Over 95% of my students studying toward A-Level German have achieved an A* or A with an average preparation time of six to nine months of weekly German tuition. So how do I prepare my students for their exams?

While I deploy similar strategies to those laid out on my methods page, my focus lies on getting the best possible result in the exams. To that end, a solid foundation in German grammar is essential.  I therefore cover the main grammar topics, such as the use of German articles and German syntax rules, first before delving into aspects of German grammar whose understanding rests on one or both of the aforementioned topics, such as adjective declensions in German, prepositions, and relative clauses. Of course, grammar terms can be quite confusing, and so I have written an A-Z guide of the most important grammar terms which I explain with examples in both English and German. Grammar is not the only focus, of course. Just as important is the expansion of my students' vocabulary to the point where they can discuss a wide range of A-level themes, such as social media, climate change or German reunification, with nuance and sophistication. For that reason, I select or write texts on the core themes that encourage my students to critically engage with them, while picking up the necessary vocabulary along the way. In the run-up to the exam, I then tailor texts and grammar exercises relevant to the specific exams my students have to sit, run through past papers with them to explain typical questions and requirements, and give them advice on how to achieve full marks in all parts of their exams. Having prepared hundreds of students for A-level German, I am confident that my approach works.

And of course, having an A-level in German under your belt can open many doors. Not only do university admissions committees of Oxford and Cambridge look very favourably at students' applications if they achieved an excellent exam result in German, the language also carries many advantages both academically (for subjects like music, medicine and the sciences) and economically. It is well known that some of the world's best training facilities and hospital equipment for doctors can be found in Germany. And in finance, many companies are actively looking for employees who are able to work with German-speaking clients in their own language because they know it allows them to close deals more easily, especially post-Brexit.