German exams · B2-C2

DSH - Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang

DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang), governed by the HRK/KMK "Rahmenordnung über Deutsche. Run by the universities themselves; university admission; DSH-2 is the usual requirement.

The exam in detail

The DSH is run by each university or Studienkolleg under its own local Prüfungsordnung, which must follow the RO-DT and the DSH-MPO and is registered with the HRK in cooperation with the FaDaF. Dates, fees (universities may charge for the DSH), repeat rules and the concrete tasks therefore differ from university to university - always check the local DSH page.
Result levels: the certificate shows the weighted overall result as DSH-1 (Eingangsstufe), DSH-2 or DSH-3 plus the result of each Teilprüfung. DSH-1 = at least 57 % in both the written and the oral exam; DSH-2 = at least 67 % in both; DSH-3 = at least 82 % in both. The exam as a whole is passed when the written part and the oral part each reach at least 57 %. The RO-DT does not map DSH-1/2/3 to CEFR levels.
DSH-2 is the result that counts as proof of language proficiency for admission to all degree programmes (RO-DT § 3 Abs. 6); a university may set DSH-1 (lower) or DSH-3 (higher) for specific programmes. An admission based on DSH-1 is not binding for other universities or a change of programme.
Written exam (schriftliche Prüfung), three Teilprüfungen weighted HV : LV : WS : TP = 2 : 2 : 1 : 2 (LV and WS form one joint Teilprüfung). The tasks cover at least two different topic areas, none requires subject knowledge, and the whole written exam including the Hörtext presentation takes at most four hours. Monolingual paper dictionaries are allowed, nothing else. The written exam may be held as an electronic exam on site (elektronische Präsenzprüfung), which is equivalent to the paper version.
Hörverstehen (HV, "Verstehen und Verarbeiten eines Hörtextes"): a lecture-style text of 5,500-7,000 characters is presented twice (notes allowed); 10 minutes of working time after the first and 40 minutes after the second presentation, the presentation time itself not counted. Tasks such as answering questions, a Strukturskizze, a Resümee or presenting the line of thought; marked for completeness and appropriateness, not for linguistic correctness.
Leseverstehen und wissenschaftssprachliche Strukturen (LV + WS): 90 minutes including reading time; a largely authentic, study-related text of 4,500-6,000 characters, possibly with a graphic or diagram. LV tasks such as questions, describing the argument structure or Gliederung, explaining passages, writing headings or a summary (marked for content, not language); WS tasks on the text's academic structures - completions, comprehension questions, paraphrase or transformation (marked for linguistic correctness).
Vorgabenorientierte Textproduktion (TP): 70 minutes, an argumentative Sachtext of about 250 words on a study-related topic built from given input (diagrams, keyword lists, tables, graphics, quotations or short texts - Darstellen, Zusammenfassen, Vergleichen, Begründen, Bewerten, Stellung nehmen); it must not become a free essay. Marked for content (completeness, development, structure, coherence) and - weighted more heavily - language (correctness, word choice, syntax, cohesion).
Oral exam (mündliche Prüfung): at most 20 minutes plus 20 minutes of preparation (monolingual paper dictionary allowed) - a Kurzvortrag of at most 5 minutes, mostly descriptive, based on a short text and/or a graphic, then a Gespräch of at most 15 minutes (Darstellen, Zusammenfassen, Vergleichen, Begründen, Bewerten, Stellung nehmen). No group exams. Assessed on content, comprehensibility and independence of the statements, interaction, grammatical accuracy and lexical range, pronunciation and intonation. The oral exam is compulsory (no exemption) and may be dropped when the written exam is failed; a university may offer it online as an elektronische Fernprüfung as an alternative to the on-site exam.
Repeating the DSH is allowed; how often and when is set by the local Prüfungsordnung.
Recognition: a DSH passed under the RO-DT and registered with the HRK is accepted by the German universities as proof of language proficiency (RO-DT § 7). Exempt from the DSH/TestDaF requirement are, among others, holders of the Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS, the ÖSD Zertifikat C2 and telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule (RO-DT § 8).

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