A2 · Elementary
A2 German Course in Nairobi — Elementary Level
A2 is the level where German starts working for you rather than against you. You stop translating in your head sentence by sentence and start handling a whole transaction — an appointment, a complaint, a conversation about your work — without rehearsing it first.
It is also the level that carries a specific, under-advertised practical benefit: the visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications under §16d of the Residence Act requires A2, not B1. Most schools never mention it.
for the full course · materials included
- Duration
- 3 months
- Entry
- A1, or a pass on our free placement test at A1 level.
- Exam
- Goethe-Zertifikat A2
- Class size
- Capped at 15
- Where
- Nairobi CBD or live online
Who A2 is for
Anyone who has finished A1 — and specifically, professionals planning to come to Germany to have a foreign qualification recognised, because that visa route runs on A2.
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
- Handle a routine transaction — ordering, buying a ticket, making an appointment — without preparing it in advance
- Talk about your background, your job and your surroundings in connected sentences
- Understand the main point of short, clear announcements, adverts and messages
- Write a short letter or email: thanking someone, apologising, making a request
Goethe estimates 200–350 teaching units of 45 minutes from zero to reach A2 — roughly 150–263 clock hours. It is a wide range because it depends almost entirely on how much German you use outside class.
What we cover in A2
The full syllabus, so you can see exactly what you're paying for before you enrol.
Grammar
- Perfekt — the past tense Germans actually speak in — with haben and sein
- Präteritum of sein, haben and the modal verbs
- The dative case and dative verbs
- Two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) and the accusative/dative contrast
- Comparative and superlative
- Subordinate clauses with weil, dass and wenn; reflexive verbs; werden for the future
Topics and vocabulary
- Health, the body and the doctor's surgery
- Work, the workplace and applying for things
- Housing, moving and the paperwork around it
- Travel, weather and leisure
- Talking about the past and about experiences
The exam: Goethe-Zertifikat A2
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 | 30 min |
| Writing | 30 min |
| Listening | 30 min |
| Speaking | 15 min |
| Total | 105 min |
Pass mark
60 of 100 points (60%), with sub-minimums of 45/75 written and 15/25 oral
Not modular
A2 is not modular — it is sat as a single exam. You may repeat the whole exam as often as you like. Note that A2 has minimum scores within the exam as well as overall: you need at least 45 of 75 on the written part and 15 of 25 on the oral.
Exam fee
KES 21,000 external / KES 17,000 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 A2: Fit in Deutsch (ages 12–16)
What A2 actually unlocks
Checked against German government sources in August 2026 — including the parts other schools get wrong.
Visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications (§16d)
This is A2's most valuable and least advertised use. If you trained as a nurse, an engineer or a technician in Kenya and need your qualification formally recognised in Germany, this is the visa that lets you go and complete the recognition procedure — and it requires A2, not B1.
Make it in Germany — language requirements by visa typeEmployment within a recognition partnership
The related route, where you work for a German employer while your qualification is being recognised, also runs on A2 German.
Opportunity Card points
A2 German scores 1 point on the Chancenkarte points system. B1 scores 2 and B2 or above scores 3.
When A2 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 A2 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.
A2 FAQ