Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS

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.

• Framework Regulation on German Language Exams to Study at a German University or Institution of Higher Education (PDF, 407 kB)

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).