The German version of the K-ABC is an adaptation of Alan and Nadeen Kaufman's test, published in the USA in 1983. The battery comprises a total of 16 subtests, organized in different scales, for the assessment of mental processing and achievement in children in the age range of 2-6 to 12-5 years. The underlying theory of intelligence measurement is based on findings in the fields of cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. It differentiates from sequential simultaneous information processing. The present article provides information about adaptation and structure of the German version, and about the standardization performed with a sample of 3098 children. Part 2 of this article, to appear soon, will survey application of the test battery, diagnostic relevance, and reliability and validity scores.