Prep for the B1/DSD I Youth Exam (26/27 school year enrollment)

Prep for the B1/DSD I Exam (2026/27 School Year)

Structurally:

This course is designed for students at the A2–B1 level who are preparing for the Deutsches Sprachdiplom I (DSD I) or Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exam and is geared toward rising 8th graders and older. The course provides tailored and thorough preparation for the DSD I exam at TCGIS or, for non-TCGIS students, the equivalent B1 exam at the GAI. While the course explicitly prepares students for these examinations, students are not required to take an exam.

Students may enroll for the full school year or choose the fall session. The full-year option provides students with additional time to build their language skills, work through exam materials, and prepare systematically for the spring examination.

Functionally:

Students will work with exam-style tasks and materials to develop strategies for successfully completing B1-level assessments. The course will focus primarily on written communication, common grammar challenges, and expanding and applying vocabulary. The other three parts of the exam—listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and oral communication—will also be practiced through targeted activities.

Between class sessions, students will complete weekly homework through Google Classroom. These assignments are an essential part of the course and provide students with additional opportunities to practice and prepare for the exam outside of class.

Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to approach the DSD I or Goethe B1 examination with confidence. Students will be able to communicate in writing at a B1 level, apply key grammatical structures with greater accuracy, use a broader range of vocabulary, and understand the main ideas and important details in spoken and written German. Students will also become familiar with common exam formats, task types, and strategies for completing each section of the examination.

Course Dates, Location, & Time:

This is an in-person class that meets once a week at the GAI Haus (301 Summit Ave). Students may enroll for the full school year or for the fall session, depending on their preparation needs.

Classes meet from September through March, with breaks for MEA, Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and other scheduled school holidays. Between onsite sessions, students complete and submit weekly homework through Google Classroom.

In the event of severe weather, instructor illness, or another unforeseen circumstance, a live class session may occasionally be offered online.

Fall 2026 session: September 19 – November 21, 2026

Full-year enrollment: September 19, 2026 – March 20, 2027

Anticipated test date for TCGIS students: March 2027

Course Materials:

Students will use Fit für das DSD I as the primary course textbook.

Textbook: Fit für das DSD I
ISBN: 978-3-19-201860-2
Cost: $40

Additional exam materials, practice activities, and assignments will be provided by the instructor through Google Classroom.

Prerequisites:

Students must have recently completed and passed an A2-level German examination, such as the Goethe A2 or IVA2. Students should also be prepared to dedicate a minimum of one hour per week to homework and independent practice.

Weekly homework assignments are an essential part of the course. Students are expected to complete and submit their work on time through Google Classroom. Repeated failure to submit homework may result in unenrollment from the course; tuition will not be reimbursed.

Tuition for the full year:

GAI members: $250
Non-members: $280

Minimum Enrollment:

If there are too few students registered to run the class, the Director of Language Education will contact the student(s) in the week prior to the course start date to discuss other class options.

Questions?

Contact our Language Education Department at [email protected].