Goethe B1 Writing an Official Email

Information on Writing Official Emails for Goethe

In the Goethe B1 exam, writing an official email is part of the “Written Expression” section. This task assesses whether participants can communicate appropriately in formal written situations. Unlike private communication, here a factual, structured, and polite style is required. The written section does not demand complicated phrasing but a clear structure, suitable polite expressions, and a complete response to all points of the task.

What is an official email in the exam?

An official email is written to people with whom one does not have a personal relationship. These may include authorities, teachers, companies, or course providers. The language is formal, friendly, and respectful. The aim is to convey a concern, request, complaint, or information in a clear and objective manner.

Structure of the email

• Salutation: Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr. Müller,
• Introduction: Brief introduction and reference to the reason for writing
• Main part: Presentation of the issue with clear organization (e.g., inquiry, problem, request)
• Conclusion: Request for feedback, thanks, possibly a specific question
• Closing formula: Yours sincerely
• Full name

Possible topics

The topics come from everyday life but concern formal situations. Examples from previous exams show typical contexts:

• Registration or cancellation of a course
• Requesting information about an event
• Complaint about a product or service
• Questions about housing advertisements or job applications

Example exam task

You have booked a language course but cannot attend. Write an email to the language institute. You should:

• Introduce yourself,
• mention the course,
• explain why you cannot attend,
• request a solution or new dates.

Short sample text

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Tanja Berger and I have registered for the German course B1 starting on May 15th. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend this course due to health reasons.

I would therefore like to ask if it is possible to postpone the course to a later date. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Yours sincerely,
Tanja Berger

What do the examiners assess?

• Was the task completed fully?
• Is the email logically structured and linguistically appropriate?
• Was formal but understandable language used?
• Are simple grammatical structures correctly applied?

Experiences of exam participants

Some report that they were initially unsure how to formulate an official email. “I read several examples before the exam and practiced the structure – that gave me confidence,” says Amir from Frankfurt. Leonie from Leipzig adds: “I always wrote down fixed sentence starters so I wouldn’t have to think too long during the exam.” Many find this task well manageable if practiced regularly.

Recommendations for preparation

• Practice writing official emails on different topics regularly
• Use phrases such as “I would like to ask you to …” or “Could you please inform me about …?”
• Read real examples from course materials or previous exams
• Train clear sentence structure and formal language without colloquialisms
• Use paragraphs for clarity and readability

Expert opinion

Language coach Olena Bazalukova explains: “In the written part of the Goethe B1 exam, the official email shows whether a candidate can communicate appropriately for the situation. What matters is not complicated German, but a clear structure, polite tone, and complete treatment of all points. Those who practice this structure regularly will feel confident.”

Written expression in the form of an official email is a very well-preparable task. With a fixed structure, simple vocabulary, and realistic everyday examples, this task can be successfully completed – even without perfect grammar.