GCSE German: Foundation or Higher tier?
Foundation tier allows grades 1 to 5 and Higher tier grades 4 to 9. You sit all four papers at the same tier.
| Foundation | Grades 1 to 5 |
|---|---|
| Higher | Grades 4 to 9 |
| Foundation words | About 1,200 |
| Higher words | About 1,700 |
What changes at Higher
Higher papers use the 500 extra Higher words and more of the grammar, such as the simple past for narrative, hätte, wäre and würde in conditional sentences, seit with the present tense, the verb at the end of a clause with two verbs, and superlatives such as am besten, and the writing paper asks for a 150-word answer instead of the photo, 50-word and grammar questions.
What stays the same
Both tiers share the 90-word writing task, the themes and topics, and the type of reading questions. Some reading questions are common to both tiers.
Next step
Who decides my tier?
Your school enters you for a tier. Ask your teacher if you are unsure which one.