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German exams at the Goethe-Institut

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German exams Photo: Getty Images
It is great to know German and to use it frequently. It is even better to be able to prove this with an official certificate. The Goethe-Institut examination certificates are internationally recognized as proof of qualification. Confirmation of participation in a German language course is often not enough, so register for the German exam at the Goethe-Institut of your choice. 

Which German exam should I take, and where?

You may take the Goethe-Institut’s German exams after completing a Goethe language course, but this is not compulsory. If you have been in a German language course at the Goethe-Institut, you are already familiar with the classification of the difficulty levels. You can take an examination at each of the six levels: Levels A1 and A2 are for beginners in German, B1 and B2 build on this knowledge, C1 and C2 are the highest possible examinations. If you have learned German elsewhere, you can find out which examination level is right for you by taking an online test or a placement test at your local Goethe-Institut.

Exams for all levels are available at twelve locations in Germany. You can choose an examination that suits your preferred timetable or you can choose one of the dates of your preferred location.

Are you ready for the exam?

You don't want to leave anything to chance for your exam? Let the Goethe-Institut, the developer of the Goethe-Zertifikate, prepare you for your next German exam. Since every person learns differently, the Goethe-Institut offers different preparation formats. Depending on whether you prefer to prepare in a group with other examinees or individually online, you can choose between two preparation courses:

That makes our German exams unique...

How taking a German exam works

Once you have chosen location and level, you can register for the exam. You can find the corresponding dates online and book them right away. Please note that the exams are not free of charge. However, if you have taken part in a German course at the Goethe-Institut or attended one of our German language summer programs for young people, we will grant you a discount.

For preparation, you will find practice material for listening, reading, writing and speaking for all levels on our website. The questions in the test have been developed by experts and were thoroughly checked before being used in our exams. Each test is assessed by two examiners, which gives us a high degree of reliability in terms of assessment and rules out discrimination. If you pass the exam, your certificate of the language level you have achieved will be sent to you, except for the above-mentioned locations, which will issue the certificate on the same day. Congratulations!

If you have not passed your German exam, you can repeat the full exam or possibly just some select parts of it. The details are regulated in our Terms and Conditions for Exam Administration of the respective examination. 
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