Free Practice Questions for Schleswig-Holstein MSA German

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card

100+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Schleswig-Holstein MSA

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

Schleswig-Holstein Intermediate School Leaving Certificate (MSA) English

Practice Questions100 questions

Schleswig-Holstein Intermediate School Leaving Certificate (MSA) Mathematics

Practice Questions100 questions

Exam Review

Key Facts: Schleswig-Holstein MSA German Exam

3 Teile

The written MSA Deutsch exam has three parts: Teil A Leseverständnis, Teil B Sprache, Teil C Schreiben

Durchführungsbestimmungen zu den zentralen Abschlussprüfungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Abschnitt 10.1

135 min

Official Bearbeitungszeit for the MSA Deutsch exam, plus a separate 15-minute Einlesezeit beforehand

Durchführungsbestimmungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Abschnitt 6.8 und 10.1

29.04.2026

Written MSA Deutsch exam date in the 2026 main session; Nachschreibtermin 19.05.2026

Durchführungsbestimmungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Abschnitt 2.2 Termine

1–6 Noten

Grading scale for each subject, from Note 1 (sehr gut) to Note 6 (ungenügend), whole numbers only

Durchführungsbestimmungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Abschnitt 7.2

2:1 Verhältnis

Vornote to Prüfungsnote weighting used to calculate each subject's final MSA grade

schleswig-holstein.de, Zentrale Abschlüsse ESA/MSA — Wie kommt die Endnote zustande?

seit 2009

Central ESA/MSA written examinations have been established in Schleswig-Holstein since 2009

schleswig-holstein.de, Zentrale Abschlüsse ESA/MSA

Free 100-question English-language MCQ study bank for the Schleswig-Holstein MSA Deutsch exam, mapped to Lesen (~35%), Sprache und Sprachgebrauch (~30%), and Schreiben (~35%). Official exam: German-language written paper, 135 min (+15 min Einlesezeit), three parts (Teil A/B/C), no MCQs; 2026 written date 29.04.2026 (Nachschreibtermin 19.05.2026). This bank is an English-language study adaptation, not an official-format simulation; no fee for regular school candidates.

Sample Schleswig-Holstein MSA German Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Schleswig-Holstein MSA German exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In German literary analysis, a text narrated using "ich" that reveals only that one character's own thoughts and observations is written from which perspective?

A.Ich-Erzähler (first-person narrator)

B.Auktorialer Erzähler (omniscient narrator)

C.Personaler Erzähler (personal/limited third-person narrator)

D.Neutraler Erzähler (neutral/camera-eye narrator)

Explanation: A first-person narrator narrates using "ich" and can only report what that one character perceives, thinks, or feels, giving a subjective and limited view of events. This is one of the standard narrative perspectives (Erzählperspektiven) taught in MSA-level German literary analysis.

2Read the short excerpt: "Marie stand am Fenster und sah dem Regen zu. Sie dachte an ihren Bruder, der seit drei Jahren nicht mehr zu Besuch gekommen war." What does this passage primarily reveal about Marie's emotional state?

A.A sense of longing and unresolved distance in her family relationship

B.Excitement about an upcoming visit from her brother

C.Anger at her brother for a recent argument

D.Indifference toward her family

Explanation: The detail that her brother "hasn't visited in three years" combined with her quiet, reflective stance at the window suggests longing and unresolved emotional distance rather than a neutral or hostile feeling. MSA-level reading tasks often ask students to infer mood and relationships from small narrative details rather than explicit statements.

3A Sachtext (nonfiction/informational text) opens with the sentence: "Immer mehr Jugendliche verbringen ihre Freizeit ausschließlich vor dem Bildschirm, was Fachleute zunehmend besorgt." What is the primary function of this opening sentence?

A.To introduce the topic and signal the author's concern as the article's central issue

B.To provide a statistical conclusion for the entire article

C.To offer a counterargument to the article's main claim

D.To summarize the author's personal life story

Explanation: An opening sentence like this sets up the topic (young people's screen time) and immediately signals a stance — that experts are concerned — which frames the argument the rest of the Sachtext will likely develop. Recognizing how an introduction frames the main issue is a core Lesen competency tested at MSA level.

4In the sentence "Die Zeit rannte ihm davon," which stylistic device is used?

A.Personifikation (personification)

B.Alliteration

C.Antithese (antithesis)

D.Ellipse (ellipsis)

Explanation: Giving "Zeit" (time) the human ability to "run away" attributes a human action to an abstract, non-human concept, which is the definition of personification. Identifying such Gestaltungsmittel in short phrases is a standard MSA reading-and-language task.

5In a short poem, the lines end in a strict pattern where the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme (a-b-a-b). What is this rhyme scheme called?

A.Kreuzreim (cross rhyme)

B.Paarreim (couplet rhyme)

C.Umarmender Reim (enclosed rhyme)

D.Schweifreim (tail rhyme)

Explanation: An a-b-a-b pattern, where every other line rhymes, is called Kreuzreim (cross rhyme) in German poetry terminology. Recognizing standard Reimschemata is part of the poetry-analysis competencies expected at MSA level.

6In a short story, a character repeatedly checks the clock, paces near the door, and rehearses what to say before a visitor arrives. What does this behavior most likely indicate about the character?

A.Nervous anticipation about the upcoming encounter

B.Complete confidence and calm before the meeting

C.Total disinterest in the visitor's arrival

D.Physical illness unrelated to the visit

Explanation: Repeated clock-checking, pacing, and rehearsing lines are classic indirect characterization details that show anxious anticipation rather than being stated outright. MSA-level reading tasks expect students to infer a character's emotional state from actions and gestures (indirekte Charakterisierung).

7When answering an MSA reading question that asks for the "Hauptaussage" (main idea) of a Sachtext, what should the answer primarily reflect?

A.The central point the whole text is making, not just one supporting detail

B.A random quotation copied from the middle of the text

C.The author's name and publication date

D.A minor example used only once in the text

Explanation: The Hauptaussage is the overall claim or message that the whole text supports, so a correct answer must summarize that central point rather than repeating an isolated detail. This distinction between main idea and supporting detail is a fundamental MSA-level Sachtext skill.

8A story is told entirely in the third person, but the narrator only reports what one character, Lukas, can see, hear, and feel — never revealing other characters' private thoughts. What narrative perspective is this?

A.Personaler Erzähler (personal/limited third-person narrator)

B.Auktorialer Erzähler (omniscient narrator)

C.Ich-Erzähler (first-person narrator)

D.Neutraler Erzähler (neutral narrator)

Explanation: A personal narrator uses third-person pronouns but is restricted to a single character's perspective, mirroring what that character alone perceives — exactly as described for Lukas. This differs from an omniscient narrator, who can access every character's inner life.

9An MSA writing/reading task asks students to support an interpretation "durch einen Textbeleg" (with textual evidence). Which of the following best fulfills this requirement?

A.A direct quotation or precise paraphrase from the text, linked clearly to the claim

B.A general opinion about the topic with no reference to the text

C.A summary of the whole text without any specific reference

D.A comparison to an unrelated book the student has read

Explanation: A proper Textbeleg quotes or precisely paraphrases a specific passage and explicitly connects it to the interpretive claim being made. This is a core requirement in MSA Deutsch: interpretations must be grounded in evidence directly drawn from the text, not from outside opinion.

10In a short story, the setting shifts from a brightly lit, noisy classroom to a silent, dim hallway just before an important conversation. What is the most likely narrative purpose of this contrast?

A.To create a shift in mood that signals the seriousness or tension of the coming scene

B.To indicate that the story has ended

C.To show that the characters have traveled to a different city

D.To demonstrate a printing error in the text

Explanation: Shifting from a bright, loud setting to a quiet, dim one is a common technique for signaling a change in mood or emotional stakes, preparing the reader for a more serious or tense scene. Recognizing how setting (Raumdarstellung) supports mood is part of MSA-level text analysis.

About the Schleswig-Holstein MSA German Exam

This is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of the Schleswig-Holstein MSA (Mittlerer Schulabschluss) written German exam, not an official-format simulation or translation. The real MSA Deutsch exam is a 135-minute German-language written paper (plus a 15-minute Einlesezeit) with three parts — Leseverständnis, Sprache, and Schreiben — set centrally by the MBWFK for Jahrgangsstufe-10 students under the Durchführungsbestimmungen zu den zentralen Abschlussprüfungen ESA/MSA. Its content follows the Fachanforderungen Deutsch and the KMK Bildungsstandards Deutsch für den Mittleren Schulabschluss: reading and interpreting literary texts and Sachtexte, analyzing grammar, sentence structure, and language use, and producing structured argumentative and informative writing with attention to both content quality and language accuracy. This free bank of 100 original multiple-choice questions, with English explanations, is designed to build and check those same underlying reading, grammar, and writing-analysis skills at MSA level — a step up from ESA depth but well short of Abitur-level literary-historical analysis. It is not a translation of the official exam and does not reproduce its extended-response format.

Exam sponsor: Ministerium für Allgemeine und Berufliche Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur (MBWFK), with exam tasks set by subject-specific Fachkommissionen and preparation materials published through IQSH's Fachportal.SH. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Official central written MSA examination in Deutsch, set by subject Fachkommissionen for the MBWFK and sat by Jahrgangsstufe-10 students. Teil A tests Leseverständnis using literary texts, poems, and/or Sachtexte (sometimes paired with a table or graphic); Teil B tests Sprache und Sprachgebrauch (grammar, sentence structure, spelling, stylistic devices); Teil C is Schreiben, where students choose and complete one of two extended writing prompts on separately supplied lined paper — if both are attempted, only the higher-scoring one counts. A dictionary is the only permitted aid. This 100-question bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation only — it does not reproduce the German-language extended-response format or any official exam text.

Time Limit

135 minutes Bearbeitungszeit, preceded by a separate 15-minute Einlesezeit before writing begins (Durchführungsbestimmungen zu den zentralen Abschlussprüfungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Erlass vom 14.11.2025 – III 334). In the 2026 main session the written MSA Deutsch exam is held on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, with a Nachschreibtermin on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.

Passing Score

Grades are reported on the German whole-number scale from 1 (sehr gut) to 6 (ungenügend), with no plus/minus marks. Each subject's Endnote combines the Vornote (year grade) and Prüfungsnote (exam grade) in a 2:1 ratio. The MSA overall is awarded when no more than one final subject grade is a 5 and no subject grade is a 6; progressing into the gymnasiale Oberstufe additionally requires no subject worse than a 4 and an average of 3.0 or better across Deutsch, Mathematik, and the first foreign language (Landesverordnung über Gemeinschaftsschulen).

Exam / Certification Fees

No fee for regularly enrolled Sekundarstufe I students; the MSA is a state school examination administered under Schleswig-Holstein school law. External-candidate (Externenprüfung) routes follow separate state arrangements without a published Deutsch-specific fee.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Study emphasis ~35%

Lesen — Leseverständnis

Understanding and interpreting literary texts and Sachtexte: character and plot, narrative perspective (Ich-, personaler, auktorialer Erzähler), symbolism and stylistic devices, and text-supported interpretation (Textbelege).

Study emphasis ~30%

Sprache und Sprachgebrauch

Word classes, sentence structure (Haupt-/Nebensatz, Satzglieder, Relativsätze), verb tense and mood (Präteritum, Plusquamperfekt, Konjunktiv I/II), direct/indirect speech, active/passive voice, spelling and punctuation.

Study emphasis ~35%

Schreiben

Erörterung structure (Einleitung, Hauptteil, Schluss), thesis and evidence, distinguishing Sachargument from Erfahrungsargument, informierendes Schreiben, and revision skills (vague vocabulary, tense consistency, pronoun reference) tied to the content/language grading criteria.

Preparing for the Schleswig-Holstein MSA German Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Grades are reported on the German whole-number scale from 1 (sehr gut) to 6 (ungenügend), with no plus/minus marks. Each subject's Endnote combines the Vornote (year grade) and Prüfungsnote (exam grade) in a 2:1 ratio. The MSA overall is awarded when no more than one final subject grade is a 5 and no subject grade is a 6; progressing into the gymnasiale Oberstufe additionally requires no subject worse than a 4 and an average of 3.0 or better across Deutsch, Mathematik, and the first foreign language (Landesverordnung über Gemeinschaftsschulen).
Assessment: Official central written MSA examination in Deutsch, set by subject Fachkommissionen for the MBWFK and sat by Jahrgangsstufe-10 students. Teil A tests Leseverständnis using literary texts, poems, and/or Sachtexte (sometimes paired with a table or graphic); Teil B tests Sprache und Sprachgebrauch (grammar, sentence structure, spelling, stylistic devices); Teil C is Schreiben, where students choose and complete one of two extended writing prompts on separately supplied lined paper — if both are attempted, only the higher-scoring one counts. A dictionary is the only permitted aid. This 100-question bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation only — it does not reproduce the German-language extended-response format or any official exam text.
Time limit: 135 minutes Bearbeitungszeit, preceded by a separate 15-minute Einlesezeit before writing begins (Durchführungsbestimmungen zu den zentralen Abschlussprüfungen ESA/MSA 2025/26, Erlass vom 14.11.2025 – III 334). In the 2026 main session the written MSA Deutsch exam is held on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, with a Nachschreibtermin on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
Exam / certification fees: No fee for regularly enrolled Sekundarstufe I students; the MSA is a state school examination administered under Schleswig-Holstein school law. External-candidate (Externenprüfung) routes follow separate state arrangements without a published Deutsch-specific fee. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Schleswig-Holstein MSA German: Suggested Study Strategy

1Practice identifying narrative perspective (Ich-Erzähler, personaler Erzähler, auktorialer Erzähler) in short excerpts — this distinction underlies many Lesen questions and interpretation tasks.

2Always back up an interpretive claim with a specific Textbeleg (a quoted or precisely paraphrased detail) rather than a general impression; MSA-level answers are graded on evidence, not just opinion.

3Drill the difference between Konjunktiv I (reported speech, e.g. 'er sei müde') and Konjunktiv II (hypothetical situations, e.g. 'wenn ich Zeit hätte'), since MSA Sprache tasks test both distinctly.

4Review the standard Erörterung structure — Einleitung, Hauptteil (arguments ordered weakest to strongest), and Schluss — and practice linking each argument to concrete evidence with connectors like 'denn' and 'allerdings.'

5Revise your own writing for vague filler words ('Ding,' 'Sache'), inconsistent tense, and unclear pronoun references — these are the recurring language-accuracy issues MSA graders mark down.

6Refresh core grammar rules (dass/das, ss/ß, comma placement before subordinate clauses, verb-final word order) since spelling and sentence-structure accuracy are scored separately from content quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the official Schleswig-Holstein MSA Deutsch exam multiple-choice?

No. The official written paper has three parts — Teil A (Leseverständnis), Teil B (Sprache), and Teil C (Schreiben) — and students answer in full sentences and paragraphs, choosing one of two writing prompts for Teil C. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation for practicing the underlying reading, grammar, and writing-analysis skills, not a simulation of the official format.

How long is the MSA Deutsch exam?

The Bearbeitungszeit (working time) is 135 minutes, preceded by a separate 15-minute Einlesezeit before writing begins, per the Durchführungsbestimmungen zu den zentralen Abschlussprüfungen ESA/MSA 2025/26 (Erlass vom 14.11.2025 – III 334).

When is the MSA Deutsch exam in 2026?

The written MSA Deutsch exam in the 2026 main session is Wednesday, 29 April 2026, with a Nachschreibtermin (makeup date) on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.

What content does the MSA Deutsch exam cover?

Per the Fachanforderungen Deutsch and the KMK Bildungsstandards for the Mittlerer Schulabschluss, the paper covers Lesen (reading and interpreting literary texts and Sachtexte), Sprache und Sprachgebrauch (grammar, sentence structure, spelling), and Schreiben (a choice of two extended writing tasks, assessed for both content and language accuracy).

What aids are allowed during the exam?

Schools provide dictionaries (such as the Duden) for the exam; students may use their own dictionary only if it contains no extra handwritten entries. No other aids or reference materials are permitted.

How is the MSA Deutsch exam graded?

Grades use the German whole-number scale from 1 (sehr gut) to 6 (ungenügend), with no plus/minus marks. The final subject grade combines the Vornote (year grade) and the exam grade in a 2:1 ratio.

Is this bank a translation of the real German exam?

No. This is a free, original 100-question English-language MCQ study aid covering MSA-level German reading, grammar, and writing-analysis skills. It is not an official translation, and it does not reproduce or simulate the official German-language written exam format.