AFTER THE COURSE
ÖSD A2 Modellsatz: the 90-point grid — and 4 full practice papers
The ÖSD A2 Modellsatz decoded: 90 points across four subtests, the subtest floors that fail a whole module — and 4 full practice papers to train on.
VON GERMANIUM
Editorial desk — reviewed against the ÖSD ZA2 Modellsatz and Durchführungsbestimmungen
ÖSD A2 is the most misunderstood paper in the A2 family, and its grid is why: 90 points with uneven weights, where Hören (30) outweighs Lesen (25) — exactly the reverse of Goethe. Candidates who prepared on another body's materials find out in the exam hall. Below is the whole Modellsatz grid, the floors and the scoring machines; at the end, how to train on full ÖSD A2 practice papers so no number surprises you.
The 90-point grid: four subtests, two modules
| Subtest | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Lesen — 2 Aufgaben | 30 min | 25 |
| Hören — 3 Aufgaben | ~15 min | 30 |
| Schreiben — one e-mail | 30 min | 15 |
| Written module | 75 min, no break | 70 |
| Sprechen — Folienblatt and Ausflug | ~10 min (+10 min preparation) | 20 |
| Total | 90 |
The written module sits in one 75-minute block; Sprechen is a separate module with its own 10-of-20 floor — and it can be retaken without touching the written half. ÖSD's modularity is more generous than the Goethe A1/A2 exams, where everything repeats.
Three scoring machines in one Hören
- Aufgabe 1 — 8 keywords, mark exactly 4. Heard ONCE. Ticks carry official penalties: five marked answers = minus 3 points, more than five = zero. Tick discipline is worth literal points here.
- Aufgabe 2 — the Notizblatt, heard TWICE. The only forgiving task: short answers written into a form. Every task gets 30 seconds of reading time first.
- Aufgabe 3 — 5 speakers, one row each, heard ONCE. Scored 2/1/0 per row — and the trap: even empty correct boxes count as wrong. An unfilled row is not forgiven.
Lesen: headlines that cost a third of the task
Aufgabe 1 matches seven texts against headlines A–K (the letter J is deliberately skipped) and carries 15 of the 25 points on a descending table 15/12/9/6/3/0: four missed headlines burn a third of the task. Aufgabe 2 is humbler — 10 points on 10/8/6/4/2/0. Practical conclusion: the headlines are the most expensive minutes of the written half.
Schreiben: one e-mail, four questions
No form, no second text — one e-mail to a friend of ~50 words that must answer the task's four questions. The three-sentence skeleton from the Goethe A1 writing guide works here too, with one adjustment: 50 words want a sentence with a detail per content point, not a stock phrase.
Sprechen: the module with ten minutes of preparation
The ÖSD oral is the thing no A2 competitor offers: 10 minutes of preparation before you speak, and your notes stay in your hand. Two tasks: the Folienblatt — a poster of six real topics, one of which you talk about — and the Ausflug, planning a trip with a partner on a board of options. The Redemittel for both are broken down in the ÖSD A2 cheat sheets.
How to train the Modellsatz
- 01
First paper — with the grid open
Sit one paper untimed with the scoring tables in front of you: the first pass is for learning the scoring machines, not for points. The official Modellsatz is free on osd.at/downloads ↗; four full papers with solutions live here.
- 02
Second and third — against the 75-minute clock
Sit the full written block timed, no breaks. Log your points per subtest — the floors (Lesen ≥5, Hören ≥6) turn a weak subtest into a failed module, so training keeps both subtests above their floors instead of chasing the total.
- 03
Fourth — as the Sprechen rehearsal
Speak the Folienblatt out loud with exactly 10 minutes of preparation and notes in hand, then the Ausflug with a partner. The ten minutes are ÖSD's gift; a candidate who never rehearsed speaking WITH notes hands the gift back.
Where can I find official ÖSD A2 Modellsätze?
ÖSD publishes the official Modellsatz — papers, solutions and three audio files — free on osd.at/downloads ↗. One set is not enough: the official site has exactly one, but training needs the grid with its scoring machines — four full papers in the exact Modellsatz grid cover precisely that.
How many points do you need to pass ÖSD A2?
The written module needs at least 35 of 70 with two subtest floors: Lesen at least 5 of 25 and Hören at least 6 of 30 — breaching either floor fails the whole module regardless of the sum. The oral module needs at least 10 of 20. The exam totals 90 points, and the two modules are sat and retaken independently.
Is ÖSD A2 harder than Goethe A2?
Different, not harder. The differences: Hören weighs 30 against Lesen 25 (Goethe is the reverse), three separate scoring machines in one Hören with tick penalties, one 50-word e-mail instead of two texts — and ten minutes of preparation before the oral, with your notes allowed. A candidate prepared on Goethe materials loses on format, not on language: training on the ÖSD grid closes the whole gap.