Online German tutors

German is rarely learned out of curiosity. Most people arrive with a reason and a date attached: a contract starting in March, a recognition procedure for a nursing or medical qualification, a university place, a family reunion visa. That changes what a good first conversation looks like. Before anyone asks about your level, they should ask what you actually need and by when, because the answer decides everything else. A B1 certificate for a residence procedure, a B2 for professional recognition and an unassessed ability to hold a conversation with colleagues are three different jobs, and the preparation for them barely overlaps. If a tutor does not ask, they are offering general lessons and you will find out in month five. So lead with it yourself. Name the exam body if you know it, say whether the certificate has to be recognised by a specific authority, and give the real date rather than a comfortable one. Two practical notes. Recognition procedures often specify which certificates they accept, so check that before you buy a course aimed at a different one. And if your deadline is genuinely close, ask for more frequent shorter sessions rather than a longer weekly lesson, because language under time pressure responds to frequency. The first lesson is free, so spend it on the plan rather than on a placement test you could take anywhere.