Three criteria, out of 30: Paper 1 is marked out of 30 on three criteria: A — Sprache /12, B — Botschaft /12, and C — Konzeptverständnis /6. A rewards your German itself (vocabulary and grammar); B rewards your ideas and how you develop them; C rewards getting the text type, register and tone right for your reader. Knowing what each one wants lets you bank marks on all three, not just on the language.
- Kriterium A — Sprache
- Criterion A — Language /12: the range and accuracy of your vocabulary and grammar
- Kriterium B — Botschaft
- Criterion B — Message /12: how relevant, developed and organised your ideas are
- Kriterium C — Konzeptverständnis
- Criterion C — Conceptual understanding /6: text-type conventions, register and tone for your reader
- das Register
- register — formal (Sie) or informal (du/ihr), matched to the audience
- die Konventionen
- conventions — the features a text type needs (a blog title, an email sign-off…)
- der rote Faden / die Kohärenz
- cohesion — how connectors and paragraphs link your ideas smoothly
Write for the marker, not just the page: Every feature you add can be tied to a criterion: a varied verb (A), a developed reason (B), a proper sign-off (C). If you can name which criterion a sentence is winning, you're writing like a candidate who scores.
What each criterion rewards: Hold the whole mark scheme in your head with one table. The split most students forget under pressure is that A and B are worth twice as much as C — so strong language and a developed message carry most of your grade, but C is the easy 6 marks you bank simply by using the right form and register.
| Kriterium | Maximum | Was es belohnt |
|---|---|---|
| A — Sprache | /12 | Vielfalt und Korrektheit von Wortschatz und Grammatik, Klarheit |
| B — Botschaft | /12 | Relevanz, Entwicklung und Aufbau der Ideen, Erfüllung der Aufgabe |
| C — Konzeptverständnis | /6 | Konventionen der Textsorte + Register + Ton, passend zum Adressaten und Zweck |
Lock in the split: A Sprache /12 · B Botschaft /12 · C Konzeptverständnis /6 = /30. A and B are the big halves (language + ideas); C is the free 6 marks you earn just by respecting the text type, register and tone.
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One move per criterion: You don't earn the criteria by luck — each rewards a specific habit you can build in. Show a range of language (A), develop every idea (B), organise clearly (B), use the conventions (C) and match the register (C). Do all five and you've touched all three criteria.
Earn marks on every criterion
1
Show a range of language (A)
Reach for varied vocabulary, tenses and connectors instead of repeating the same easy words — range and accuracy are what Criterion A (Sprache) rewards.
2
Develop each idea fully (B)
Don't just list points — back each one with a reason or example. Developed, relevant ideas are what Criterion B (Botschaft) rewards.
3
Organise with paragraphs & connectors (B)
Group ideas into clear paragraphs and link them with connectors so the message flows — organisation also counts towards Criterion B.
4
Use the text-type conventions (C)
Give the text the features its form needs — a blog title, an email greeting and sign-off, an article's intro and conclusion — to bank Criterion C (Konzeptverständnis).
5
Match the register to the reader (C)
Choose du/ihr or Sie to fit your Adressat and keep the tone consistent throughout — register and tone are the rest of Criterion C.
Range → Develop → Organise → Conventions → Register
C is the easiest to lose and to win: Language (A) and ideas (B) take years to build, but Criterion C is fast: the right greeting, sign-off and register cost you nothing and bank up to 6 marks. Never write a beautiful answer in the wrong form — that throws C away.
One paragraph, three criteria: Here's a short slice of a blog post with the marker's eyes on it — each line is doing a job for a different criterion. Watch how a greeting, a varied sentence, a developed idea and a sign-off each bank marks. Tap Übersetzung anzeigen to see which criterion each feature earns, or 🔊 to hear the German.
One paragraph, three criteria
What earns each mark
- «Hallo an alle Leserinnen und Leser des Blogs!»
- «Sport stärkt nicht nur den Körper, sondern hebt auch die Stimmung und verbessert die Konzentration.»
- «Seit ich zum Beispiel dreimal pro Woche schwimmen gehe, schlafe ich besser und bin im Unterricht aufmerksamer.»
- «Deshalb ermutige ich euch, eine Sportart auszuprobieren, die euch Spaß macht: Euer Körper und euer Kopf werden es euch danken.»
- «Macht's gut, und wir lesen uns im nächsten Blogbeitrag!»
Make every sentence earn something: Notice that no sentence is wasted: the greeting and sign-off win C, the varied structure wins A, and the reason-plus-example wins B. Aim to write so that, line by line, you could point at the criterion each sentence is earning.
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What lifts vs sinks each criterion: Most lost marks come from predictable habits, criterion by criterion. Here's the contrast: the Hebt die Note column banks marks on A, B and C; the Senkt die Note column throws the same marks away. Fix these and your grade climbs without learning a single new word.
Hebt die Note
- Abwechslungsreicher Wortschatz und vielfältige Strukturen.
- Entwickle jede Idee mit einem Beispiel.
- Nutze die Konventionen der Textsorte.
- Halte das passende Register für den Leser ein.
Senkt die Note
- Repeat the same easy words again and again → loses A.
- List points with no reasons or examples → loses B.
- Write a generic essay that ignores the text type → loses C.
- Use the wrong register (du for a formal task) → loses C.
Protect C — it's the cheapest 6 marks: The most common avoidable loss is Criterion C: a strong, accurate answer written in the wrong form or register. Before you write, name the text type and register in your head and give the text its features — that protects up to 6 marks for free.