A1 · Beginner
A1 German Course in Nairobi — Complete Beginner
A1 is where German stops being a wall of long words and starts being a language you can use. In three months you go from nothing to introducing yourself, asking for what you need, understanding prices and times, and filling in a form in German without help.
We teach it the way it actually sticks: you speak out loud in every session from the first week, rather than spending a month on grammar tables before anyone opens their mouth. Everything is aligned to the Goethe-Institut framework, so what you learn is what the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 tests.
for the full course · materials included
KES 30,000 each when you register with a friend
- Duration
- 3 months
- Entry
- None. A1 assumes you have never studied German.
- Exam
- Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1
- Class size
- Capped at 15
- Where
- Nairobi CBD or live online
Who A1 is for
Complete beginners — and anyone joining a spouse or family member in Germany, since A1 is the level the German Embassy in Nairobi asks for on a family reunification visa.
Not sure?
Our free five-minute test places you honestly, including telling you if you should start lower than you hoped.
Take the free testWhat you'll be able to do
- Introduce yourself and someone else, and answer simple questions about where you live and who you know
- Fill in a form with your personal details — the kind you face at a registration desk or an embassy counter
- Understand short, slow, clearly-spoken exchanges: numbers, prices, times, directions
- Write a short personal message — a note cancelling an appointment, a postcard
Goethe estimates 80–200 teaching units of 45 minutes to reach A1 — roughly 60–150 clock hours. It is a wide range because it depends almost entirely on how much German you use outside class.
What we cover in A1
The full syllabus, so you can see exactly what you're paying for before you enrol.
Grammar
- Present tense — regular verbs and the key irregulars (sein, haben, fahren, sprechen)
- Definite and indefinite articles in the nominative and accusative
- Negation with nicht and kein
- Personal and possessive pronouns
- W-questions and yes/no questions; verb-second word order
- The imperative, separable verbs, and modal verbs (können, müssen, möchten)
Topics and vocabulary
- Personal information, family and relationships
- Home, furniture and where you live
- Food, shopping and ordering
- Daily routine, time, dates and numbers
- Work and study; basic travel and directions
The exam: Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1
Sat at the Goethe-Institut in Nairobi and paid for separately from your course. We prepare you for it and help you register.
| Module | Time |
|---|---|
| Reading | 25 min |
| Writing | 20 min |
| Listening | 20 min |
| Speaking | 15 min |
| Total | 80 min |
Pass mark
60 of 100 points (60%)
Not modular
A1 is not modular. It is sat as a single exam and all four sections must be completed. You can repeat the whole exam as often as you like, but you cannot bank or retake individual skills. The youth version, Fit in Deutsch 1, has a lower pass mark of 50%.
Exam fee
KES 19,000 external / KES 15,000 internal at the Goethe-Institut Nairobi
Goethe's registration window is short — usually two days from 9:00am — and payment must clear inside it or the place goes to the next candidate. We'll warn you when it opens.
Related exam at this level: Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Fit in Deutsch 1 (ages 10–16)
What A1 actually unlocks
Checked against German government sources in August 2026 — including the parts other schools get wrong.
Family reunification visa
The German Embassy in Nairobi requires proof of German at A1 for a spouse or family reunification visa, in the form of an ALTE-certified certificate — which the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 is. Important exception: spouses joining an EU Blue Card holder or a skilled-worker permit holder do not need to prove language skills at all.
German Embassy NairobiOpportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
A1 German is the minimum language threshold on the points-based Opportunity Card route, the alternative being B2 English. It scores no points on its own — B1 scores 2 and B2 scores 3 — but it gets you over the entry requirement.
Make it in GermanyWhat A1 does not unlock — said plainly
A1 is not enough for Ausbildung, a skilled-worker visa, university study, nursing recognition or citizenship. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you a course. A1 is the first step of three or four, and it is worth doing properly.
When A1 runs
Classes run Monday to Friday. Your exact slot is confirmed when you register.
- Morning7:30 am – 10:30 amIn person · Nairobi CBD
- Extended morning7:30 am – 11:30 amIn person · Nairobi CBD
- Midday10:45 am – 12:45 pmIn person · Nairobi CBD
- Afternoon1:00 pm – 3:00 pmIn person · Nairobi CBD
- Long afternoon1:15 pm – 4:15 pmIn person · Nairobi CBD
- Early morningBefore the working dayLive online
- EveningFrom 5:00 pm, 9:00 pm at the latestLive online
Joining a A1 group
Intake is open now
A new group starts at every level each month, and we take students all year round. Register and we confirm your level, your session and your start date — you are not waiting a term for a cohort to open.
Normal, intensive or super intensive
Same syllabus, same exam, same fee — the difference is hours per week.
- Normal: The standard track. Three months per level for A1 to B1, at a pace that fits around a job or other study.
- Intensive: More contact hours each week, so you finish the same level sooner. For people working to a visa or application deadline.
- Super intensive: The fastest route we run. Full mornings or full afternoons, for learners who can commit to German as their main occupation.
A1 FAQ