Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS

Photo: Getty Images/Mario Castello

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 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.

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).

You have disabled JavaScript in your browser settings. Please enable JavaScript to see the courses again.

*) 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.

Further Information

COVID-19 Update: We strongly encourage only those participants who require certification for work/study/travel to register for an exam in order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

In accordance with DC Dept. of Health guidelines, anyone traveling to Washington, DC, from any locations other than MD, VA and HI, will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result from within 72 hours before travel in order to be admitted to an exam. If you test positive or have been in close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, please stay home. For further information, please click here.

We require masks while inside the Goethe-Institut and strongly encourage the use of N95 or KN95 masks.

If none of the exam dates above are convenient, most of our exams may be booked as individual exams for an additional fee. Please contact us for further information.

Exam results A1-C1 are made available approximately 10 business days after the exam date. C2 Schreiben results are made available approximately four weeks after the exam date.