B1 · Intermediate
B1 German Course in Nairobi — Intermediate Level
B1 is the most commercially useful level of German there is. It is the officially stated requirement for vocational training in Germany, the language threshold for naturalisation, and the point at which a German employer will take your application seriously.
It is also the first modular Goethe exam — reading, listening, writing and speaking can be sat and retaken separately, which changes how you should prepare. We build the course around that: you get mock modules throughout, not one panicked simulation at the end.
for the full course · materials included
- Duration
- 3 months
- Entry
- A2, or a pass on our free placement test at A2 level.
- Exam
- Goethe-Zertifikat B1
- Class size
- Capped at 15
- Where
- Nairobi CBD or live online
Who B1 is for
The level most of our students are actually aiming at. If you want an Ausbildung place, a skilled-worker route, or eventually German citizenship, B1 is the threshold that appears in the regulations.
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
- Hold your own in most situations that come up while living or working in a German-speaking country
- Follow a normal work conversation about familiar subjects when people speak clearly
- Write connected text about things you know — a report, a description of an experience, a letter of complaint
- Give reasons for your opinions and plans, and defend them
Goethe estimates 350–650 teaching units of 45 minutes from zero to reach B1 — roughly 263–488 clock hours. It is a wide range because it depends almost entirely on how much German you use outside class.
What we cover in B1
The full syllabus, so you can see exactly what you're paying for before you enrol.
Grammar
- Konjunktiv II for polite requests and hypotheticals (würde, könnte, hätte, wäre)
- The passive voice, present and past
- Relative clauses in all cases; the genitive
- Adjective endings across all three declension patterns
- Two-part connectors: entweder…oder, nicht nur…sondern auch, je…desto
- Temporal subordinators (als, wenn, bevor, nachdem, während); infinitive clauses with zu, um…zu, ohne…zu
- Verbs with fixed prepositions and da-/wo-compounds
Topics and vocabulary
- Work, careers and workplace communication
- Education and training
- Environment, media and current affairs
- Health, relationships and social life
- Stating, justifying and defending an opinion
The exam: Goethe-Zertifikat B1
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 | 65 min |
| Writing | 60 min |
| Listening | 40 min |
| Speaking | 15 min |
| Total | 180 min |
Pass mark
60 points or 60% in each module, scored out of 100 per module
Modular — retake only what you failed
B1 is the first modular level. Each of the four modules can be taken on a different date and repeated as often as you need — you only resit what you failed. The catch: to receive a single combined certificate rather than four separate module certificates, all four must be passed within one year at the same exam centre. Goethe Nairobi prices single modules at KES 6,250 for external candidates.
Exam fee
KES 25,000 external / KES 19,000 internal — or KES 6,250 per module externally
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.
What B1 actually unlocks
Checked against German government sources in August 2026 — including the parts other schools get wrong.
Ausbildung — vocational training in Germany
B1 is the official requirement for both the visa to take up vocational training and the visa to come and look for a training place. Be aware of the gap between the law and the market: B1 is the legal floor, but many employers and vocational schools prefer B2 in practice. B1 gets you the visa; B2 gets you the offer.
Make it in Germany — vocational training visaGerman citizenship
B1 is the language level for naturalisation, after five years of residence. One correction worth knowing: the three-year fast track that required C1 German was abolished in October 2025. Several websites — including one German government page in English — have not been updated. Do not plan around it.
Deutscher BundestagPermanent residency and the Opportunity Card
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is recognised as language proof for permanent residency, and scores 2 points on the Opportunity Card points system.
When B1 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 B1 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.
B1 FAQ