GERMAN · Common Test for University Admissions (大学入学共通テスト)
GERMAN/11
German Written Paper
German · 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
200
80 min
Case, verb position and passage-level reading: German questions often combine grammar accuracy with understanding who did what to whom and why.
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
200
Duration
80 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Calculator policy
Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes under…
Foreign languages other than English use an 80-minute written paper worth 200 points in the DNC structure.
German word order is an assessment target because meaning depends on verb position in main, subordinate and question clauses.
Case identification can solve many comprehension items without full translation; articles and pronouns are evidence.
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Cognitive skills emphasised in official test design.
Reading comprehension
Weight: 42100%Grammar application
Weight: 3071%Vocabulary inference
Weight: 1843%Cultural/context judgment
Weight: 1024%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
Cases: Assuming the first noun is always the subject. — Use article endings and verb agreement to identify grammatical roles.
Word order: Missing the final verb in subordinate clauses. — When you see dass, weil, wenn or obwohl, look to the clause end for the fini…
Separable verbs: Ignoring the prefix at the end of the clause. — Reconnect prefixes such as auf, an, mit and zurück to the main verb mean…
Vocabulary: Misreading false friends or cognates. — Check sentence context and grammatical role before trusting similarity to English/Jap…
Reading: Translating word by word and losing the text purpose. — Summarize each paragraph or dialogue turn in one short phrase.
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Official body
National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Grading system
Foreign-language papers (excluding English) are scored 0–200 raw; universities apply deviation values
Scale band
0–200 raw
Scale band
Deviation value
Scale band
University cut-off
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
Track verb position
Main clauses, subordinate clauses and separable verbs are high-yield. Find the finite verb and subject before translating the sentence.
Use case as a map
Mark nominative, accusative, dative and genitive signals from articles and adjective endings. Case tells relationships even when word order is flexible.
Break compounds
German compounds often hide familiar parts. Split the final noun, then work backward through modifiers to infer meaning.
Read practical texts by purpose
For schedules, emails and notices, scan dates, places, conditions and requests before reading every sentence.
Watch modal and tense nuance
Modal verbs and perfect/past forms signal intention, obligation, possibility and sequence. These often distinguish close answer choices.
Build a declension review sheet
Daily review of articles, pronouns and adjective endings pays off because one ending can reveal subject, object or possession.
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
No data available in official reports
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
No data available in official reports
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Reading comprehension and practical texts
Official topic weighting
Grammar: cases, word order, verbs and modifiers
Official topic weighting
Vocabulary, compounds and phrase meaning
Official topic weighting
Culture, communication and discourse structure
Official topic weighting
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Reading comprehension and practical texts
Grammar: cases, word order, verbs and modifiers
Vocabulary, compounds and phrase meaning
Culture, communication and discourse structure
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
German Written Paper: Reading passages, dialogues, notices, grammar/vocabulary in context and communication tasks
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Reading comprehension and practical texts
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiGrammar: cases, word order, verbs and modifiers
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiVocabulary, compounds and phrase meaning
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiCulture, communication and discourse structure
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes under…
- 2Message
Foreign languages other than English use an 80-minute written paper worth 200 points in the DNC structure.
- 3Message
German word order is an assessment target because meaning depends on verb position in main, subordinate and question clauses.
- 4Message
Case identification can solve many comprehension items without full translation; articles and pronouns are evidence.
- 5Message
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
- 6Pitfall
Cases: Assuming the first noun is always the subject. — Use article endings and verb agreement to identify grammatical roles.
- 7Pitfall
Word order: Missing the final verb in subordinate clauses. — When you see dass, weil, wenn or obwohl, look to the clause end for the fini…
- 8Pitfall
Separable verbs: Ignoring the prefix at the end of the clause. — Reconnect prefixes such as auf, an, mit and zurück to the main verb mean…
- 9Pitfall
Vocabulary: Misreading false friends or cognates. — Check sentence context and grammatical role before trusting similarity to English/Jap…
- 10Pitfall
Reading: Translating word by word and losing the text purpose. — Summarize each paragraph or dialogue turn in one short phrase.
- 11Strength
Track verb position: Main clauses, subordinate clauses and separable verbs are high-yield. Find the finite verb and subje
- 12Strength
Use case as a map: Mark nominative, accusative, dative and genitive signals from articles and adjective endings. Case t
- 13Strength
Break compounds: German compounds often hide familiar parts. Split the final noun, then work backward through modifie
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2023 2023
German
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes understa
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes under…
Foreign languages other than English use an 80-minute written paper worth 200 points in the DNC structure.
German word order is an assessment target because meaning depends on verb position in main, subordinate and question clauses.
Cases: Assuming the first noun is always the subject. — Use article endings and verb agreement to identify grammatical roles.
Word order: Missing the final verb in subordinate clauses. — When you see dass, weil, wenn or obwohl, look to the clause end for the fini…
- Total marks
- 200
- Duration
- 80 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
- Calculator policy
- Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Session analysis
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes understanding texts and using language knowledge to interpret meaning in realistic situations. National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC) emphasises case, verb position and passage-level reading: german questions often combine grammar accuracy with understanding who did what to whom and why.. Priority revision: Reading comprehension and practical texts, Grammar: cases, word order, verbs and modifiers, Vocabulary, compounds and phrase meaning, Culture, communication and discourse structure. Main clauses, subordinate clauses and separable verbs are high-yield. Find the finite verb and subject before translating the sentence.
Updated 2026-07-03
Paper breakdown
German Written Paper: Reading passages, dialogues, notices, grammar/vocabulary in context and communication tasks
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by syllabus topic
Revision priority from official test-design weighting.
Mark accessibility
Estimated difficulty spread based on official design.
Case, verb position and passage-level reading: German questions often combine gr
Paper structure
Official paper breakdown for this subject.
German Written Paper
200·10·100%
Official syllabus scope
ドイツ語 assesses reading and written-language comprehension in line with senior high school foreign-language objectives, focusing on practical communication, grammar in context, vocabulary and cultural understanding. The Common Test foreign-language written paper emphasizes understanding texts and using language knowledge to interpret meaning in realistic situations.
Difficulty verdict
Rated 3/5 for January sessions. Case, verb position and passage-level reading: German questions often combine grammar accuracy with understanding who did what to whom and why.
What examiners measure
1. Understand main ideas and details in German passages, notices, dialogues and practical texts. 2. Apply grammar, word order, case and verb-form knowledge in context. 3. Infer meaning from cognates, compounds and surrounding sentence structure. 4. Interpret communicative intent, cultural context and text organization. 5. Manage an 80-minute, 200-point written foreign-language paper efficiently.
Where the marks are
Highest-weight syllabus areas: Reading comprehension and practical texts; Grammar: cases, word order, verbs and modifiers; Vocabulary, compounds and phrase meaning; Culture, communication and discourse structure.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Foreign languages other than English use an 80-minute written paper worth 200 points in the DNC structure.
- German word order is an assessment target because meaning depends on verb position in main, subordinate and question clauses.
- Case identification can solve many comprehension items without full translation; articles and pronouns are evidence.
- For dative/accusative prepositions, ask whether the phrase expresses location or movement toward a place.
- Passage questions often paraphrase, so learn common connectors: deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem, obwohl, während and damit.
- Numerical and practical details in notices can be decisive: times, prices, age limits and conditions should be circled.
- If a sentence is long, bracket subordinate clauses and translate the main clause first.
- Paper 1: German Written Paper · 200 marks · 80 min · Reading passages, dialogues, notices, grammar/vocabulary in context and communication tasks.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 80 min
- Total marks
- 200
- Weighting
- 100%
- Question types
- Reading passages, dialogues, notices, grammar/vocabulary in context and communication tasks
- Main clauses, subordinate clauses and separable verbs are high-yield. Find the finite verb and subject before translating the sentence.
- Mark nominative, accusative, dative and genitive signals from articles and adjective endings. Case tells relationships even when word order is flexible.
- German compounds often hide familiar parts. Split the final noun, then work backward through modifiers to infer meaning.
Common mistakes
Cases
Assuming the first noun is always the subject.
How to avoid: Use article endings and verb agreement to identify grammatical roles.
Word order
Missing the final verb in subordinate clauses.
How to avoid: When you see dass, weil, wenn or obwohl, look to the clause end for the finite verb.
Separable verbs
Ignoring the prefix at the end of the clause.
How to avoid: Reconnect prefixes such as auf, an, mit and zurück to the main verb meaning.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.