Germany is a popular student destination, because of its world-class education without any fees. Students find their education in Germany to be very fruitful, yet the main cause of concern can be the language requirement. Public universities require German language proficiency as a major requirement. Hence, international students need to pass a recognized exam to gain admission to public universities.

Some exams students can write:

TestDAF-

• This is a commonly written exam, especially for university students.

• The test is recognized by all institutes.

• The test assesses the students’ ability to communicate and hence includes 4 sections of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

• The test is on level B2 (intermediate) and C1 (upper-intermediate).

• The fees are around 100 euros.

• Students can attempt the test as many times as required.

• It takes nearly 1 month to receive the results.

DSH-

• This test is required for university admission.

• This accepted by most universities (not accepted by the University of Stuttgart)

• It has both written and oral sections. It has listening, reading, and comprehension in academic usage.

• Students can pass the exam with DSH 1(min 57%), DSH 2(67), or DSH 3(82). Different universities have their specific requirements needed.

• The tests on levels B2 (intermediate), C1 (upper-intermediate), and C2 (advanced).

• The test fees range between 100 – 130 euros.

• The results are given 6 weeks after the test.

• 3 to 4 hours long.

Zertifikat Deutsch –

• The test is internationally recognized.

• The test is of the B2 level.

• It has a writing section of 2 hours and 40 minutes, and an oral section of 20 minutes.

• The test has different variations depending on level (A1, B1, and C1).

• The Zertifikat Deutsch fur Jugendliche test is for students as opposed to the Zertifikat Deutsch which is for adult students.

• The fees depend on the type of exam but range from 100 to 300 euros.

• It requires 400-600 hours of class.

 Reference– https://www.goethe.de/ins/in/en/spr/prf.html