Ideal if you'd like to ...
- study or conduct research in Germany
- teach at a school in Germany
- prove that you have successfully reached level C2
- be issued with an official and internationally recognized certificate
The Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS) is a German exam for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired extremely advanced language skills and corresponds to the sixth level (C2) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Passing the exam demonstrates that you can ...
- effortlessly understand virtually everything that you read or hear in German,
- summarize information from various written and spoken sources, logically recounting reasons and explanations,
- express yourself spontaneously with a high level of fluency and precision and make finer nuances of meaning clear when discussing more complex topics.
The Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom entitles foreign students to study at a German university or institution of higher education and is recognized in many places as evidence of the language skills required to teach German.
The exam is recognized as official evidence of the language competence needed to teach throughout Germany. Further information on this is available from accredited institutions in each of Germany’s states, such as the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Office for Teacher Training, the District Council or the Senate Committee.
On 1
st January 2012, the Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom exam replaced the three previously existing exams, namely the Goethe-Zertifikat: Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP), the Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS) and the Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS).
Exam dates
*) 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.
Exclusive discount for Goethe-Zertifikat exam participants!
Have you taken a Goethe-Zertifikat examination organised by the Goethe-Institut Tokyo? Then we have great news for you! All exam candidates will receive an 8% discount on our language courses at the Goethe-Institut Tokyo from March 2025.
See details:
- 8% discount on all face-to-face or online courses at Goethe-Institut Tokyo.
- Discount code valid for 6 months.
Terms and conditions:
- This offer is only valid when booking a full Goethe-Zertifikat exam or booking at least three sub-modules at the Goethe-Institut in Japan. Excluded are TestDaF exams or exams from external cooperation partners.
- The discount code will be sent after the exam results have been announced and is not transferable.
- A combination with the early bird discount is not possible.
Take this opportunity to improve your language skills with our high quality courses!
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 C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom exam are available here: