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    Interactive Learner Guide
    Cambridge IGCSE™/Cambridge IGCSE (9-1) German 0525/7159 - for examination from 2021




    • Syllabus content - what you need to know about
    • Language skills

      During your Cambridge IGCSE German course you will need to:

      • develop your ability to communicate clearly and effectively when speaking and writing

      • develop your ability to understand written and spoken texts

      • learn how to use a wide range of vocabulary, correct grammar and spelling.

      You can think of your Cambridge IGCSE German course as having four main areas of skills and understanding which will be tested at the end of your course.
      • Listening
      • Reading 
      • Speaking
      • Writing

      See Section 3 for more information about these four language skills which you will be developing while studying the topics listed below.

      Topics for study

      The content of what you will need to learn is organised in five broad topic areas (A–E) below. When you study these topics you will get an insight into the country and communities where German is spoken. You will also develop your skills of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing through the study of these topic areas. Here are five main topic areas which you will study during your course:


      A Everyday activities

      B Personal and social life

      C The world around us

      D The world of work

      E The international world

      These topic areas may be studied in any order. Your teacher will decide when it is best to study each topic area. You may already have done some work on these topic areas before but these will be developed during your course and you will also meet new topic areas. These five main topic areas will be divided into several sub-topics by your teacher.

      Ask your teacher for more detail about the topic areas. You can also find more detail in the Revision checklists of this guide.

      During your course you will have the opportunity to develop and apply a range of language skills in each of the above five main topic areas.

      You will be expected to read and understand a variety of written and spoken texts taken from the above five main topic areas. When you read or hear a text you will need to show that you can understand the main ideas, opinions and attitudes. You will also be expected to select and extract details and occasionally work out the meaning of unknown words from familiar language you know in texts in the above topic areas.

      You should be able to write on familiar, everyday topics and show you can speak the language by taking part in everyday conversations.

      More details about language skills can be found in Section 3.

      Vocabulary list

      There is a list of vocabulary in the syllabus which covers the essential vocabulary for the five topic areas. During your course, you will need to learn vocabulary regularly as you meet new topics. This will make sure that you know the essential words and have a good foundation to acquire new vocabulary. You will already know some of the words on the Vocabulary list from your earlier study of German but others will be new. Your teacher will be aware of this list and will introduce new vocabulary as required when new topic areas are introduced. You will also need to learn other vocabulary in addition to this list.

      The Vocabulary list can be found in the syllabus.

      Grammar and structures

      There is a list in the syllabus of grammar and structures which you will need to cover and can expect to meet in your Cambridge IGCSE assessments. This list covers, for example, which nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs (tenses) you will need to know. Your teacher will again be aware of this list and will introduce new structures as the course progresses.

      Make sure that you always check the latest syllabus, which is available at www.cambridgeinternational.org



    • How you will be assessed
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    • What skills will be assessed?

    • The areas of knowledge, understanding and skills that you will be assessed on are called assessment objectives (AO).

      What skills?

      You can think of your Cambridge IGCSE German course as having four main areas of skills and understanding:

      • Listening
      • Reading
      • Speaking
      • Writing

      Here is an outline of the four skills that you should aim to have developed by the end of your course:
      AO1: Listening

      What does the AO mean?

      This is the part of the course where your ability to understand recordings of spoken German is assessed.

      What do you need to be able to do?

      • understand the main points and key information in simple everyday material
      • understand clear speech on a range of familiar topics
      • understand the description of events and expression of ideas, opinions and attitudes in simple texts
      • identify and select relevant information in predictable texts.
      AO2: Reading
      AO2: Reading

      What does the AO mean?

      This is the part of the course where your ability to understand different kinds of written German will be assessed.

      What do you need to be able to do?

      • understand the main points and key information in simple everyday material
      • understand authentic factual texts on a range of familiar topics
      • understand the description of events and expression of ideas, opinions and attitudes in simple texts
      • identify and select relevant information in predictable texts.
      AO3: Speaking

      AO3: Speaking

      What does the AO mean?

      This is the part of the course where your ability to speak German will be assessed.

      What do you need to be able to do?

      • communicate clearly and effectively in a range of predictable everyday situations
      • engage in conversations on familiar topics, expressing opinions and feelings
      • use a range of structures and vocabulary with reasonable accuracy
      • demonstrate some ability to maintain interaction
      • show some control of pronunciation and intonation.
      AO4: Writing

      What does the AO mean?

      This is the part of the course where your ability to write in German will be assessed.

      What do you need to be able to do?

      • communicate simple factual information clearly for everyday purposes
      • write simple phrases and sentences on a familiar topic
      • write simple connected texts describing events, experiences, opinions and hopes and ambitions
      • use a range of simple vocabulary and language structures reasonably accurately



    • Example candidate response

    • All information and advice in this section is specific to the example question and response being demonstrated. It should give you an idea of how your responses might be viewed by an examiner but it is not a list of what to do in all questions. In your own examination, you will need to pay careful attention to what each question is asking you to do.


    • Markscheme


    • Example candidate response



    • Common mistakes

      These are some of the most common mistakes made by candidates when answering this type of question:

      • Candidates do not read the question carefully.
      • Candidates do not pay close attention to the question words and, as a consequence, their answers contain irrelevant material.
      • Some candidates tend to ignore little words such as neulich which can change the meaning, i.e. they may describe an event several/many years ago.
      • Candidates do not think carefully about the tenses required to answer each task.
      • Candidates do not make a plan and sometimes write irrelevant material which is too general or which is not relevant to the set tasks. For example, if asked to describe a film you have watched recently, some candidates may include other details such as what they ate and drank in the cinema.
      • Answers are often longer than the advised length of 130–140 words. (Very long answers tend to include inaccuracies and irrelevant material).
      • Some sentences are short and are not joined by linking words. They could be made more complex by linking them better.
      • Spellings are not always checked very carefully by candidates.
      • Candidates frequently do not make the correct case agreements (for articles, nouns and adjectives).
      • Common verbs are often incorrectly conjugated and the message can become confused.
      • Nouns are often written without a capital letter.
      • Candidates often forget to consider the right German word order (verb position).
      General advice

      In order to answer this kind of question well:

      • Read both questions 3(a) and 3(b) and choose the one with the set tasks that you can say most about in German.
      • Look out for little words like gern, nicht or neulich so you don’t accidentally miss anything or even say something which contradicts the information in the bullet points.
      • Circle the key words in the question to make sure you include all details. Perhaps tick off each detail on the question paper as you write about each one.
      • Use the bullet points in the question to plan your answer. Put useful verbs next to each bullet point.
      • Think about which tense you need to use to answer each bullet point. The verbs and time adverbs will help you. Write the tense next to the task to remind you.
      • Think about who you are being asked to write about: yourself (ich) or yourself with a group of people (wir), one other person (er/sie) or a group of people (sie).
      • Make a quick list of structures you want to include (e.g. um...zu + infinitive, nicht nur......sondern auch...., wenn + conditional tense). Try to use these structures in your answer.
      • Look to see if there is any word or short phrase in the question which you could include in your answer, e.g. ‘zum Abendessen’, which could form part of your sentence. Also, ‘in Ihrer Freizeit’ could be changed to ‘in meiner Freizeit’ in your answer.
      • Plan your answer very carefully so that you try to write a short paragraph on each task/bullet. Leave a line between each paragraph.
      • Think about what is being asked of you in the question. Ask yourself whether you are being asked to give facts, describe something, give an opinion or even a reason.
      • If a task has two parts such as 'Say which food you prefer and explain why' make sure you include an explanation (why).
      • When you have finished your answer, re-read your work carefully to check all the language for accuracy. Do several checks.
      • Take great care with all spellings which you know you often have trouble with (e.g. letzte(s), nächste(s)).
      • Always put in reasons for feelings and opinions and try to develop your answer by adding in supporting, relevant detail.
      • Try to make longer sequences of language by joining sentences and phrases together. Learn a variety of joining words such as weil, denn, da, obwohl, trotzdem, deswegen, etc.
      • Check the perfect tenses you use and do not miss out the correct part of the auxiliary verb (haben or sein).
      • If you use two verbs together make sure the second one is in the infinitive and think about the word order (e.g. Ich darf am Wochenende ins Kino gehen).
      • Check all the spellings of nouns and adjectives and make sure all nouns begin with a capital letter.
      • Make sure you write as clearly and neatly as possible. If you want to cross anything out just put one line through the material you do not want the examiner to consider.



    • Download the full learner guide to explore the Example Candidate Response further, including the examiners comments:



    • Revision

    • This advice will help you to revise and prepare for the examinations. It is divided into general advice for all papers and more specific advice for each of the papers.

    • General advice - before the examination

      • Find out when the examinations are and plan your revision so that you have time to revise. Create a revision timetable and divide it into sections to cover each topic. Start revising for your Speaking test before revising for the other papers as this test will take place before the written papers.
      • Find out how long each paper is, how many questions you have to answer and how many marks there are for each question.
      • Learn the meaning of the words used in questions and how to apply them to the information given. Look at past examination papers and specimen papers and highlight the words in the questions and check what they mean. Make sure that you learn common question words such as wer?, wo?, wie viel(e)?, warum?, wann?.
      • Make revision notes on each topic area. Try different styles of notes.
      • Work for short periods, then have a break. Revise small sections of the syllabus at a time.
      • Make lists of positive and negative opinions/feelings which you can use in lots of different situations.
      • Make sure that you learn the most common verbs thoroughly. Try writing out verbs in different tenses (e.g. past, present, future, conditional) by using spider diagrams and word maps.
      • Test yourself by writing out key vocabulary for each topic that you study. Divide the words to be learnt into short lists. Try using different coloured pens to highlight masculine, feminine and neuter words.
      • Try drawing an item or symbol for key vocabulary. Sometimes you can learn better using visual aids.
      • Learning at least all of the vocabulary on the Vocabulary list is essential. You can find it in the syllabus.
      • Learn how to express disappointment, how to be pleased about something, how to be in agreement with somebody, how to give an apology and how to give positive and negative opinions and preferences. These will be expressions that you can use in a variety of settings and topics.
      • Remember that you can’t leave all of your revision until shortly before the exams. You need to revise 'little and often' throughout the course and revisit vocabulary and structures regularly.
      • Keep a checklist of words and structures which you know you often spell or use incorrectly. Look at the list frequently and tick the words when you know and can spell them.
      • Time yourself on past and specimen papers so that you become aware of how to plan your time during the real examination. Try to get as much practice as you can on past and specimen papers so that you know what to expect.
      • Look at mark schemes to help you to understand how the marks are awarded for each question. Refer to the syllabus.

      How to learn/revise vocabulary and grammar

      • Start learning vocabulary very early. It is very difficult to memorise long lists of words just before the exam. You may find it easier to learn words by topic, rather than alphabetically, as this can help to reinforce meaning and connections between words.
      • During your course, make sure that you learn all new vocabulary and revise previously met vocabulary as often as you can.
      • It is probably best to focus on learning 20–25 words per day. Test yourself as you go.
      • Learning vocabulary can be done with a partner, but don’t forget to do the memorising before you test each other. Agree on a section of vocabulary, spend 10 minutes in silence working on it and then test each other for 5 minutes.
      • You may like to annotate and use a highlighter on your vocabulary revision lists. Tick off the words that you know and concentrate on the ones that you still need to learn.
      • You may find it helpful to start your revision session by reviewing the words that you learnt last time. You could end your revision session by creating a vocabulary test for you to do at the start of your next session.
      • ANKI is an app for creating flashcards and testing yourself. You won’t have time to input all the Cambridge IGCSE German vocabulary but you can download ‘shared decks’ (i.e. sets of flashcards) that other people have created. Quizlet is a similar app and has lots of sets of flashcards aimed at Cambridge IGCSE German level.
      • Make a list of words that are particularly relevant for talking about your own life and interests. For example, if you love playing basketball, look up and learn the key words that you might need in order to talk or write about this activity.
      • Sometimes a word just doesn’t seem to stay in your memory, so try to say it in a sentence that means something to you. Giving it a context like this can help it to stay in your mind. Visual associations work for some people. Picturing an image in your mind for a word or phrase may help you to remember its meaning and/or spelling. You can’t do this for every word but it can help with some tricky ones.
      • A good tactic might be to learn adjectives in pairs of opposites – groß/klein, teuer/billig, glücklich/traurig, etc. This can work for adverbs too: nie/immer, gern/nicht gern, etc.
      • Mind maps work for many people. By making a mind map you are thinking about and processing the words, noticing connections and grouping them in ways that are meaningful to you. A mind map on Die Schule would have sub-sections on Die Fächer, Die Lehrer, Die Gebäude, Der Alltag, Meine Meinungen, etc. Try to find 10 words to go in each section.
      • Be aware of synonyms (two ways of saying the same thing), which are often key to answering questions in the Listening and Reading papers. Here are some other examples, but you could start your own list:
          • arbeitslos hat keine Arbeit
          • einfach leicht
          • dumm doof
          • anrufen telefonieren
          • sprechen reden
          • Ferien Urlaub
      • Start with the regular forms of verbs, then learn the irregulars. Test yourself. See if you can write out the full set of endings for a given verb and tense. Don’t forget to check which endings have accents.
      • When learning, some people find that saying (or singing) the verbs out loud works well. Why not try it!
      • The Cambridge IGCSE German syllabus has a list of grammar points to revise. Look them up in your grammar notes or textbook and tick them when you know them.

      During the examinations

      • Read the instructions carefully and try to answer all of the questions on the Listening and Reading papers. On the Writing paper answer Question 1, Question 2 and either Question 3(a) or 3(b).
      • Do not answer more questions than are needed as this will not gain you more marks.
      • Do not leave out questions or parts of questions. Remember, no answer means no mark.
      • Read each question carefully.
        • Identify the key words in questions – you could underline or circle them.
        • Identify other key vocabulary and perhaps underline or circle that too.
        • Make sure that you identify the question words such as Wer?, Wo?, Wie viel(e)?, Warum?, Wann?, Wie?.
      • Read all parts of a question before starting your answer. Think carefully about what is needed for each part.
      • Only write what is relevant and needed to answer the question.
      • Remember to cross out clearly any incorrect answer that you do not want the examiner to consider.
      • Always start your answer on the given line and not above it or below it.
      • For multiple-choice and box-ticking questions make sure that you tick the correct number of boxes. If you tick too many you will not get the mark. If you tick too many boxes by mistake, cross out the incorrect one(s) clearly.
      • On the written papers, remember to write clearly in black or blue pen. Do not write first in pencil and then write over the top in pen. If an examiner can’t see an answer clearly you will not get the mark.
      • Make sure that your writing is clear and easy to read.
      • Check your spelling and grammar very carefully.

      Paper 1 Listening advice

      • Remember that there are six types of exercise in this paper. The recordings that you hear at the beginning of the paper are shorter than the later recordings. The questions gradually get more difficult.
      • When you read the instructions for each exercise, think about the topic area, the setting, who is talking and about what.
      • Think about the kind of vocabulary that you are likely to hear.
      • Think about the kind of information that you are being asked for in the questions. This will give you an indication of what to listen out for.
      • Follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you know how many answers to choose. Most questions will require you to indicate just one answer but on the last exercise, you will need to choose two answers for each question.
      • Try to answer all of the questions. If you are unsure, make an intelligent deduction.
      • The texts may contain words that you don’t know, but you should be able to work out the meaning of them from the context or other clues given in the texts.
      • In questions which are based on longer recorded texts, do not decide on an answer too quickly before the speaker has finished what s/he is saying.
      • If you do miss an answer, try not to panic. Instead, continue concentrating and focus on the next part of the recording and the next question so that you do not lose your place.

      Paper 2 Reading advice

      • Start from the beginning of the paper and work your way through. The texts that you read will get longer as the examination progresses.
      • The later exercises have longer texts and more complex questioning. Make sure that you allow enough time to answer them.
      • For multiple-choice questions, choose one option only.
      • In questions requiring you to answer in German, keep your answers as brief as possible. Many of the questions will not require you to answer in a full sentence.
      • Select the correct material carefully and do not add extra detail which does not answer the question as this may mean that you do not get the mark because you have not shown that you have understood the text and/or the question.
      • Answers in German will be marked for communication rather than for accuracy. Inaccuracies will be tolerated by the examiner provided that the message of your answer is clear.
      • The matching exercise requires careful study. You may need to check two or three details within each description in order to identify the correct answer.
      • If the reading passage has a title, make sure that you read it as it will give you a clue about the content of the text.
      • The texts may contain words that you don’t know, but you should be able to work out the meaning of them from the context or other clues given in the texts.
      • Check that you know and understand the question words (e.g. Wie?, Wo?, Wer?, Wann?, Warum?).
      • If two marks are allocated to a question, remember to give two answers, one on each answer line.
      • Try to answer all of the questions. If you are unsure, make an intelligent deduction.
      • Make sure that you allow enough time to check all of your answers carefully.

      Paper 3 Speaking advice

      • Learn all new structures and points of grammar carefully and practise using them when you are speaking.
      • Ask your teacher if s/he can make a recording of useful questions which you could try to answer at home.
      • It is essential that you learn all question words (such as Wer?, Wo?, Wie viel(e)?, Warum?, Wann?, Um wie viel Uhr? and Wie?) carefully so that you know what you are being asked by the examiner.
      • In the 10 minutes of preparation time before your speaking test, think about where the role play takes place and the vocabulary and phrases in the target language that might be useful.
      • You may find it helpful to
        • think about questions you might be asked in the role play and plan some answers
        • think about your own experiences and prepare what you could say
        • if you don’t have relevant experience, use your imagination to prepare what you could say.
      • Try to stay calm – we want you to do well and the test gives you the opportunity to demonstrate what you know.
      • Learn how to ask for things to be repeated or to indicate that you have not heard something.
      • Practise answering questions about yourself or people/places that you know. Be aware of how you pronounce the words and how quickly you talk. Practise answering questions about a topic of interest, focusing on the accuracy of your grammar and your sentences and giving as much detail as possible. It can be helpful to record what you say so that you can listen to your answers again and identify where you could improve.
      • For each of the two conversation topics that you are asked questions on during your Speaking test, try to give answers which are as detailed as possible. The aim is to answer the questions with a short paragraph of speech. Extend your answers by adding examples and extra details (when, where, who with, why, etc.). Give your opinions and support them with reasons and explanations.
      • If your teacher/examiner wants you to try to give a longer answer, they may say something like like Erzähl mir bitte etwas
      • mehr or Kannst du noch mehr darüber sagen? (Can you tell me a bit more about that?). If your teacher/examiner asks you to elaborate, try to do so.
      • Try to practise speaking German as much as possible. Revising with a friend can help.
      • Speak clearly and try not to rush.

      Paper 4 Writing advice

      • Learn all new structures and points of grammar carefully and practise using them in your writing.
      • Learn how to spell and write accurately expressions for ideas such as how to express disappointment, how to be pleased about something, how to be in agreement with somebody, how to give an apology and how to give positive and negative opinions and preferences.
      • Some learners find it helpful to use the AVOCADO mnemonic to improve their writing skills. It can be a useful reminder when tackling Questions 2 and 3.
        • A = Adjectives (include some, and make them agree)
        • V = Verbs (check them and remember to use a variety)
        • O = Opinions (know and use your opinion phrases, e.g. Ich denke, dass…, Meiner Meinung nach…)
        • C = Connectives (linking words/phrases, e.g. aber, weil, da, wenn)
        • A = Adverbs (include some, e.g. manchmal, ab und zu, nicht oft)
        • D = Description (when describing something that happened in the past, this is a chance to use a variety of past tenses)
        • O = Originality (try to avoid repeating yourself)
      • Remember important word order rules, e.g. Time, Manner, Place.
      • Learn a set of more complex sentence structures to use when writing. Comparatives and superlatives can be good ways of expressing opinions. Aim to include subordinate connectives, linking words which kick the verb to the end, such as weil, dass or obwohl.
      • Practise writing about a person who you know well. Then re-write your description, making any simple sentences into more detailed ones.
      • Work out which grammar mistakes you make when writing. Practise writing on different topics, making sure that you review your work and correct your grammar mistakes afterwards.
      • Make sure that you practise writing answers to past and specimen questions so that you know how long to spend on each question.
      • When reading through a question paper for the first time, you may find it helpful to underline or circle the question words so that you know precisely what you are being asked.
      • In Question 2, think about which tense each bullet point is asking you to write in.
      • In Question 3, think about whether each task is asking you to write about things in the past, present or future.
      • In Questions 2 and 3, try to include a good range of structures which will show that you can use a wide variety of language.
      • In the exam, plan your time carefully. You may find it useful to write a brief plan for each question that you answer. In your plan, you may wish to write down relevant key verbs in the appropriate tenses. Draw a line through your plan after you have finished with it.
      • Try to stick to the word limits in Questions 2 and 3. What you write must be relevant to the set bullet points. Irrelevant material will not gain you credit.
      • Make sure that you allow enough time to check all of your answers carefully. Ensure that you have covered all of the set tasks. You could then check that the verbs that you have written are correct, and you could also check other things such as adverbs and the spelling and agreement of adjectives and nouns.



    • Consider your confidence with each topic area.
      Download the full learner guide to see the detailed expectations for each topic.
      Drag colour option


    • Paper 1 Listening

    • Exercises 1 and 2

      Understand the main points and key information in 8 short recordings, and one short recording (a monologue or dialogue), dealing with everyday needs.
      Understand (straightforward) factual information and (simple) ideas from a range of sources.
      Understand material on a range of familiar topics.
      Identify and select main points and specific information on familiar topics.
    • Exercises 3 and 4

      Understand (straightforward) factual information and (simple) ideas and opinions in a short informal conversation and a dialogue on a range of familiar, everyday topics.
      Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions and ambitions (future intentions) in simple texts.
      Identify and select main points, specific information, and details on the familiar topics.
    • Exercises 5 and 6

      Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions and ambitions in two longer conversations, discussions or interviews.
      Identify and select specific information, (factual information) and details.
      Identify and select main points, themes, opinions, ideas, emotions and attitudes in predictable texts.
      Work out the meaning of occasional unknown words and expressions from the context.

    • Paper 2 Reading

    • Exercises 1 and 2

      Understand the main points and key information in short simple texts

      Exercises 3 and 4

      Understand two short factual texts on a range of familiar, everyday topics and situations.
      Identify and select specific information, (factual information) and details.
      Identify and select main points, specific information and details in simple predictable texts.

    • Paper 3 Speaking

    • Role play

      Take part in one short role play situation with five transactional tasks.
      Communicate on familiar topics to meet simple needs.
      Communicate using a range of structures, tenses (past, present and future) and vocabulary relevant to the given situation.
      Pronounce clearly so that the message is clear.
    • Topic conversations 1 and 2

      Take part in two unprepared conversations on familiar topics. (The maximum time is four minutes for each conversation).
      Describe past events and experiences, opinions, hopes and ambitions.
      Give brief reasons of opinions and plans.
      Communicate with reasonable accuracy, using a range of structures, tenses (past, present and future) and vocabulary relevant to the given situation.
      Link shorter sentences into one connected sequence of points.
      Use ways to keep the conversation going.
      Pronounce and use speech patterns clearly so that the message is clear.
      Say as much as you can in response to each question and develop your answers.

    • Paper 4 Writing

    • Question 1

      Communicate simple factual information by filling in a form providing simple details on a give topic.

      Question 2

      Write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple linking words on one familiar everyday topic.
      Use a range of simple vocabulary and language structures with reasonable accuracy.

      Question 3(a) or Question 3(b)

      Write one simple connected text (a connected sequence of points) on familiar topics.
      Describe past events and experiences, opinions, hopes and ambitions.
      Give brief reasons for opinions and plans.
      Communicate with reasonable accuracy using a range of structures, tenses/time frames and vocabulary relevant to the given situation.


    • Download the full learner guide to make use of the full guidance and revision checklists: