FIDE Prep app is live!

Quick summary

I'm building a FIDE practice app — AI-powered speaking and writing practice, all 11 official FIDE topics in Schweizer Hochdeutsch, full mock exams in the real format, and progress tracking. Module 1 is free forever. Beta testers get full access for free in exchange for feedback. Sign up at app.fide-prep.ch.

For context: see the complete FIDE exam guide if you're not sure what FIDE is yet!

If you've been following this site, you know the story: my husband had a B-permit deadline, no German, and three months. We built a method, he passed, and I started writing it down. The book came first. The articles followed.

The app is the next piece. And it's the piece I wished existed when we started.

What the app does

Four things, designed around the actual FIDE format:

Vocabulary and dialogues for all 11 topics. Interactive flashcards plus realistic dialogue practice for the scenarios FIDE actually tests — calling the doctor, registering at the Gemeinde, asking your landlord about the heating, sorting out a problem at the post office. Swiss vocabulary throughout (Velo, Spital, Krankenkasse, Franchise, RAV) — not the German-from-Germany words most apps default to.

AI speaking practice. The biggest gap in most prep is volume of speaking. The app gives you a 24/7 AI conversation partner that will run picture descriptions, role-play phone calls, and have Gespräch-style conversations with you on any of the 11 topics. It scores you against the actual FIDE rubric and tells you what to work on.

AI writing practice. Reply to short messages, fill out forms, write the B1 short letter — with corrections that flag Swiss-specific orthography (ss, not ß) and give you feedback on whether you actually answered the prompt.

Full mock exam. Timed, scored, reviewable. The same three-task speaking format, the same A2 starter block + A1 or B1 continuation. The same writing modules. So that on the real day, the format isn't what surprises you.

Why I built this

The book and the articles cover what to study. They don't cover the part that's hardest to do alone: practising in a structured way.

A book can't tell you whether your picture description would actually score points at A2. A book can't sit across a table and ask follow-up questions.

Most candidates who can afford a tutor get 1-on-1 speaking time and pass. Most candidates who can't, don't. That's a gap I keep seeing — busy parents, professionals on tight budgets, people in cantons without nearby test centres or affordable courses.

The app exists to close that gap. AI can listen, score, and re-prompt at the level of a tutor for the kinds of practice that have right answers and rubrics — which is most of FIDE. That doesn't replace human practice, but it does make it possible to put in 30 minutes of focused speaking practice every day, not just on the days you can find a partner.

What makes it different from other apps

The honest version: most language apps do a great job at one or two general-purpose things and a bad job at FIDE specifically. More on the gap between general German learning and FIDE prep here.

• Built around the 11 official FIDE topics. Not a generic German curriculum — the actual modules the test draws from.
• Swiss vocabulary by default. Every dialogue uses Swiss terms where they differ. You're not surprised by Spital or Velo on exam day.
• Mock exam in the real format. Including the A2 → A1/B1 branching, including the rubric scoring, including the 100-minute total.
• Pace control. Daily session, 5–25 minutes depending on what you have. The app picks 3–7 things to study based on what you're weakest on, not a fixed weekly curriculum.
• Speaking-first. Other apps put speaking last — typing exercises first, dialogue much later. We invert it. You speak from session 1.

Who it's for

If you're:

• Working full-time and can't fit a 6 pm Klubschule course into your week,
• A parent with 30 minutes a day during nap time and not much more,
• On a budget where CHF 600+ for a course isn't realistic,
• Already taking a course but want more speaking practice between lessons,
• Or just preparing for FIDE specifically and tired of working through general German materials,

…the app is built for you.

When is it coming?

The first beta is rolling out now to people on the waitlist. New cohorts get added every couple of weeks as we improve based on feedback. Free during beta in exchange for honest reactions about what works and what doesn't.

If you have a permit deadline coming up and want to be in the next cohort, sign up at app.fide-prep.ch. Tell us your deadline and we'll prioritise tighter timelines.

Frequently asked questions

When can I try it?

The first beta version is rolling out now to people on the waitlist. Sign up at app.fide-prep.ch and you'll get an email when it's your turn. New cohorts get added every couple of weeks.

Is it free?

Module 1 (Wohnen / Housing) is free forever — no credit card. Beta testers get full access to everything during the beta period in exchange for feedback. After beta there will be a paid Plus tier for full access; pricing announced closer to launch.

Will the app replace the book?

No. The book and the app cover the same FIDE territory in different ways. The book is structured for offline study with vocabulary, dialogues, and a 90-day plan. The app gives you live AI feedback on your speaking and writing. Most people use both together.

How is this different from Duolingo or Babbel?

Duolingo and Babbel teach general German for general use. The FIDE app is built specifically around the 11 official FIDE topics, the exact exam format, and Swiss vocabulary (Velo, Spital, Gemeinde, Krankenkasse, Franchise — the words FIDE actually uses). It also includes a full mock exam in the real format with rubric scoring, which neither of those does.

Get on the waitlist

The fastest way in is the waitlist at app.fide-prep.ch. Tell us when your exam is. Tighter deadlines get prioritised in the next cohort.

And if you want the Sunday list with practical FIDE study tips while you wait, sign up here — under 4 minutes a week, plus the first chapter of the book as a free PDF when you join.