A2 Schreiben Teil 3 – Formal Note

What Is Goethe A2 Schreiben Teil 3?

Schreiben Teil 3 is the formal writing task in the Goethe A2 exam. You write a short formal note or message — approximately 40 to 50 words — to someone in a professional or semi-professional context such as a landlord, employer, teacher, or doctor's office. The task tests whether you can switch from the informal register used in Teil 1 and Teil 2 to formal German, using Sie-form and appropriate formal conventions.

This register switch is exactly what the Goethe-Institut wants to evaluate at A2 level. In real life in Germany, you constantly alternate between informal communication with friends and formal communication with institutions, employers, and service providers. Teil 3 tests whether you can produce even a brief formal message correctly — a skill that many A2 candidates struggle with because they have practiced informal German more extensively.

How Teil 3 Is Scored

Three criteria determine your Teil 3 score. Task fulfillment checks whether you addressed all required content points from the prompt. Register evaluates whether you maintained formal language consistently — using Sie-form, formal greeting (Sehr geehrte/r...), and formal closing (Mit freundlichen Grüßen). A single slip into du-form is a register error. Grammar and vocabulary assesses whether your language is correct and appropriate for a formal A2-level message.

The register criterion is what distinguishes Teil 3 from the other A2 writing tasks. You can write good German in Teil 1 and Teil 2 using informal language, but Teil 3 specifically tests your ability to write formally. Even a short, simple message must demonstrate consistent formality.

Example Task

You need to tell your landlord that the heating in your apartment is broken. Write a formal note. In your note:

• Describe the problem
• Say when the problem started
• Ask them to fix it

How to Write a Formal Note at A2 Level

Start with the correct formal greeting. If the prompt provides a name, use Sehr geehrter Herr [Name], (for a man) or Sehr geehrte Frau [Name], (for a woman). If no name is given, use Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,. Note the comma after the greeting — this is mandatory in German formal correspondence.

State your purpose in the first sentence. Ich schreibe Ihnen, weil die Heizung in meiner Wohnung nicht funktioniert. (I am writing to you because the heating in my apartment is not working.) Getting to the point immediately is valued in German formal communication and saves you words within the tight word count.

Provide the required details briefly. Address each content point with one clear sentence. Das Problem besteht seit letztem Montag. (The problem has existed since last Monday.) Keep your sentences simple and factual — at A2 level, you do not need elaborate descriptions.

Make your request politely but clearly. Ich bitte Sie, die Heizung so schnell wie möglich zu reparieren. (I ask you to repair the heating as soon as possible.) Or use the polite question form: Könnten Sie bitte einen Termin für die Reparatur vereinbaren? (Could you please arrange an appointment for the repair?)

Close formally. End with Mit freundlichen Grüßen followed by your name on the next line. This is the standard formal closing in German correspondence. Never use Viele Grüße or Liebe Grüße in a formal note — these are informal closings.

Common Prompt Types in Teil 3

Teil 3 prompts center on practical formal communication scenarios. The most frequent types include writing to a landlord or property management about a maintenance issue (broken heating, water damage, noisy neighbors), contacting an employer about scheduling (requesting time off, reporting an absence, confirming a work schedule), writing to a school or course provider (registering for a course, reporting an absence, asking for information), and contacting a doctor's office or government office (making or changing an appointment, requesting a document).

These scenarios reflect situations that anyone living in Germany encounters regularly, making this task type both exam-relevant and practically useful.

Essential Formal Phrases for A2

Having a set of reliable formal phrases ready makes Teil 3 much faster to complete. For opening: Ich schreibe Ihnen, weil... (I am writing to you because...) or Hiermit möchte ich Ihnen mitteilen, dass... (I would like to inform you that...). For requests: Ich bitte Sie, ... (I ask you to...), Könnten Sie bitte... (Could you please...), Wäre es möglich, ...? (Would it be possible to...?). For closing: Vielen Dank im Voraus. (Thank you in advance.), Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort. (I look forward to your reply.).

These phrases form a template that you can adapt to any Teil 3 prompt, saving time and reducing errors on exam day.

Common Mistakes in A2 Schreiben Teil 3

Using du-form in a formal message is the most costly error in Teil 3. Even one instance of du or dein instead of Sie or Ihr is a register violation. Before submitting, scan your entire message for consistent Sie-form.

Using an informal greeting or closing — writing Hallo Herr Müller instead of Sehr geehrter Herr Müller, or ending with Liebe Grüße instead of Mit freundlichen Grüßen — is a formatting and register error.

Being too casual in tone even while using Sie-form. Phrases like Das wäre echt nett (That would be really nice) are too colloquial for a formal note. Use Das wäre sehr freundlich or simply state your request directly.

Writing too much is a risk in Teil 3. The target is only 40 to 50 words. Extra words increase your chance of grammar errors. Be concise — one sentence per content point plus greeting and closing is enough.

Practice A2 Schreiben Teil 3 on Deutsch Fox

On deutschfox.com, you can practice Teil 3 formal notes with a variety of realistic scenarios. The AI examiner specifically checks for consistent formal register, complete content coverage, appropriate greeting and closing formulas, and correct Sie-form usage throughout. The feedback highlights any register slips and missing content points, helping you build a reliable formal writing template. The error memory feature tracks whether you tend to mix registers or forget formal conventions, ensuring your practice sessions target your specific weaknesses.