German — Syllabus & Chapters

The complete syllabus for German — every chapter you need to study, and how the exam paper is structured.

What you will study (chapters)

Chapter 1: Composition Writing
Chapter 2: Formal and Informal Letter Writing
Chapter 3: Dialogue Writing for Everyday Situations
Chapter 4: Comprehension of Unseen German Passages
Chapter 5: Translation from German into English
Chapter 6: Translation from English into German
Chapter 7: Verb Conjugation: Singular and Plural Forms
Chapter 8: Haben, Sein, Modal Verbs and Präteritum Forms
Chapter 9: Reflexive, Indefinite, Imperative and Separable Verbs
Chapter 10: Sentence Construction, Inversion and Question Forms
Chapter 11: Personal, Possessive, Interrogative and Demonstrative Pronouns
Chapter 12: Definite, Indefinite, Negative and Possessive Articles
Chapter 13: Nominative, Akkusativ and Dative Case Usage
Chapter 14: Prepositions of Place, Direction and Time
Chapter 15: Adjectives in Nominative, Akkusativ and Dative
Chapter 16: Comparison, Compound Nouns and Diminutives
Chapter 17: Subordinate and Main Clause Connectors: weil, dass, wenn, deshalb and trotzdem
Chapter 18: Topic A: Myself
Chapter 19: Topic B: Holiday Time and Travel
Chapter 20: Topic C: Work and Lifestyle
Chapter 21: Listening Skills
Chapter 22: Speaking Skills
Chapter 23: Creative Writing Skills

Frequently asked questions

How many chapters are there in German?

The German syllabus has 23 chapters, listed in full above. Cover the high-weightage chapters first using the exam pattern as a guide.

How do I know which German chapters carry the most marks?

Compare the chapter list above with the exam pattern and the last few years of question papers — the topics that appear most often and the units with the highest marks are where to focus first. Always confirm weightage against the official syllabus for your exam year.

Has the German syllabus changed this year?

Boards occasionally revise the syllabus or remove topics for a session. Always download the official syllabus for your exact exam year from the official ICSE & ISC portal rather than relying on an older copy or a social-media list.

How can I prepare for German faster?

Begin with the most-frequently-asked topics and the last few years of question papers, then test yourself under timed conditions. If you want guided help, you can use the free AI study tutor for German — practise past-paper questions and get instant feedback — or a focused German study guide that condenses the syllabus into the topics that matter most — both are free to start.