ÖSD Zertifikat A1 and A2: the exam format, the points, and the pass mark
The ÖSD Zertifikat A1 and A2 each have a written and an oral module, and you must pass both separately. Every Teil, the minutes, the points and the pass marks, from the official ÖSD rules.
The ÖSD Zertifikat A1 and A2 are each split into two separate modules — a written exam and an oral exam — and you must pass both, separately, to receive the certificate. Passing the written module with a high score does not carry a weak oral performance, and there is no combined total that lets one rescue the other.
This page sets out every part of both exams: how many tasks, how many minutes, how many points, and the exact number of points you need. The figures come from the official ÖSD Durchführungsbestimmungen, linked at each claim.
What is in the ÖSD Zertifikat A1 exam?
The A1 exam has four subtests: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben and Sprechen. The first three make up the written module and take about 55 minutes in total; Sprechen is a separate oral module of about 10 minutes, with 10 minutes of preparation time before it.
The written module is worth 75 points and the oral module 25, so the whole exam is scored out of 100. Reading and listening carry 30 points each, writing carries 15. The exam is designed for learners from the age of 14, according to ÖSD's own description of the ÖSD Zertifikat A1.
Lesen gives you three tasks in 25 minutes, working with short everyday texts. Hören also has three tasks and runs about 10 minutes. Schreiben has two tasks in 20 minutes: you complete a form, then write a short simple text.
What is in the ÖSD Zertifikat A2 exam?
A2 has the same four subtests, but the shape changes: reading gets longer and has fewer tasks, and speaking has one task less than at A1. The written module is worth 70 points and the oral module 20, for a total of 90.
Lesen at A2 is two tasks in 30 minutes, worth 25 points. Hören is three tasks in about 15 minutes, worth 30 — the most heavily weighted subtest in the exam. Schreiben is a single task in 30 minutes, worth 15 points: you write a personal email in reply to a prompt. ÖSD's page for the ÖSD Zertifikat A2 confirms the task counts and timings, and notes that two trained examiners administer and grade every exam.
How many points do you need to pass?
For A1 you need at least 38 of the 75 written points, plus the minimum in each individual subtest, and at least 12 of the 25 oral points. For A2 you need at least 35 of 70 written — 50% — plus each subtest minimum, and at least 10 of 20 oral.
The subtest minimum is the part candidates most often miss. Reaching the overall written threshold is not enough on its own: the A1 Durchführungsbestimmungen require "mindestens 38 Punkte sowie alle Bestehensgrenzen in den einzelnen Subtests", and the A2 Durchführungsbestimmungen use the same construction. A very strong Hören score cannot compensate for a Lesen score below its own floor.
| | ÖSD Zertifikat A1 | ÖSD Zertifikat A2 | |---|---|---| | Lesen | 3 tasks · 25 min · 30 points | 2 tasks · 30 min · 25 points | | Hören | 3 tasks · ~10 min · 30 points | 3 tasks · ~15 min · 30 points | | Schreiben | 2 tasks · 20 min · 15 points | 1 email · 30 min · 15 points | | Written module | 75 points | 70 points | | Sprechen | 3 tasks · ~10 min · 25 points | 2 tasks · ~10 min · 20 points | | Total | 100 points | 90 points | | To pass written | 38 of 75, plus every subtest minimum | 35 of 70 (50%), plus every subtest minimum | | To pass oral | 12 of 25 | 10 of 20 | | Both modules separately? | Yes | Yes | | Minimum age | 14 | 14 |
What happens in the ÖSD speaking exam?
At A1 there are three Aufgaben; at A2 there are two. Both run about 10 minutes with a partner or examiner, and both open the same way — you are given six topics about yourself and asked to speak about some of them.
At A1 you choose four of the six topics, then describe one of three pictures, then role-play the situation in the picture you chose. Those last two parts are one unit — the official A1 Sprechen Modellsatz puts it as "Sie sind nun in der Situation des gewählten Bildes", so the scene you picked to describe is the scene you then act out.
At A2 you choose five of the six topics, and the second task is collaborative — you and your partner plan something together, typically an outing for your German class, working through where to go, when, how to travel and what to bring. It is a negotiation, not a monologue, and preparing for it alone is awkward for exactly that reason.
What did we get wrong when we built these papers?
When we built ExamDeutsch's ÖSD-style papers, we had the A2 speaking part down as three Aufgaben. Every A1 paper has three. Every Goethe and telc A2 paper we had already built has three. The analogy is clean, obvious and wrong: ÖSD A2 Sprechen has exactly two Aufgaben, and we only caught it because we checked two separate official Modellsätze instead of trusting the pattern. Five papers would have shipped with an exam part that does not exist.
That is the trap worth passing on. ÖSD is not Goethe with an Austrian accent — the point totals differ, the task counts differ, and A2 is not A1 with harder words. If you are preparing from a generic "German A2" book, you are preparing for a shape that does not match the paper you will sit. Get the official Modellsatz for your exact exam and count the tasks yourself.
How is ÖSD different from Goethe and telc?
The biggest practical difference is the two-module structure and the subtest floors: ÖSD asks you to clear a bar in each individual skill, not just an overall score. The point totals differ too — 100 at A1 and 90 at A2, on their own scales, so an ÖSD percentage cannot be compared directly with a Goethe or telc one.
Which exam you should sit is decided by what your authority accepts, not by which paper suits you best. Ask the office handling your case — your local Einbürgerungsbehörde in Germany, or the relevant Austrian authority — which certificates they take, before you book anything. Requirements differ between authorities and they change.
How can you practise the ÖSD format?
ExamDeutsch has ÖSD-style mock exams at A1 and A2 — full-length, timed, and built section by section to the format above, with our AI examiners grading Schreiben and running Sprechen as a live conversation. Feedback comes in your own language, in 21 of them.
They are ÖSD-style papers modelled on the published format, not official ÖSD papers, and we cover A1 and A2 only. For the real thing you book with a licensed ÖSD examination centre. Start with a free trial and sit a full paper before you pay for anything.
FAQ
Do you have to pass both ÖSD modules in the same session? The written and oral modules are assessed separately, and both must be passed for the diploma. Rules on retaking a single module are set out in the ÖSD Prüfungsordnung and by your examination centre — ask the centre where you book, since they administer it.
Is ÖSD A2 just a harder version of ÖSD A1? No — the structure itself changes. Lesen drops from three tasks to two but gets ten minutes longer, Schreiben becomes a single email, and Sprechen drops from three Aufgaben to two.
How long is the whole ÖSD A1 exam? About 55 minutes of written exam — 25 for Lesen, roughly 10 for Hören, 20 for Schreiben — plus an oral exam of about 10 minutes, with 10 minutes of preparation beforehand.
What is the minimum age for ÖSD A1 and A2? Both exams are intended for learners from the age of 14.
Which is worth more points, Lesen or Hören? At A1 they are equal at 30 points each. At A2, Hören is worth 30 and Lesen 25, making listening the most heavily weighted subtest in the exam.