What Language Level is required in order to study in Germany?

Question

What is the language level that most universities in Germany expect for an application for bachelor or master?!  B1, C1  or C2?

Answer 1

Hello Aseman,

as you said, you can usually only study in Germany if you have mastered the German language to a certain level. Accepted forms of proof of language proficiency are:
DSH - Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (German Language University Entrance Examination for International Applicants)
TestDaF - Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Test of German as a Foreign Language)
GDS - Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom des Goethe-Instituts (Goethe Institut German Language Diploma)
DSD - Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz Stufe II (German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, Level II)

Information source with clickable links: ****://bit.ly/1VFYcL6

A detailed example provided by the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin: ****://bit.ly/1VFYhyt

Kind Regards, Jan

Answer 2

Hey! I just wanted to add that this refers to study programs for which the study language is German. There are some programs completely in English for which you actually don't need proficiency in German (this is true mostly for Masters, but not exclusively) -- but in that case you'll have to prove your proficiency in English, another story altogether :)

Comments

Thank you dear Elisa! I had a TOEFL score but it expired two years ago, and I guess I have to pass another TOEFL exam or it will not work! So it seems better to work on my German! ;-) Thank you again for your information!

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You're very welcome! Anyway, for some programs you don't even need IELTS or TOEFL, but have other ways of assessing your English (for example at Heidelberg University, I know because I went there ;). It depends on the single course. But of course learning German is also a good choice! Good luck, I'm sure you'll be successful with it!

Answer 3

Thank you jan for your complete answer! But does it mean that I should still go though these levels from A to C? or these exams have another process and learning style?

Comments

Hello Aseman, as I see it Level B1 is usually expected for an application. See chapter 3 to 5 here for details and exceptions of the rule: ****://bit.ly/1SVQ0CW

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Thank you again for your clear answers!! They helped a lot!

Answer 4

These different Tests (Testdaf, DSH,..) have different forms and different ways of getting prepared for them. So if u decide to do the DSH u´ll gonna have to take a different course than the one for Testdaf.

And also an important Difference is that the results of Testdaf take quite a long time until being released (about 2-3 Months after the exam). Meanwhile by DSH it takes normally about 1-2 weeks.

for a bachelor you´ll gonna have to provide DSH 2 (or an aquivilant in Testdaf or other), which is equal to C1.  

by some Universities you musst provide your language proficiency test before the deadlines of applying to Unis (normally 15 Jul. for winter semester and 15 Jan for sommer semester). by some other Universities u can provide this after recieving the admission from the Uni and before enrollment (which means u can provide this about 10 days before the semester start).

Comments

Thanks Yesser! Yes, for TestDaF at least you don´t HAVE to make a course, but it is nearly impossibile to get a place (taking the test) without being enrolled in some Vorbereitungskurs