Ideal if you'd like to ...
- prepare to study at a university or institution of higher education in Germany
- demonstrate a very advanced knowledge of German for employment purposes
- prepare to work in the medical field in Germany
- provide evidence that you have successfully passed level C1
- hold an official, internationally recognised certificate
The Goethe-Zertifikat C1 is a German exam for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired advanced language skills and corresponds to the fifth level (C1) of the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Exam dates
*) Courses/exams exempt from VAT according to § 4 No. 21 a) bb) UStG; exception: German Training Online includes 7% VAT for customers resident in Germany
**) The cheaper price displayed applies if you have already participated in a German language course at the Goethe Institute in the past six months. The six months refer to the period between when the language course ended and the date of the German language exam. In this case, the price will change automatically during the booking procedure. If not, please contact the course office.
Passing the exam demonstrates that you can ...
- use the German language effectively and flexibly in public, academic and vocational context,
- understand a wide range of complex, longer texts including appreciation of implicit meanings,
- produce well-structured and detailed texts on a range of complex topics,
- express yourself spontaneously and fluently and argue a position convincingly.
Please contact your university, institution of higher education or preparatory course provider before your course of study is due to begin to find out if the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 is able to grant you exemption from taking a language entrance test for foreign students.
Note for exam candidates
Available spaces for external candidates may be booked out several weeks before the registration deadline. External candidates should therefore register early.
Course participants are defined as
- Persons currently taking part in courses at a Goethe-Institut in Germany.
- Former course participants of the Goethe-Instituts in Germany or worldwide who attended a course within the past six months (based on the examination date).
Exam preparation
Prepare specifically for your German exam in a preparatory course.
Practice materials
Accessible and interactive sample papers and practice exercises to help you prepare online are available here.
Further information
The requirements, contents of the exam and further information on the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 exam are available here: