Information on language tests as application requirement

The most common language tests requested as admission requirement at German universities are TestDaF and DSH. The following pages provide further
information on those and other German tests. Moreover the single tests will be classified referring to the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages (CEFR) to be more comparable to one another.
Table 1 gives an overview of the single tests and shows a categorization of those.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

Overview: German language tests

TestDaF

DSH

DSD

(Test Deutsch als

(Deutsche Sprachprfung fr

(Deutsches Sprachdiplom der

Fremdsprache)

den Hochschulzugang)1

KMK)

version

A2/DSD I

DSD II

2 days (3h 55 min

written, ca.20 min
oral)

Zentrale Mittelstufen- bzw.

DS

Oberstufenprfung

(Deutsches Sprachdiplom)
Kleines

Groes

(KDS)

(GDS)

2 days (5 h
written, ca. 20 min
oral)

(Goethe-Zertifikate)
C1 (ZMP)

C2 (ZOP)

several days (10

h 30 min written,
ca. 25 min oral)

2 days (3 h 10 min
written, ca. 15 min
oral)

2 days (5 h
written, ca. 20
min oral)

time

3 h 10 min

2 days (3 h 20 min written, ca.

30 min oral)

3 h 10 min

cost

ca. 175

depending at the university (0-

non

250-300

300-350

150-220

190-265

150 )
duration
of validity
of the
results

lifelong

lifelong

lifelong

lifelong

lifelong

lifelong

lifelong

parts of
the exam

reading

reading

reading

written expression

reading

reading

listening

listening

listening

speaking

written
expression

listening

listening

written expression

written
expression

written expression
speaking

structure/ written expression

speaking

written expression

reading

speaking
subject related
test

speaking

speaking

speaking

The German part of the assessment at Studienkollegs (3 h) is almost equivalent to DSH.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

grading

proficiency level
(TDN) 3-5

DSH 1-3

A2-B1

B2-C1

excellent, good,
satisfactory

excellent, good,
satisfactory

excellent, good,
satisfactory

excellent, good,
satisfactory

highest
score

20 (x5)

depending on the university

96 (4x24)

96 (4x24)

120

156

75 (4x25)

310

CEFR

B2-C1

B2-C1

A2-B1

B2 -C1

C2

C2+

C1

C2

Additionally, the following certificates are accepted as proof of sufficient language competence for studying at German universities:

France: Diplme du Baccalaurat

Belgium: diploma of secondary schools of the German speaking community of the Belgium kingdom

Luxemburg: diploma of secondary schools

Italy: diploma from schools with German as language of instruction (Bozen-Sdtirol), diploma of the Liceo Gimnasiale Luigi Galvani (Bologna), diploma
of Liceo Ginnasio Statale Romagnosi (Parma) and Liceo Classico Statale Socrate (Bari)

Irland: bilingual leaving certificate of the German School in Dublin, St. Kilians

USA: Advanced Placement (AP)- test in German

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

1. Test German as a foreign language (TestDaF)

TestDaF is a standardised test, divided into four parts with different kinds of tasks. It assesses the proficiency level and awards grades from TestDaF-level 3
(TDN 3) to TestDaF-level 5 (TDN 5) for every part.

Reading comprehension: 60 minutes

Listening comprehension: 40 minutes

TDN 5

academic specialist text (550 650 words), 10 questions

TDN 4

journalistic texts (450 550 words), 10 multiple-choice questions

TDN 3

a short text (e.g. booklet/flyer; 300 450 words), 10 questions to match

TDN 5

presentation or interview with experts (5 minutes), 7 questions (short answers)

TDN 4

a radio interview, discussion (3 4 minutes), 10 true-or-false questions

TDN 3

dialogue, every day conversation (2 3 minutes), 8 questions (answers must be given in keywords)

TDN 5
Written expression: 60 minutes

TDN 4
TDN 3

Oral expression: 30-35 minutes

writing a structured text

using key elements of academic writing (describing diagrammatic form, main argument)

TDN 5

seven oral tasks, every task will be played from an audio device and presented in writing; answers will be

TDN 4

recorded; different situations will be simulated, requiring to use different registers (informal, half formal,

TDN 3

formal)

Levels for university access: The requested levels can vary, depending on the regulations of the university

TestDaF-level 5 (TDN 5) & TestDaF-level 4 (TDN 4) - pass

TestDaF-level 3 (TDN 3) - a pass for some technical colleges but not universities

TestDaF 5 (TDN 5) is the highest level. A level of TDN 4 shows that you are linguistically qualified to study at any German university.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

Description of the TestDaF-levels (TDN)

TDN 5
Reading comprehension

TDN 4
TDN 3
TDN 5

Listening comprehension

TDN 4
TDN 3
TDN 5

Written Expression

TDN 4
TDN 3
TDN 5

Oral expression

TDN 4
TDN 3

Laura Wittwer

can understand the overall meaning and specific details of complex written texts on general as well as study-related academic topics, can
extract implicit information from those texts
can understand the overall meaning and specific details of written texts on general as well as study-related academic topics, which are
mainly written in non-specialised language
can understand the overall meaning and the main details of written texts on general academic topics, can partly understand texts on
general academic topics
can understand the overall meaning and specific details of linguistically and structurally complex spoken texts on general as well as studyrelated academic topics
can understand the overall meaning and specific details of spoken texts on general as well as study-related academic topics, which
contain mainly non-specialised language
can understand the overall meaning and the main details of spoken texts on general academic topics, can partly understand texts on
general academic topics
can write well-structured and cohesive texts in an appropriate style in a general academic context as well as in study-related situations,
using a differentiated vocabulary
can write generally structured and cohesive texts in an all in all appropriate style in a general academic context as well as in study-related
situations; linguistic deficiencies do not impair understanding
can write generally structured and comprehensible texts in common study-related situations, can write simply structured texts in a
general academic context; linguistic and structural deficiencies may impair understanding
can communicate clearly in an appropriate style in a general academic context as well as in study-related situations, using a differentiated
vocabulary
can communicate in an generally appropriate style in a general academic context as well as in study-related situations, linguistic
deficiencies do not impair understanding
can communicate in common study-related situations; linguistic deficiencies may impair understanding can partly realise the
communicative intention in a general academic context

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2. German Language Examination for Admission of Foreign Students (DSH)

Since 2004 there is a framework examination regulation for the DSH for all German universities. The examination consists of four parts concerning reading,
listening, writing and speaking. The kind of tasks differs because within the framework every university sets the exam itself. DSH assesses the proficiency level
and awards grades from DSH-1 to DSH-3.
The following information is about the examination regulation.
after listening possible tasks are: answering questions, a sketch,

Listening comprehension (20%): 50 minutes

summary, sum up the red line of the spoken text

text (4000-5500 char.): answering questions, explaining the

Reading comprehension (20%):

structure of the text/argumentation, explaining parts of the text,

finding headings for parts of the text, summary
90 minutes

Written parts (70%)

understanding of and dealing with academic structures: noticing

Understanding of academic

characteristics of the text (syntactically, lexically, idiomatically and

structures (10%):

concerning the kind of text ), answer questions to complex parts,

fill the gap tasks, paraphrasing
writing a text (about 200 words) on given details (e.g. pictures,
charts, key words, hypotheses); the text should contain at least

Writing (20%): 60 minutes

one of the following linguistic actions: explaining or comparing or

giving examples on the given details and arguing or commenting
or evaluating

Oral part (30%):

Laura Wittwer

Presentation (30%): 15 minutes + 20 minutes for preparation

a five minutes presentation and about 15 minutes dialogue on a

text or chart/picture

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Levels for university access: The requested levels can vary, depending on the regulations of the university. Usually DSH-2 is enough to proof sufficient
proficiency in the German language as a prerequisite for admission/enrolment at a German university.

Grading
grade

proficiency

DSH 3

effective proficiency (in written and oral parts)

DSH-2

independent user - differentiated use of language in written and oral parts

DSH-1

independent user - independent use of basis knowledge in written and oral parts

The requirements for every single part are similar to those of TestDaF above. DSH-1 is equivalent to TDN 3, DSH-2 to TDN 4 and DSH-3 to TDN 5.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

3. Deutsches Sprachdiplom der KMK (DSD)

Since 1974 students outside Germany can take the DSD. The exam is set and corrected by Zentralstelle fr Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA). There are two stages,
DSD stage 1 is a prerequisite for Studienkolleg and stage 2 is required for entrance to German universities.
How it is assessed: Every part is awarded with up to 24 points. The lowest level to pass is 8 points for every part.

3.1. Stage 1 (consisting of four parts with different kinds of tasks)

Reading comprehension: 60 minutes

short texts, about 5 tasks (e.g. multiple-choice, cloze test, matching)

Listening comprehension: 40 minutes

about 5 tasks with audio samples (e.g. multiple-choice, matching)

Written expression: 75 minutes

writing texts on given details (e.g. four non-fictional texts, each about 20 words, giving opinion on s.th.)
part 1: questions taken from a given list of topics

Oral expression: 15 minutes

part 2: short presentation on a self chosen topic, questions to that presentation

Levels for university access: DSD stage 1 is not sufficient for university entrance in Germany but for Studienkollegs.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

3.2. Stage 2
The structure of stage 2 is similar to the structure of stage 1 of the DSD but the tasks are more complex and therefore more time given.
global understanding - short texts (about 55 words); matching
Reading comprehension: 75 minutes

selective understanding longer text (about 600 words); multiple-choice

detailed understanding (specialised text about 750 words); multiple-choice
global understanding - short audio samples (about 55 words); matching

Listening comprehension: 40 minutes

selective understanding longer audio sample (about 600 words); multiple-choice

detailed understanding (specialised audio sample about 700 words); multiple-choice

Written expression: 120 minutes

writing a text on given details and a given structure (e.g. to argue about s.th. or explain main points of a
chart and write an opinion on the topic); it is recommended to write at least 300 words
part 1: presentation with opinion and interview to a given text (keywords)

Oral expression: 20 minutes

part 2: presentation on a beforehand prepared topic; focus on free and spontaneous speech

Levels for university access: With at least a level of B2 of the CEFR in all four parts the DSD II is awarded, which is enough to proof sufficient proficiency in the
German language as a prerequisite for admission/enrolment at a German university.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

4. Deutsches Sprachdiplom2
4.1. Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS)
presentation (convincing intonation and articulation)
A) Oral part: 40 minutes for preparation, plus 20 minutes talk
short presentation on a self chosen topic and following discussion
questions to a fictional text or newspaper article; rewriting parts of a text (about 90 minutes)
B) Written part: 170 minutes

task with focus on grammatical variation in a text (about 60 minutes)

dictation as listening comprehension task (about 20 minutes)

C) Reading part: 120 minutes

two tasks to different books (literature from a known list)

Grading
points

grades

counts as fail. In part B at least 24 points are needed. In part C the test taker needs at least 9 point for content and 9

Max 120,00 100

excellent

points for language use to pass the exam.

99,99 80

good

Min 79,99 60

satisfactory

59,99 00

fail

In part A at least 18 point are needed to pass, but if in phonetics less than 2,25 point are awarded the whole part

cf. http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/deindex.htm (19.07.10)

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

4.2. Groes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS)

presentation (convincing intonation and articulation)
A) Oral part: 40 minutes for preparation, plus 25 minutes talk
short presentation on a self chosen topic and following discussion
B) Essay writing: 210 minutes

essay writing to a self chosen topic (500-700 words)

questions to a fictional text or newspaper article; rewriting parts of a text (about 120
minutes)

C) Written part: 200 minutes

task with focus on grammatical variation in a text (about 60 minutes)

dictation as listening comprehension task (about 20 minutes)
task to German literature, sciences or business administration

D) Subject related part: 210 minutes

task concerning intercultural knowledge

Grading

points

grades

In part A at least 18 point are needed to pass, but if in phonetics less than 2,25 point are awarded the whole part counts as

Max 156,00 - 130

excellent

129,99 104

good

Min. 103,99 - 78

satisfactory

79,99 00

fail

fail. In part B and C at least 18 points are needed. In part D the test taker needs at least 24 points to pass the exam.

Levels for university access: The Kleine Deutsche Sprachdiplom (KDS) and the Groe Deutsche Sprachdiplom (GDS) are standardised tests, accepted to proof
sufficient proficiency in the German language to study at a German university.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

5. Goethe-Zertifikat3
There are two levels of the Goethe-Certificate, first the Zentrale Mittelstufenprfung and second the Zentrale Oberstufenprfung. The Zentrale
Oberstufenprfung is accepted as proof of sufficient proficiency in the German language as a prerequisite for admission/enrolment at a German university.

5.1. Zentrale Mittelstufenprfung (C1)

Reading comprehension: 70 minutes

different genre of texts (all in all about 1500 words); matching, cloze test, multiple-choice
talk; selective note taking

Listening comprehension: 40 minutes

monologue; multiple-choice questions
free writing on 5 given details
Written expression: 80 minutes
gap filling
part 1: short presentation to a given topic with five keywords to use
Oral expression: 10 minutes for preparation; 15 minutes talk
part 2: discussion on advantages and disadvantages of a given topic
Grading
To pass the exam at least 60% of the possible score is needed in the parts reading, listening and writing, that means 45 points at minimum. In the oral part at
least 15 of 25 points are needed to pass.
points
100-90

grade
excellent

89,5-80
79,5-70
69,5-60
< 60

good
satisfactory
pass
fail

cf. http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/deindex.htm (19.07.10)

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010

5.2. C2 (Zentrale Oberstufenprfung)

Reading comprehension: 90 minutes

a non-fictional text (about 800-1000 words); questions to the content, explaining details of the text as well
as the meaning of single words and phrases

Use of German: 90 minutes

gap filling, tasks on text or syntax variation, writing synonyms/antonyms, rewriting

Listening comprehension: 40 minutes

authentic audio sample (e.g. radio talk); selective note taking and afterwards writing sentences on those

Essay writing: 90 minutes

writing (min. 250 words) on a book related topic or to one of four other topics
part 1: reading a text aloud, summarize the text, answer a text related question and talking about the text

Oral expression: 15 minutes for

with somebody

preparation; 20 minutes talk

part 2: short presentation on a self chosen topic and talk about the presentation
Grading
results in %

points

grade

100% - 88%

310 - 273

excellent

87% - 74%

272 - 229

good

73% - 60%

228 - 186

satisfactory
unsatisfactory, but can be compensated with at least good in reading comprehension, use of German, essay writing or listening comprehension

59% - 50%
185 - 0
< 50%

(if the oral part is awarded with less than 60% it means to fail all the exam)
fail

Levels for university access: The Zentrale Oberstufenprfung is accepted as proof of sufficient proficiency in the German language as a prerequisite for
admission/enrolment at a German university.

Laura Wittwer

MuMiS-Projekt

Zuletzt aktualisiert: Juli 2010