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Das Diktat — The Skill That Wins Easy Marks
🎧 Das Diktat — The Skill That Wins Easy Marks
The dictation is new to GCSE German and worth 8 marks at Foundation or 10 marks at Higher. You hear short German sentences and write down exactly what you hear. With the right method — and knowing the German spelling traps — it is one of the most learnable parts of the whole exam.
What the dictation task involves
The dictation sits in AQA 8662 Paper 1 (Listening), Section B. The audio is played three times, and the sentences are short — some contain off-list words you will not have studied.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Use the 1st play just to listen — resist the urge to write. Knowing what the sentence means makes the 2nd play far easier.
- Hold a chunk in your head, then write it — don't try to write one word at a time as it arrives.
- Save the umlaut, ß, and capital-letter checks for the 3rd play, so the 2nd play stays focused on getting the words down.
❌ Common error: leaving a blank for a word you didn't catch.
✓ Correct: writing your best phonetic attempt using German spelling rules.
Why it costs marks: a blank scores zero. A sensible phonetic attempt can still score the content mark (Grid A) even if the spelling (Grid B) is not perfect. Never leave a gap — always write something.