# Faust Academy ## Goethe exam online, digital or on paper: what the rules say URL: https://www.faustacademy.com/goethe-exam-online-or-test-centre Language: en Updated: 2026-09-25 Goethe exams take place at a test centre, on paper or on test centre laptops. The Goethe rules of 1 September 2025 also describe an online exam from your own computer at home, but only under set conditions and only where a test centre offers it. The tasks and the marking are the same in all three formats. If you live far from a test centre, an online exam sounds like the easy way. The answer depends on your test centre. The Prüfungsordnung names three formats. It does not say that every test centre offers all three, so the exam page of your test centre is the place to check. This page explains each format, what you need for the online exam, and how to prepare so that the format does not cost you points. ### The three formats compared | Format | Where | Lesen, Hören, Schreiben | Sprechen | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper exam | At a Goethe test centre | On paper with a pen | Face to face with examiners | | Digital exam | At a Goethe test centre | On a test centre laptop with a German keyboard | Face to face with examiners, tasks on paper | | Online exam | At home, under set conditions | On your own computer, watched by an online invigilator | Online, alone or in pairs | ### What stays the same The Prüfungsordnung says that the structure, the content and the marking are the same in the paper, digital and online format. The pass mark does not change either: 60 of 100 points in total at A1 and A2, and 60 of 100 in each module from B1 to C2. In the digital and online exam, the test platform marks the Lesen and Hören tasks. Two examiners mark Schreiben and Sprechen with the same criteria as in the paper exam. Only text that you type into the answer field is marked. ### The digital exam at a test centre You sit at a test centre laptop with a German keyboard. You hear the Hören texts through headphones. You can change your answers until you submit the module or the time runs out. Before each module you can watch a short tutorial on the test platform, and the exam time starts after it. The Goethe-Institut India, for example, offers the digital format for Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1, B1, B2 and C1. It lists screen features such as the remaining time, font size, volume control and an automatic word count. ### What the online exam from home needs These rules come from the online annex of the Durchführungsbestimmungen, for example for B1. - A technical check with the invigilation provider before you register. You confirm it when you book. - A desktop computer, laptop or Chromebook on mains power, with the Google Chrome browser and one screen only. - Built-in or external speakers, and a microphone in the computer or the webcam. Headphones and in-ear headphones are not allowed. - A webcam that you can move, so the invigilator sees the whole room, the table top and under the table. A smartphone can serve as a second camera. - An internet connection with an upload and download speed of 5 Mbit/s. The rules recommend 10 Mbit/s. - A quiet room with one door and no large glass fronts. No other person or pet may enter. Your face and ears stay visible. Watches, smartwatches and jewellery on your face or in your hair are not allowed. - You must be an adult. Minors cannot register for the online exam. ### Risks of the online exam The online exam is recorded, and the Goethe-Institut can view the recordings. If your webcam, speakers or microphone fail, or a person enters the room, the invigilator can exclude you. After an exclusion the fee is not refunded. If the online format is not offered near you, take the digital or paper exam. Book only on goethe.de or with your test centre. The Goethe-Institut India warns against offers that promise exams or certificates and says to book only on its website. ### How to prepare for any format Practise on screen if you take the digital or online exam. Reading long texts on a laptop and typing German letters such as ä, ö, ü and ß take practice. Practise on paper if you take the paper exam, and leave time to copy your answers to the answer sheet. Faust Academy has 288 Goethe practice papers in the real exam format. You can do them online with a score, or print the PDF with the answer key. One scored online paper per part is free, and every PDF is free. Faust Academy is independent practice. It is not a product of the Goethe-Institut and issues no certificates. ### Questions **Can I take the Goethe exam online from home?** The Goethe rules describe an online exam from home under set conditions. It is only possible where a test centre offers it, so check the exam page of your test centre. **Is the digital Goethe exam the same as the online exam?** No. The digital exam takes place at a test centre on its laptops. The online exam takes place on your own computer at home with an online invigilator. **Is the certificate different for a digital or online exam?** No. Structure, content and marking are the same in all three formats, and so is the pass mark. **Is Sprechen online as well?** In the online exam, yes, alone or in pairs. In the digital exam Sprechen takes place face to face at the test centre, with the tasks on paper. **Can I use headphones in the online exam?** No. The rules require speakers and a microphone in the computer or webcam. Headphones are not allowed. **Can my child take the Goethe exam online?** No. Minors cannot register for the online exam. ### Sources - [Goethe-Institut: Prüfungsordnung (Exam Guidelines), Stand 1. September 2025](https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/de/Pruefungsordnung.pdf) - [Goethe-Institut: Durchführungsbestimmungen B1, Stand 1. September 2025](https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/de/Durchfuehrungsbestimmungen_B1.pdf) - [Goethe-Institut India: Digital German exams](https://www.goethe.de/ins/in/en/spr/prf/ddp.html) - [Goethe-Institut India (Max Mueller Bhavan): German exams](https://www.goethe.de/ins/in/en/spr/prf.html)