Examination components

1. Reading comprehension (60 minutes)

   • You will read some short texts about everyday university life, such as a section from a university prospectus, an overview of forthcoming events or a brochure, and decide which text relates to which task.
   • You will read a journalistic text (approx. 450-550 words) on scientific or socio-political topics and mark the correct multiple choice answers.
   • You will deal with a text in scientific language (approx. 550-650 words) from a specialist or university publication and decide whether a statement is correct or incorrect or whether the text does not give any information on this.

2. Listening comprehension (approx. 40 minutes)

   • You will hear a short, everyday dialogue, e.g. a conversation between two students, and make notes on the questions at the same time.
   • You will follow an interview or a discussion on course-related or general scientific topics and will decide at the same time whether statements about the text you have just heard are true or false.
   • You will hear a presentation and provide short answers about central questions in it.

3. Written examination (60 minutes)

   • You will be given a topic and use guide points and statistical data to draft a logical and structured text.
   • You will take a position on a topic and argue accordingly.

4. Oral expression (approx. 35 minutes; this part takes place in the form of an individual computer-aided examination)

   • You will deal with seven tasks that put you in different communicative situations at German universities.
   • You have to obtain information, describe graphics and summarize their content. You will be expected to express and justify your opinion, take a position, weigh up the alternatives and also make your own hypotheses.

Assessment

The TestDaF is a standardized, centrally created and centrally corrected examination. The results are expressed in three TestDaF levels (TDN), 3, 4 and 5, which describe what skills you are expected to possess with regard to reading, writing, listening and speaking.

You receive one point for each correctly completed task in the reading comprehension examination and in the listening comprehension module (e.g. multiple choice or true/false). The number of correctly solved tasks in each module is decisive for classification to a level in one of the two examination components.

The two examination components of written and oral expression are assessed by trained and experienced specialists.
The evaluation and level classification takes place on the basis of a criteria grid. You can find more specific information about this on the www.testdaf.de website.

You can take the examination as often as you like.