Three days left before Listening, Reading and Writing. German marks live or die on word order and case. Here's the order that recovers the most marks with the time you've got.
One focus per day, building to a timed run. Work it in order.
Ranked from analysed past papers. Start at the top: if you run out of time, you will have covered the most-tested ground.
The single highest-yield accuracy skill on the whole exam. The finite verb must be the second element, and separable prefixes, past participles and infinitives are pushed to the end of the clause (Satzklammer). Gets marks in every Writing and Speaking task.
Sein, haben, werden, gehen, machen, kommen, fahren and the modal verbs underpin every sentence you write. Separable-verb prefix placement is repeatedly flagged as decisive in examiner reports.
Perfekt is the default past tense at both tiers, and the three time-frame requirement (past/present/future) in extended writing is only met if the perfect tense is accurate. Time markers are the cue that tells you which tense a sentence needs.
New to the 2026 spec: 8 marks Foundation / 10 marks Higher, played three times. Umlauts, ß, capitalisation and homophones are exactly what this section tests, and a blank answer scores zero.
Also, bekommen, Gift and similar words are deliberately placed to catch literal translation. This feeds both the Reading comprehension section and the German-to-English translation task.
Covering all bullet points and using all three time frames drives the top accuracy band. Missing a bullet caps the mark regardless of language quality elsewhere in the answer.
Worth 10 marks at both tiers, marked on two grids. A zero on key messages forces a zero on the grammar grid, so getting every message across matters more than perfect grammar on this task specifically.
Der/die/das and the case system sit under every noun phrase you produce. Case errors after prepositions are one of the most consistent accuracy losses across German exam boards.
PrepWise has a one-page Knowledge Organiser for every topic above. In your final 3 days, use them the same way each time: cover the page, try to recall everything from memory, uncover and check what you missed, then repeat that topic again tomorrow.
Rules specific to Listening, Reading & Writing. On this paper, structure earns as many marks as knowledge.
You get thinking time before each section plays. Read every question first so you know exactly what you're listening for, then answer in the language the question is asked in: English question, English answer; German question, German answer.
Negation words (nicht, kein, nicht mehr) and aber often sit at the end and flip the meaning of everything before them. Answering after only half a sentence is the most common way to lose easy marks in both Listening and Reading.
Finite verb in second position; separable prefix, past participle or infinitive goes to the end. Check this on every sentence you write in Writing, not just the ones that feel complicated. It's just as easy to get wrong in a simple sentence.
The two-grid mark scheme means a message that doesn't land at all scores zero on both grids for that sentence. Get every key idea across in whatever German you're confident with, then refine grammar and word order once the message is there.
Write your best phonetic attempt, including a guess at umlauts and ß, even if you're not sure. A plausible attempt can pick up marks; a blank space cannot.
The errors examiners see most on this paper. Each one is an easy mark you already know how to keep.
Leaving the verb in third position or later (English word order) → German always puts the finite verb second, even when a sentence starts with a time expression: 'Gestern habe ich Fußball gespielt', not 'Gestern ich habe...'. Check the second word of every sentence is the verb.
Forgetting to send the separable prefix, participle or infinitive to the end → 'Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf', 'Ich habe das Buch gelesen', 'Ich möchte ins Kino gehen': the second verb part always goes to the very end of the clause. Read your sentence back and check nothing is stranded in the middle.
Dropping capital letters on nouns and spelling cognates the English way → Every German noun is capitalised, with no exceptions: Familie not familie, Musik not Music. Proofread specifically for this in your last read-through; it's an easy, fast fix once you know to look for it.
Translating also as 'also' and bekommen as 'to become' → Also means 'so' or 'therefore'. Bekommen means 'to receive' or 'to get'. These false friends are placed deliberately in Reading and Listening texts. Learn the false friends bank as fixed pairs, not by guessing from the English spelling.
Missing a bullet point in extended writing → Before you start writing, list the bullet points on paper and tick each one off as you cover it. An uncovered bullet caps your mark on that task, no matter how accurate the German around it is.
The 60 minutes before you walk in. Review what you know and settle your nerves.
You cannot revise a language by reading notes. Practise exam-style German questions in PrepWise, get instant marking, and check your word order and cases hold up under pressure.
Open the German Knowledge Organisers, quiz every priority topic and walk in ready. Free during alpha.
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