Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache

Pursuing one's studies in a beautiful European country not only sounds dreamy, but is surely worth it! Most European universities offer courses in European languages.

Germany as a country offers a vast variety of specialized courses. However, with many Universities offering these courses in German Language, a pre-requisite for many applications to the universities is the qualifying score in either Test DAF or DSH - the two most famous German Proficiency tests available.

Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Test of German as a Foreign Language) is a standardized language test for learners of German. This test certifies a person on the B2 to C1 level of proficiency which is a common framework of reference for universities in Germany. However the proficiency level required might be different for different universities. The TestDAF is a 3 - 3.5 hour long test, conducted at designated centers which assess a person's proficiency on the following scales :-
Reading Listening Writing Speaking

The TestDaF is developed, corrected and managed in Germany by the TestDaF Institute and is offered in India by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan with test centers across Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi and Pune only.

Fee for the Examination:

The fee for the exam is 90.00 (INR - 7200) and can be only paid online www.testdaf.de .

Eligibility:

An intermediate level of the German language which would amount to 700 - 1000 hours of German language from a recognized institute.

Test Structure:

The test is standardized hence same across various centers and is graded over 5 points across 4 parts making the grand total of 20. The acceptable TestDAF score across various universities is in the range of 16 to 18 and can be repeated any number of times. The four parts a person is graded/ tested on are:

1. Reading Comprehension:
60 minutes
Part 1: Matching statement to paragraphs.
Part 2: Comprehension passage with MCQ's (simple).
Part 3: Comprehension passage with MCQ's (complex).

2. Listening Comprehension
40 minutes
Part 1: Sound clipping with 8 questions.
Part 2: Sound clipping with 10 True/False statements.
Part 3: Sound clipping (played twice) with 7 questions.

3. Writing
60 minutes
The test requires you to write a paragraph on a given topic in 60 minutes.

4. Speaking
30 minutes - 7 sub sections.
The focus is to assess whether you are able to form coherent statements, reason and answer in German with a certain proficiency.

Grading & Result:

Candidates are graded on a 5 point scale with a total of 20 points. The same is then compiles in the result and certified you on three proficiency levels TDN 5 (TestDaF Level 5), TDN 4 (TestDaF Level 4), and TDN 3 (TestDaF Level 3) with 5 being the highest level of proficiency. Again, it is advisable to go through the university to understand the accepted level as individual criterion may vary.

Websites:

www.testdaf.de
www.goethe.de