German Language Diploma

The Central Committee (ZA) for the German Language Diploma regulates all matters concerning the DSD and is therefore responsible for the development and administration of the examinations. This central body guarantees uniform standards and worldwide comparability of the examinations.

The Central Committee for the German Language Diploma consists of three representatives each from the federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany and from the federal government. The Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany acts as the office of the Central Committee and is responsible for organization, minutes, and implementation of the committee’s work. All matters concerning the DSD are coordinated closely between the federal government and the federal states.

The basis for the DSD examinations are the Examination Regulations and the corresponding Implementation Provisions in their respective current versions.

The Examination Regulations contain the fundamental stipulations regarding the examination, for example concerning the characteristics of the exam or the rights associated with passing it.

The Implementation Provisions include detailed explanations and instructions on the design and administration of the examination, for example regarding the content of the individual exam components or the procedure for exam registration.

The examinations are conducted worldwide each year on two central dates – one for schools in the Northern Hemisphere and one for schools in the Southern Hemisphere. For each examination date, a standardized set of exam materials is provided and centrally evaluated in Germany.

The DSD examinations are administered at over 1,000 authorized schools. These schools are supported by currently 50 assigned specialist advisors for German and several hundred deployed German teachers.

An overview of the examination dates can be found in our service section.

Anyone who has not obtained their university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution must, in addition to their subject-related university entrance qualification, usually provide proof of sufficient German language skills in order to enroll at a university in Germany. With the German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs – Second Level (DSD II), the required proof of German language proficiency for a German-language degree program at a university in Germany can be provided.

The regulations for proving German language proficiency for university admission have been established by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and the German Rectors’ Conference in a joint resolution, the Framework Regulations on German Language Examinations for Studies at German Universities (RO-DT).

According to these framework regulations, the required German language skills can be demonstrated not only through the German Language Diploma – Second Level (DSD II) but also through the German Language Examination for University Admission (DSH), the Test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF), and the German component of the assessment test at German preparatory colleges (Studienkollegs).

The framework regulations also specify possibilities for exemption from the requirement to pass one of the four examinations mentioned above, for example for graduates of German-language or German studies programs, holders of certain language certificates from other providers, or holders of foreign school-leaving qualifications listed in the resolution Admission of Foreign Applicants with Foreign Educational Qualifications to Studies at German Universities: Proof of Language Proficiency” by the Standing Conference..

German Language Examination for University Admission

The German Language Examination for University Admission is administered and overseen by universities and preparatory colleges (Studienkollegs). The examination regulations of universities and Studienkollegs must be registered with the German Rectors’ Conference.

TestDaF

The Test of German as a Foreign Language is developed and managed by the TestDaF Institute in Bochum. It is primarily used to certify German language proficiency for academic and scientific purposes and can be taken worldwide at licensed test centers.

Assessment Test (Feststellungsprüfung)

The German component of the assessment test is taken at Studienkollegs in Germany. Studienkollegs primarily serve as preparatory institutions for applicants whose foreign university entrance qualification does not grant direct access to higher education in Germany.

Exempting Certificates

Holders of a certificate for passing the Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, a certificate for passing the telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule exam, the Austrian Language Diploma C2 (ÖSD C2), or foreign certificates listed under item 3, fourth bullet point of the agreement Admission of Foreign Applicants with Foreign Educational Qualifications to Studies at German Universities: Proof of German Language Proficiency (Resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs dated June 2, 1995, as amended on March 12, 2024) are exempt from the requirement to pass one of the aforementioned examinations.

In addition to the classic DSD program at schools abroad, the DSD I examinations have increasingly been conducted in recent years as part of so-called state projects. In these projects, German authorities cooperate more closely with the educational authorities of partner countries or regions, which take on part of the organizational tasks related to the administration of the examinations. The success of this collaboration goes beyond organizational simplifications, as the intensive cooperation also deepens the exchange on content and forms of teaching and examination design.

The DSD program, which has been successfully implemented abroad for over 50 years, has also been used within the Federal Republic of Germany since 2012. In twelve federal states, DSD I and DSD I PRO are employed as part of initial language integration to support newly arrived students with a migration background in entering the German school system.

Currently participating states:

• Bavaria
• Berlin
• Brandenburg
• Bremen
• Hamburg
• Hesse
• Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
• Lower Saxony
• North Rhine-Westphalia
• Rhineland-Palatinate
• Schleswig-Holstein
• Thuringia