German study plan for the onSET: 7, 14 or 30 days
Plan for 60–90 minutes a day. Review due mistakes first, then complete that day’s block.
7-day revision plan
For one focused week: check the format, target weak areas, and complete one full simulation.
- Day 1Format and baseline
- Complete the free C-Test and read every explanation
- Open the free foundations lessons on word types and sentence structure
- Use the official sample on onset.de as an external baseline
- Day 2Cases and verb forms
- Review the lessons on cases, articles, and present-tense verbs
- Do 4 A1 or B1 texts: choose options first, then type the same text
- Day 3First timed check
- Complete a 4-text half simulation in 20 minutes
- Review blank and wrong answers separately; choose two weak areas
- Day 4Target weak areas
- For each weak area, open its lesson before practicing related texts
- Complete any mistake reviews that are due
- Day 5Sentence structure and harder forms
- Review word order, negation, prepositions, and harder verb forms
- Do 3–4 B1 or B2 texts at five minutes per text
- Day 6Full simulation
- Complete 8 texts in 40 minutes without pausing
- Treat the result as a practice measure and review only the two weakest areas
- Day 7Light review
- Review due mistakes and complete two A1 texts
- Check the rule sheet, then stop; do not begin a new lesson
14-day preparation plan
More time for foundations, two full simulations, and targeted review.
- Day 1Baseline
- Take the official sample test on onset.de and note your score
- Grammar 1–2: Foundations · Gender & articles
- 2 A1 texts in Drill (easy mode first)
- Day 2–4Internalize the format
- Grammar, 2 units/day: day 2 → Cases · Nouns, day 3 → Pronouns · Present tense, day 4 → Past tenses · Separable verbs
- 4–6 texts/day, A1 → B1 — right after the grammar units
- Multiple choice first, then the same text typed
- Read every explanation on mistakes; topic unclear → its lesson (Dashboard → learn)
- Day 5First half simulation
- Grammar 9: Prepositions & case (before the simulation, light)
- Half simulation (4 texts, timed)
- Review: blank vs. wrong — note the 2 weakest tags
- Day 6–8Target weaknesses
- Grammar: day 6 → Adjective endings, day 7 → Word order · Negation/imperative/questions, day 8 → Verbs+prepositions · Infinitive clauses
- For each weak tag: lesson first (Dashboard → learn), then drill (→ practice)
- 4–5 texts/day, typed only
- Timer on: 6:00 first, then 5:00 per text
- Day 9Full simulation #1
- Full simulation (8 texts, 40 min, no pausing) — no new grammar today
- Compare against the internal 96-point practice target (not an official CEFR cutoff)
- Day 10–11Repair & B2 texts
- Repair set first
- Grammar: day 10 → Passive/Konjunktiv/relative clauses (before the B2 texts!), day 11 → Future & time expressions · Word formation
- Targeted drills on remaining weaknesses
- Mix in 1–2 B2 texts/day
- Day 12Full simulation #2
- Full simulation, focus on pacing
- Any text with >3 blank gaps → strategy note (easy ones first, always guess)
- Afterwards: revisit only the lessons of your 2 weakest skills (Dashboard → learn)
- Day 13External calibration
- Take the official sample test on onset.de again
- Light drilling only
- Redo the exercises (not the text) of your 2–3 weakest lessons
- Day 14Day before / of the test
- 2 A1 texts as a warm-up
- Review the cheat sheet — no new grammar lessons anymore
- Stop. Sleep.
30-day deadline plan
For a month before your test or DAAD deadline: foundations, cases and verbs, two full simulations and targeted repair. In the trainer you set your date and the plan shows the right block each day.
- Day 1Baseline
- Take the official sample test on onset.de and note your score
- Do the free C-Test and read every explanation
- Grammar 1–2: Foundations · Gender & articles
- Day 2–5Format and foundations
- Grammar, one unit a day: Cases · Nouns · Pronouns · Present tense
- 3–4 A1–A2 texts a day: multiple choice first, then the same text typed
- Read every explanation when you miss a gap
- Day 6–9Cases and endings
- Grammar: Article words · Case tables · Case triggers · Adjective endings
- 4 texts a day, A2 → B1, typed only
- Note each wrong ending with its reason (e.g. “dative after mit”)
- Day 10First half simulation
- Half simulation (4 texts, 20 minutes)
- Review: blank vs. wrong, note your 2 weakest areas
- Day 11–15Verbs and prepositions
- Grammar: Perfect · Simple past · Separable verbs · Verbs with prepositions · Two-way prepositions
- 4 B1 texts a day, timer at 6:00 per text
- Repair set first every day
- Day 16Full simulation #1
- Full simulation (8 texts, 40 minutes, no break): no new grammar today
- Compare with the internal 96-point practice target (not an official CEFR cut-off)
- Day 17–21Targeted weaknesses
- For your 2 weakest areas: lesson first, then drill
- 4–5 texts a day, B1–B2, timer at 5:00
- Repair set first
- Day 22–24B2 texts and word order
- Grammar: Passive · Subjunctive · Relative clauses · Word order
- Add 1–2 B2 texts a day
- Day 25Full simulation #2
- Full simulation, focus on pace
- Any text with more than 3 blank gaps: write a strategy note (easy gaps first, always guess)
- Day 26–28Repair and polish
- Repair set and the exercises of your 2–3 weakest lessons
- Day 27: retake the official sample test as a check
- 3–4 timed texts a day
- Day 29Light review
- 2–3 texts without pressure
- Read the cheat sheet, no new lessons
- Day 30Day before / test day
- 2 A1 texts to warm up
- Stop. Sleep.
Test-day strategy
- Read the heading + intro sentence fully before touching gap 1 — the topic makes the word beginnings unambiguous.
- First pass: every gap you know instantly. Second pass: reasoned attempts.
- Last 30 seconds: guess every remaining gap — there is no penalty for wrong answers.
- Watch the clock per text: a perfect but unfinished text scores less than two quickly solved ones.
- Type umlauts correctly; check the verb ending against the subject before moving on.