiar expressions and simple phrases for concrete needs. You can introduce yourself, ask and answer questions about personal details like where you live, people you know, and things you own. You manage slow, clear conversations when the other person is prepared to help.
A1 German gives you the ability to read short, simple texts like advertisements, menus, and timetables. You can pick out familiar names, words, and basic phrases. Your writing is limited to simple forms and postcards. You can fill out a hotel registration card with your name, nationality, and address. Speaking remains tied to memorized phrases, though you can connect basic words with simple connectors like 'and' or 'but'.
Most students reach A1 after 80 to 100 hours of classroom study or self-directed learning. Your vocabulary sits around 500 to 700 German words, mostly common nouns, basic verbs in present tense, and essential adjectives. You recognize the difference between 'du' and 'Sie' in conversations, though errors are frequent and normal at this stage.
What You Can Do at A1
- ✓ Introduce yourself with your name, age, job, and city in a brief conversation
- ✓ Order food and drinks in a German restaurant using simple requests and numbers
- ✓ Ask for directions to the train station, bathroom, or hotel and understand basic responses with gestures
- ✓ Read a German supermarket price tag, opening hours sign, or simple email invitation
- ✓ Write a short postcard from vacation mentioning the weather and your activities
- ✓ Tell someone in simple terms where you live, what your family looks like, and what you do for work
Who Needs German A1
German A1 certification is required for family reunification visas to Germany under the Aufenthaltsgesetz Section 30. Spouses applying to join a partner living in Germany must prove A1 level before receiving a visa at most German embassies. Au pairs heading to German families need documented A1 skills before placement agencies accept their applications. Voluntary service programs like Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr sometimes request proof of A1 German from international participants.
University foundation courses (Studienkolleg preparatory programs) occasionally accept students with A1 certificates, though most require A2 or B1 for admission. Job seekers applying for entry-level hospitality positions in German-speaking regions add A1 certificates to CVs to show they have started language learning. Private language schools use A1 tests for placement into A2 courses. Employees relocating to German offices through internal company transfers sometimes need A1 documentation for work permit applications, depending on the job category and canton rules in Switzerland or state requirements in Austria.
Examinizer vs the Goethe-Zertifikat
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 is the official exam recognized by German immigration authorities for visa applications. TestDaF does not offer an A1 test, since it focuses on academic German at higher levels. ÖSD (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch) also provides an accredited A1 exam accepted by Austrian and German bureaucracies. Examinizer's German A1 test is not accredited by any government or official language institution.
You cannot use an Examinizer certificate for visa applications, university admissions, or any legal requirement specifying an accredited exam. Examinizer works well for job applications where employers want to see your current level but don't mandate official certification. Many companies hiring for internal roles accept Examinizer results on a CV as evidence of your German skills. The test also helps you track your progress between formal courses or decide when you're ready to pay for an official exam sitting.
How the Examinizer Test Works
You answer 25 questions that adapt to your responses, calibrated across the full CEFR range so the test can pinpoint A1 accurately whether you land above or below it. There is no registration required to start. You get your level immediately after the last question, and if you want a record of it, the PDF certificate with a verification QR code arrives by email within 30 seconds of payment, for €8 (incl. EU VAT).
Common Questions About the German A1 Test
Most learners need 80 to 100 hours of study to reach A1 from zero German knowledge. If you study 5 hours per week, expect around 4 to 5 months of preparation. Intensive courses that meet daily can get you to A1 in 4 to 6 weeks. Your timeline depends on whether you already speak related languages like English, Dutch, or Swedish, which share vocabulary with German. People who speak only unrelated languages like Mandarin or Arabic typically need the full 100 hours. Consistent daily practice with vocabulary and basic verb forms speeds up progress more than cramming long sessions once a week.
A1 German tests cover present tense conjugation of regular and common irregular verbs like 'sein', 'haben', and 'werden'. You need to know nominative and accusative cases for articles (der/den, ein/einen) and basic pronouns. Simple sentence structure with subject-verb-object order appears throughout reading and writing sections. Question formation with 'wer', 'was', 'wo', 'wann', and 'wie' is required. Possessive adjectives like 'mein', 'dein', and 'sein' come up in listening and speaking tasks. You should recognize modal verbs 'können' and 'möchten' in basic sentences. Plural noun forms and basic prepositions of location ('in', 'auf', 'bei') round out the grammar scope at this level.
You can use a German A1 certificate for visa applications only if it comes from an accredited institution like Goethe-Institut, telc, or ÖSD. German embassies and consulates require official certification when A1 is specified in visa regulations, particularly for family reunification under Section 30 of the Aufenthaltsgesetz. Examinizer certificates are not accredited and will not be accepted by immigration authorities. If you need proof for a visa, you must book an exam at an accredited test center. Examinizer helps you prepare and assess your readiness before paying for the official test, but it cannot replace the accredited exam for legal purposes.
A2 German expands your ability to discuss past and future events using perfect tense and simple future constructions, while A1 keeps you mostly in the present. At A2 you can describe your educational background and previous jobs, not just your current situation. Your vocabulary grows from around 600 words at A1 to roughly 1,200 words at A2. A2 lets you write a simple letter or email with multiple paragraphs, while A1 limits you to postcards and forms. Listening comprehension at A2 includes short conversations on familiar topics at normal speed, whereas A1 requires slow, clearly articulated speech. The jump from A1 to A2 typically takes another 100 to 120 hours of study.
A1 vocabulary includes numbers 1 to 100, days of the week, months, and common time expressions like 'heute', 'morgen', and 'gestern'. You need words for family members (Mutter, Vater, Schwester, Bruder), basic occupations (Lehrer, Arzt, Student), and common places (Bahnhof, Supermarkt, Restaurant, Hotel). Food and drink terms like Brot, Wasser, Kaffee, Apfel appear in test questions. Basic adjectives cover colors, sizes (groß, klein), and simple descriptions (schön, gut, schlecht). Verbs include everyday actions: gehen, kommen, essen, trinken, wohnen, arbeiten, lernen. You should recognize question words, common prepositions, and basic conjunctions. Memorizing these core 500 to 700 words gives you the foundation for A1 test success.