Learn about German proficiency tests
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are some common German exams I can take? |
| Igor: And how to choose the right one for me? |
| Michael: At GermanPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Sasha Lee (@hero-daughter) sees a poster advertising the DSH. She asks her friend Jing Liu (@china-student) what DSH stands for, |
| "What does DSH mean?" |
| Sasha Lee: Was bedeutet DSH? |
| Dialogue |
| Sasha Lee: Was bedeutet DSH? |
| Adler Schmidt: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang. |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Sasha Lee: Was bedeutet DSH? |
| Michael: "What does DSH mean?" |
| Adler Schmidt: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang. |
| Michael: “German language exam for university entrance.” |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: For many German learners, one of the goals, when they finally master the language, is to spend some time or even their future in the country where the language is spoken. If it’s also on your bucket list, then you should know that, if you plan to apply to a university, find a job in Germany, or if you want to live in a German speaking country, obtaining proof of your German knowledge will come in handy. |
| German proficiency tests can serve as such evidence. In this lesson, we’ll talk about what proficiency tests you can take, and which one will be the most fitting for your purpose. |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let’s take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Sasha asks "What does DSH mean?" |
| Igor: Was bedeutet DSH? |
| Michael: And now let’s take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Jing Liu answered "German language examination for university entrance." |
| Igor: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang. |
| Michael: The |
| Igor: DSH |
| Michael: or “DSH” is one of the major German exams. As the name |
| Igor: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang |
| Michael: or “German Language Exam for University Entry” suggests, its purpose is to test foreign student candidates on whether they are able to follow courses and lectures in a German higher educational institution. If you pass the initial screening for a German University, you will most likely be invited to take the DSH exam, and passing the exam will be necessary to start your education. |
| All students take the same exam, but there are three levels on which you can be placed depending on your performance: the |
| Igor: DSH 1, DSH 2, und DSH 3. |
| Michael: Passing the DSH 1 means that your German is on the B2 level, passing the DSH 2 means your German is on a C1 level, and DSH 3 indicates a C2 level. |
| The exam itself consists of two parts—the written one makes up 70% of the final result, and the oral one counts for 30% of the final examination. |
| The written part has four sections. The first part is |
| Igor: Verstehen und Verarbeiten eines Hörtextes, |
| Michael: meaning “Understanding and processing of an audio text.” Here, the examinee has to listen to a prerecorded audio text and answer questions from the audio. The next part is called |
| Igor: Verstehen und Bearbeiten eines Lesetextes |
| Michael: meaning “comprehension and editing of a text.” In this part, the examinee has to read a scientific article and answer text-related questions. The purpose of this part is to check if the examinee will be able to read and understand academic papers at the university. |
| The third part is called |
| Igor: Verstehen und Bearbeiten wissenschaftlicher Strukturen, |
| Michael: meaning “comprehension and working on scientific structures.” Here, the examinee’s knowledge of German grammar is checked. They’ll need to read a short text again, but the questions are more related to the grammatical structures of the German language. So, questions can be about the conditional |
| Igor: Konjunktiv I |
| Michael: or about contextual understanding. The last part is called |
| Igor: Vorgabenorientierte Textproduktion |
| Michael: or “Text production.” In this last part, the examinee is given a topic and has to produce a short text related to the topic. They need to either comment, compare or describe the topic. |
| The second proficiency exam we will talk about is the |
| Igor: TestDaF oder Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache |
| Michael: literally meaning “exam German as a foreign language.” This exam, similar to the DSH, targets students who would like to study in Germany. While the DSH should be taken at the destination university, the TestDaF can be taken all around the world. |
| The structure of the exam itself is similar. The exam starts with |
| Igor: Leseverstehen, |
| Michael: literally “reading understanding.” The examinee gets three different texts to read and answer text related questions within 60 minutes. Usually, it would be a newspaper article, a book review, or a scientific article. The next part is |
| Igor: Hörverstehen, |
| Michael: literally “listening understanding.” Here, the examinee is tested for their listening skills. They’ll have to listen to a short dialogue, lecture or interview, and of course they have to answer related questions. Now, we have the biggest difference to the DSH, since the TestDaF skips the grammar section and goes straight to testing the examinees writing skills in the |
| Igor: Schriftlicher Ausdruck |
| Michael: section. This translates literally as “written expression.” In this section, the examinee has to write a logical and coherent text about a given topic. One possible scenario would be that the examinee gets a chart presenting all kinds of information, and they must describe it in a logical way. |
| Once this part is over, the examinee has to face the |
| Igor: Mündlicher Ausdruck |
| Michael: meaning “oral expression.” In this section, the examinee sits in front of the computer and has to record answers to seven questions which resemble real-life conversational situations. These prerecorded answers will be later evaluated by the examination committee. |
| Just like the DSH, the TestDaF also has three different levels that can be achieved, |
| Igor: TestDaF-Niveaustufe 3, TestDaF-Niveaustufe 4 und TestDaF-Niveaustufe 5 |
| Michael: Meaning “TestDaF-level 3, TestDaF-level 4, and “TestDaF-level 5,” or |
| Igor: TDN 3, 4, und 5. |
| Michael: The TDN 3 equals a B2 level and is already accepted by some universities in Germany, although the TDN 4 which equals the C1 level and the TDN 5 which equals the C2 level will guarantee you admission to a German university. |
| If you seek more information about the TestDaF, you might want to check your local DAAD office. DAAD stands for |
| Igor: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, |
| Michael: meaning “German Academic Exchange Service,” or you could also visit your local |
| Igor: Goethe-Institut |
| Michael: The Goethe-Institute is an institution designed to promote the German language and culture abroad. It offers German courses, as well as German language exams. Next to the previously discussed TestDaF exam, the Goethe-Institute also offers their own certificates called |
| Igor: das Goethe-Zertifikat. |
| Michael: The “Goethe-Certificate” is a certificate developed to match the Common European Reference of Languages guidelines. It means that a German learner can start testing their skill from the lowest level which is named A1 and can test themselves for all six CEFR levels up to C2. |
| This is the biggest difference to the previous two exams which only admit certificates if the examinee can use German on at least the B2 level. This exam is more general and serves mainly to track the learners’ progress. It’s also the most popular exam among spouses of German citizens since a spouse visa in Germany requires the person to speak German at least on an A1 level. |
| The Goethe-Certificate can also be used as a proof for the university, but while the TestDaF and DSH were designed for the purpose of university admission, the Goethe-Certificate wasn’t. Consequently, while some universities might accept the B2 and C1 certificates, in many cases, the Goethe-Certificate only becomes relevant for universities if you achieve the C2 Certificate.The Goethe-Institut provides a full list of universities where you can check which university in Germany accepts which certificate as a proof of your German language. |
| All Goethe-Certificate exams look similar and resemble what we know from the previous two tests. The sections here are called |
| Igor: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, und Sprechen, |
| Michael: meaning “reading, listening, writing, and speaking.” It depends on the CEFR level of your exam how difficult or easy the text or listening will be, but the exam format will be similar to the ones described before. |
| It should also be mentioned that finishing an educational institution in Germany, such as a high school or university, makes the above tests redundant, although to get into such schools themselves, a proficiency test will be required. |
| Additionally, if someone intends to start education or work as a caregiver in Germany, the Goethe-Institute offers a special exam for medical workers which allows them to work in Germany. The exam is called |
| Igor: Goethe-Test Pro Pflege. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: In this lesson, we had a look at the three most common German proficiency tests which are the |
| Igor: DSH, TestDaF, und Goethe-Zertifikat |
| Michael: and how they look. You can find further information on their websites which will be linked in the lesson notes. However, remember that there are many other German certificates and, if you plan to move to Germany, your future university or workplace might ask you to take one of these. |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: The |
| Igor: Goethe-Institut |
| Michael: is the most important channel to promote German language and culture outside of Germany. |
| The institute is named after the greatest German poet and writer |
| Igor: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
| Michael: and was founded in 1951 to train foreign German teachers. But, soon enough, it became the central contact point for everyone interested in the German language. The Goethe-Institute organizes German courses starting from absolute beginners up to advanced speakers. If you’re a German learner it’s the best destination for you, since the facility usually has a German library, and the Goethe-Institute organizes many cultural events such as concerts or exhibitions. |
| If you’re interested in German culture, and you have a Goethe-Institute nearby, you should try to visit in order to experience German culture as close to the real thing as possible. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Igor: Tschüsschen! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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