Bit by bit: examination components.

  1. Written examination (160 minutes)

    • You will read factual texts, newspaper texts and business letters and do realistic exercises on them.
    • You will fill in the gaps in a letter by selecting the right word from a number of possibilities offered.
    • You will listen to short conversations, messages on an answerphone, excerpts from a telephone conversation and a radio broadcast and then do exercises on them.
    • You will write a business letter, at the same time completing various exercises.
  2. Individual oral examination (20 minutes)

    • In the oral examination, you are to show that you can express yourself appropriately in typical, everyday situations at work.
    • You will introduce yourself, pass on the information contained in a diagram or in some statistics and talk to your conversation partner about a topic.
    • During the dialogue, you will respond to questions, express your opinion and make suggestions.

Goethe-Institut Shop:
Exam Preparation

Order sample papers for your German exam and finetune your preparation.

The new Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS – setting the standard.

© Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS
Starting 01.01.2012, the new Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS shall apply. The last project step with regard to the examination development was the so-called Standard Setting.

The new German test for Immigrants

is intended for immigrants, who desire to live in Germany for a substantial amount of time.

Immigration of Spouses

Frequently asked questions and a sample-exam regarding the “Sprachnachweis” for husbands or wives joining his or her spouse in Germany.

Learn German in Germany

Learn German where everyone is fluent