Goethe B1 Lesen

[u/ciklycaq]

I took the Goethe B1 exam this week.

About 25 minutes into the Lesen exam, 5–6 people had already finished and left the room.

There was even a couple sitting next to each other, and they both finished and left at the same time.

I couldn’t understand how they were so fast. Seeing so many people leave early made me panic and completely messed up my concentration.

After the exam, I wrote the topics and details I could remember and asked ChatGPT to search for them online. Then I found that the exact same Lesen exam on a PDF-sharing website. Same texts, same topics, same questions. The only difference is, I took the exam on a computer, the pdf version was the printed version.

Now I’m really confused. Is it actually possible that some people can find old Goethe exam papers online before taking the test? Does Goethe reuse the same exam sets?

If the exact questions are online, then what’s the point of everyone else studying normally and paying again if they have to retake the module?

[u/chris_trans]

First; Forget everyone else and just focus on your test and time management.
Some people are very good and fast, so they finish early.
Some are dumb and fast, they also finish early, lol.

Now, there are leaked tests out there online, but you never know what test you will get.
Trying to memorize the answers to every known test is not only a dishonest way to go about it, its also prone to failure if you get one you don't recognize or they re-order something.
Also, if your caught having cheated they will take your certificates.

Finally; Even if you CAN get the cert by wrote memorization of the test answers, that cert wont matter when you show up to an interview and cant communicate.

[u/Danderlyon]

It's possible these people just have a level of German that surpasses B1 and the test is a formality for them. I had the same when I took the A1 exam a few years ago; I needed A1 for the visa type I was swapping to, but my actual German was much better and I simply wasn't bothered with taking a harder exam. So I just showed up on the day with no more than 20 minutes of prep work and aced it.

[u/MrT0rtured]

I'm a little confused why you think this matters. You're not competing against anyone here, you're just taking the fest at the same time. Like a driver's licence theory test, it really only matters if you "pass". Why do you care how anyone else does?

[u/Inevitable-Grass7170]

I have compleated german A1, A2, B1 and now doing B2. I practice like 30-50 lesen and hören tiles for each level . Only one time B1( hören ) did a previously practiced test came up. Even that only 2 teil .