Reading comprehension

The reading section (Lesen) tests how quickly and accurately you understand a text. Here strategy matters more than grammar: if you know how to read for each task type, you save time and avoid the traps. Texts range from a simple notice (A2) to an opinion article (B2–C1). This lesson covers the task types, the main reading techniques, strategies for "Richtig / Falsch / Nicht im Text" and matching tasks, dealing with unknown words, and managing your time. These skills matter beyond the exam too, whenever you study or work with German texts.

§1. Task types

• Matching (Zuordnung) — headings to paragraphs or adverts to people.
• Richtig / Falsch / Nicht im Text — the statement agrees with the text, contradicts it, or isn’t covered at all.
• Multiple choice (a/b/c/d) — on the content, the author’s view or the meaning of a word.
• Gap filling — choose a word from the text or a sentence from a list.
• Author’s position — the purpose of the text, the author’s attitude (positiv, negativ, neutral).

Text types: notices, emails, blogs, interviews, newspaper articles and popular-science texts. Each has its own features: notices are full of numbers, times and prices; letters have a greeting and a request; articles contain arguments and opinions. Spotting the text type straight away tells you what to look out for.

§2. Reading techniques

Read the questions first — they tell you which technique you need. A "main idea" question calls for skimming; "when, how much, who" for scanning; "why, what does the author mean" for detailed reading.
When scanning, your eyes move quickly over the text and stop only at "signals": numbers, proper names and synonyms of the key word in the question. Remember that all German nouns are capitalised, so you have to recognise names from the context rather than from the capital letter alone.

§3. The "Richtig / Falsch / Nicht im Text" strategy

• Mark the key words in the statement (names, numbers, verbs, negatives).
• Find the place in the text that matches in meaning — the words are often replaced by synonyms: beginnen = anfangen, teuer = kostspielig, kostenlos = gratis.
• Compare: a full match is richtig; a contradiction is falsch; no information in the text is nicht im Text.

The hardest part is telling falsch from nicht im Text: if the text says the opposite, it’s falsch; if the text doesn’t touch the subject at all, it’s nicht im Text. Never answer on the basis of "it could be true".

Worked example

Text: Das Museum ist von Dienstag bis Sonntag geöffnet. Am Montag bleibt es geschlossen, außer an Feiertagen.
Statement: Das Museum ist jeden Tag geöffnet.

1. The key words are jeden Tag (every day).
2. In the text, the museum is closed (geschlossen) on Mondays.
3. The text contradicts the statement, so this is not a case of missing information.
4. Answer: falsch.

§4. Matching tasks

When you match adverts to people or headings to paragraphs:

• First mark all the conditions for each person (for example: cheap, at weekends, with children).
• One matching condition is not enough — every condition has to be met.
• There are usually extra adverts or headings; sometimes no advert suits a person at all (answer 0 or X).
• Find the most obvious pairs first, then choose the rest from what is left.

When matching a heading to a paragraph, sum up the main idea of the paragraph in two or three words of your own before you look at the headings. Be careful if a heading repeats a word from the paragraph: that is often a trap. The right heading covers the whole paragraph, not just one detail. For example, if a paragraph is about the prices, convenience and problems of public transport, a general heading such as Verkehr in der Stadt fits better than Neue Buslinie.

Worked example

Person: Lena sucht einen Sprachkurs am Wochenende, der nicht mehr als 100 Euro kostet.
Advert A: Deutschkurs, samstags 10–13 Uhr, 150 Euro. Advert B: Englischkurs am Samstag und Sonntag, nur 90 Euro.

1. Lena’s conditions: a language course, at the weekend, no more than 100 euros.
2. A: Saturday fits, but 150 euros does not.
3. B: a language course, Saturday and Sunday, 90 euros — every condition is met.
4. Answer: B.

§5. Dealing with unknown words

You don’t need to know every word. Ways to work out the meaning:

• Word formation: unvergesslich = un- + vergessen + -lich → unforgettable; split compounds into parts: Haustür = Haus + Tür.
• Context: the sentences before and after, and linking words (aber signals contrast, deshalb a result).
• International words: Information, Problem, Technologie.
• If a word isn’t needed to answer the question, skip it.

Worked example

Text: Der Weg war sehr steil, deshalb waren wir nach einer Stunde völlig erschöpft. Work out the meaning of erschöpft.

1. deshalb introduces a result, so the first part is the cause.
2. The cause: the path was very steep (steil) and they walked for an hour.
3. völlig means "completely"; the result should describe how the people felt.
4. Answer: erschöpft means "exhausted".

§6. Time management and useful words

• Divide your time between the parts; don’t get stuck on one question — mark it and come back later.
• Always back up your answer with a specific place in the text.
• Questions usually follow the order of the text: the answer to question 3 is normally between the answers to questions 2 and 4.
• Linking words show the logic of a text: jedoch, allerdings (however), außerdem (moreover), daher, deshalb (therefore), zum Beispiel (for example), im Gegensatz zu (in contrast to), einerseits … andererseits (on the one hand … on the other).
• Words showing the author’s attitude: leider (unfortunately), zum Glück (luckily), kritisieren, loben, bezweifeln (to doubt).
• Pay special attention to negatives: nicht, kein, kaum (hardly), weder … noch.

To prepare, read short German texts every day: news items, notices, blogs. Write down new nouns with their article and plural, and learn the synonym pairs you meet separately — they are exactly what the exam relies on.

Check yourself

1. Which reading technique do you need for "What is the text mainly about?"

2. Text: Der Kurs kostet 200 Euro. Statement: Der Kurs ist kostenlos. Answer?

3. Text: Anna wohnt in München. Statement: Anna arbeitet in München. Answer?

4. The meaning of unpünktlich?

5. What relationship does allerdings express?

6. The text says oft, the statement says immer. What is the likely answer?

7. Which technique do you need to find an exact date or price?

8. Text: Er hat kaum Zeit. Statement: Er hat viel Zeit. Answer?

Common mistakes

• Translating the text word for word from start to finish — you run out of time.
• Choosing an answer where the words match but the meaning doesn’t.
• Confusing falsch and nicht im Text: a contradiction is falsch, missing information is nicht im Text.
• Relying on your own knowledge — the answer must come from the text only.
• Overlooking negatives such as nicht, kein, kaum.
• In matching tasks, choosing an answer on the basis of just one of several conditions.