Blog: German for the exam — writing and speaking

How to write a B1 letter: structure and five mistakes

28. Oktober 2026 · 2 · Read

Which letter in which exam

Exam	Time	What is required
telc Deutsch B1	30 minutes	one letter or email based on four content points
Goethe-Zertifikat B1	60 minutes, 3 tasks	informal letter, discussion post, formal letter
DTZ (A2·B1)	30 minutes	one message in a formal register — choose A or B

What they share: there are content points, and each one is assessed separately. Length does not decide — completeness and the right register do.

The structure in four steps

1. Salutation. Formal: «Sehr geehrte Frau Weber,». Semi-formal: «Guten Tag Frau Weber,». Informal: «Liebe Anna,».
2. The reason. One sentence: why you are writing.
3. The content points. One or two sentences each, in the order of the task.
4. Closing and sign-off. «Mit freundlichen Grüßen» or «Liebe Grüße» — with your name.

Five mistakes that cost points

1. Forgetting a content point — the most common cause of lost points.
2. Mixing «du» and «Sie» in the same text.
3. No sign-off and no name.
4. Writing too much and then cutting off.
5. Memorised phrases that do not fit the task.

Checklist before you hand in

• Salutation fits, and is it followed by a comma?
• All content points covered?
• One register throughout?
• Sign-off and name at the end?
• «Sie» and «Ihnen» capitalised?

The full German version, including a table of useful phrases, is here.

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