| Teil | Task | What you do | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richtig/Falsch | A blog post or personal email: are 6 statements true or false? | 6 | 10 min |
| 2 | Mehrfachauswahl | Two press articles: 6 multiple-choice questions (a, b, c). | 6 | 20 min |
| 3 | Zuordnung | Match 7 people to 10 short adverts; some adverts are not needed. | 7 | 10 min |
| 4 | Ja/Nein | Seven reader comments: is each person for or against the topic? | 7 | 15 min |
| 5 | Mehrfachauswahl | Rules or instructions, e.g. house rules: 4 multiple-choice questions. | 4 | 10 min |
Teil 1: Richtig oder falsch?
You read a personal text, usually a blog post or an email, and decide whether six statements are richtig (true) or falsch (false). It tests whether you can follow someone's news, plans and opinions. The suggested time is 10 minutes, and the statements follow the order of the text.
Beispiel (original)
Liebe Grüße aus Graz! Seit drei Wochen arbeite ich jetzt im Hotel „Seeblick“. Die Arbeit an der Rezeption macht mir viel Spaß, aber die Arbeitszeiten sind anstrengend: Oft fange ich schon um sechs Uhr an.
- Die Person arbeitet seit drei Monaten im Hotel. – falsch (seit drei Wochen)
How to approach it
- Read the six statements first and mark the key words: names, times, numbers, places.
- Find the matching sentence in the text, then compare word by word.
- Watch for small changes: Wochen vs. Monate, nur, schon, noch nicht.
Common mistakes
- Answering from general knowledge instead of what the text says.
- Missing a negation (nicht, kein) in the statement or in the text.
Teil 2: Two press articles
You read two short newspaper or magazine articles and answer three multiple-choice questions on each (a, b or c), so six questions in 20 minutes. The questions check the main idea and important details. Each question has exactly one correct answer, and the wrong options usually use words from the text.
Beispiel (original)
Immer mehr Städte bieten kostenlose Fahrradreparatur-Kurse an. In Leipzig kommen jeden Samstag rund 30 Menschen in die Werkstatt im Stadtpark …
In Leipzig … a) kostet der Kurs wenig. b) findet der Kurs jede Woche statt. c) gibt es den Kurs nur im Sommer. – b
How to approach it
- Read the question and all three options before the paragraph they belong to.
- Eliminate options that are only partly true – one wrong detail makes the whole option wrong.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the option that repeats the most words from the text.
Teil 3: Matching people to adverts
Seven short situations describe what people are looking for, and you match each one to one of ten adverts. You can use each advert only once, and for one situation there is no matching advert – then you write 0. The suggested time is 10 minutes.
Beispiel (original)
Situation: Nina möchte am Wochenende einen günstigen Kochkurs für Anfänger besuchen.
D – „Kochen für Einsteiger: Samstag 10–14 Uhr, 25 €, alle Zutaten inklusive.“
How to approach it
- Underline every condition in the situation (when, where, price, level, who).
- An advert only fits if it matches all conditions, not just the topic.
- Do the clear matches first, then the doubtful ones; one situation stays without an advert.
Step-by-step strategy: Lesen Teil 3: matching people to ads.
Teil 4: Ja oder nein?
You read seven short comments from a forum or a readers' page on one topic and decide for each person: are they for it (Ja) or against it (Nein)? The suggested time is 15 minutes. People often give arguments on both sides before saying what they really think.
Beispiel (original)
Frage: Sollen Supermärkte auch sonntags öffnen?
Lea: Für Familien wäre das praktisch, das stimmt. Aber die Angestellten brauchen auch einen freien Tag. Ich finde, der Sonntag sollte ruhig bleiben. – Nein
How to approach it
- Look for the final opinion, often after aber, trotzdem or ich finde.
- Do not decide from the first sentence alone.
Teil 5: Rules and instructions
You read a set of rules or instructions, for example the house rules of a gym or a course, and answer four multiple-choice questions (a, b or c) in about 10 minutes. It tests whether you can find specific information in a formal text. Teil 5 has no example item.
How to approach it
- Read the question first, then scan the text for the rule it asks about.
- Watch for conditions and exceptions: nur, außer, wenn, müssen, dürfen.
How Lesen is scored
Lesen has 30 questions. The official table turns your correct answers into points out of 100, and you pass the module with 60 points, which means 18 correct answers. Check any result with the score calculator.
More tips: Lesen overview · Time management in the exam.
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