Goethe B1 Reading (Lesen): A Strategy for All Five Parts

Reading is a race against the clock: 65 minutes, five parts, and around thirty questions. The trick is not to read everything; it is to read the right things in the right order. Here is what each part asks of you.

The five parts at a glance

• Part 1, a personal blog or forum post with true/false statements. Check each statement against the exact evidence in the text.
• Part 2, two press or magazine articles with multiple-choice questions. Watch for answers that are true but off-topic.
• Part 3, match short adverts or notices to people's situations; some situations have no match.
• Part 4, readers' opinions on a topic; decide for each whether the writer is for or against.
• Part 5, a set of rules or notices (a Hausordnung) with multiple-choice detail questions.

Time and tactics

• Spend the most time on Parts 2 and 5, where careful detail-reading pays off; move quickly through the Part 3 matching.
• Always read the question before the text, so you know what you are hunting for.
• Underline the sentence or phrase that proves each answer; the option often paraphrases the evidence instead of copying it.
• If a question stalls you, mark your best guess and move on; never let one item eat your last minutes.

Reading improves when the task types become familiar. Regular timed practice teaches you when to skim, when to read closely and when to move on.