This research paper aims at presenting the options of creative writing in a heterogenic group as a part of German philology studies at Vilnius University. First of all, it deals with the methodological principles and typology of writing tasks based on the didactic models by Wolfrum (2010) and Schreiter (2002). Next, the outline and technical aspects of creative writing workshop offered at VU from 2012 till 2015 are presented. In addition, problems that students and teachers working in a heterogenic group can be confronted with are discussed. In order to summarize the good experience, the feedback delivered by the participants of the workshop in 2014–2015, is analyzed. It is important to demonstrate that in spite of the widely-known stereotype, the creative writing as a part of German as a foreign language learning process means much more than mere “playing in class before the holidays” (Wolfrum 2010, 30).

This research paper aims to compare the national school leaving examinations in German in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The research object are the 2013 test papers published on the homepages of the institutions responsible for the final examinations: Innove (www.innove.ee), NEC (www.nec.lt) and VISC (www.visc.gov.lv). In addition, the examination programs and further documents are analyzed. The topic is relevant in several respects. First, from 2015 on, the admission requirement when entering a university and applying for a place financed by the state in Lithuania is foreign language skills of at least B1 according to the CEFR. Second, the norm-referenced evaluation of the final examination results is being replaced by criterion-referenced evaluation. Furthermore, the foreign language examinations are being linked to the CEFR. NEC is carrying out a project aiming to develop a harmonized examination model for all foreign languages. In spite of the relevance, there are few papers on the foreign language examinations in Lithuania, whereas in Germany researchers are highly interested in language tests and examination didactics is evolving as a discipline. The research objectives include the following: 1) the situation of the examination (goals according to the CEFR, number of candidates); 2) the structure of the examination; 3) the particular skills. The methods include descriptive and meta-analytical procedures as well as qualitative evaluation. In conclusion, positive experience is pointed out.