ÖIF B1 Integration Exam: how to prepare in order to pass it?
ÖIF exam, how to pass it yourself? Teaching materials (hören, lesen, schreiben) and online practice test. Sample letters and a preparation plan with explanations. All this is in the 5th essay of the emigrant.
The Russian version is here.
Preparing for the German exam in Austria
How the ÖIF integration exam in German differs from others, I described in detail in the previous essay. However, it also, like the others, has 4 main parts (hören, lesen, schreiben, sprechen), which require knowledge of grammar and good practice. Therefore, below I describe what helped me learn German and prepare for the exam at the same time.
I had a goal — receiving the ÖIF B1 certificate from the starting point “level 0” and a plan to achieve it. And since the fear of the exam was the size of a 2-decker bus, we had to prepare in such a way as to pass only at level B1 and on the first try. The support was a German textbook with explanations in my native language, several channels on YouTube, and systematic classes.
How to master German grammar on your own?
At first, I only listened to simple phrases in German with translation into my native language in order to understand at least something. At the same time, I watched video lessons on grammar and did simple exercises. Thus, I laid the foundation because, like most people, I absorb information visually faster. To enhance the perception of something new, it is necessary to consolidate it physically — by writing text with a pen on a piece of paper and reading phrases aloud.
For lists of courses, see the 2nd and 3rd essays on emigration to Austria. There are many textbooks, and teachers recommend those that, in their opinion, are the most successful. However, the teacher’s thinking and logic do not always coincide with your way of perceiving new information. In case of “no match”, with a large expenditure of effort, time, and money, the result will be sad. Therefore, I will not give recommendations for the textbook; look at those that are most often praised and choose for yourself.
For me, an important factor in choosing a textbook is the simplicity and clarity of the theory in the native language with the presence of many exercises on the topic (it’s easier for me to understand the essence). This is also important when choosing a teacher, including those who post lessons in text or video format. “German in German” is only an additional option for me in later stages.
Letter in German — Schreiben B1
This is a part that you can start preparing after mastering level A1. It is almost the same in all German exams in Austria and Germany. The ÖIF exam does not require a specific minimum number of words, the main thing is that all points of the task are fulfilled in the text. However, to increase guarantees, it is worth focusing on the following criteria:
— answers are given to all points of the task;
— the text contains at least 1 question;
— vocabulary and grammatical structure of sentences corresponds to level B1;
- number of words for level B1–80 or more, including greeting and signature (for A2–60 words or more).
For exact assessment requirements for all exam items, see the ÖIF Modelltest (link is below).
You can download examples of letters on topics that I wrote for myself in a PDF booklet, but you do not need to memorize them. Try to take the idea of the letter as a basis, and write your own text, using those phrases and words that are easier for you to convey the meaning.
Even if you write 1–2 letters from my booklet daily, within a month you will understand, write, and read much better. They are built in such a way that it is easy to remember the general structure and basic phrases.
How to prepare parts of hören and lessen?
This is just practice, it’s not just about reading texts and listening, but also passing the exam test. To do this, download Modelltest ÖIF of the appropriate level. View examples of all activities and print the corresponding answer sheets for the printable parts of hören and lesen. You can take an online practice test for each level on the ÖIF website.
The Übungstest materials will also help you in your preparation, containing only study tasks for all parts of the exam. But, as practice shows, this is not enough. For listening, you can listen to Austrian radio or news.
It is very useful to practice taking video tests on YouTube created to prepare for the German exam in Germany. These parts, in their structure and tasks, are similar in both countries. You can easily find such video tests by searching for “Prüfung B1 hören” and “Prüfung B1 lesen”. And it is advisable to carry them out, noting the appropriate answers to the relevant questions, within the time specified in the Modelltest ÖIF comments.
There are many such video tests and they are varied. I took 1 hören test + 1 test daily for 5 months with several breaks of 7–10 days. In total, this is about 120 + 120 tests passed, how much to train you decide for yourself.
By practicing in this way, your vocabulary simultaneously expands, grammar is fixed, and your “hearing” of perception of voices and situational options increases. All this will be useful both in the exam and in real life.
I will write about the sprechen part separately, since it consists of 3 parts that require attention. There will also be recommendations for effective preparation of the conversation block and useful links.
Inspiration and success to you. To be continued.
Read “ÖIF exam in Austria: why take it and how to prepare?”
