How do I write a good email in the telc or Goethe exam?

What should I mark before I start writing?

First mark the situation, recipient and all content points. Ask yourself: Why am I writing? Who am I writing to? What does the person need to know after reading my email? If four points are required, all four should be clearly answered.

How do I decide whether to write formally or informally?

The recipient determines the greeting, tone and closing. A message to a friend sounds different from an email to a company, landlord or institution. Check the situation before writing your first sentence.

How do I answer all task points without losing track?

Before writing, note one or two keywords for each required point. Then work through them in a logical order. This prevents you from writing a lot about one topic while completely forgetting another required point.

Do I need to write particularly complicated sentences?

No. A clear, correct sentence is more valuable than a very complicated sentence you cannot use reliably. Show your level with suitable connectors, vocabulary and sentence structures, but do not sacrifice clarity.

What should I check in the final minutes?

First check the content: Have I really answered all required points? Then check the greeting, closing, verb position, tenses, capitalisation and your common personal errors.

That is why I use an individual error list in training. If you know, for example, that you often make mistakes with verb position or articles, you can check specifically for those at the end.

Why does a mock exam help with writing?

At home you can spend twenty minutes longer on an email. In the exam, you cannot. A simulation shows you how much time you really need for reading, planning, writing and checking. That routine makes the task feel familiar on exam day.