German exams · C2

Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom

Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS; Durchführungsbestimmungen of 1 September 2025). Run by Goethe-Institut; the highest certificate; teaching German, medical and legal professions in some federal states.

The exam in detail

Four independent modules Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen, taken individually or in combination; the three written modules are a group exam, Sprechen is an individual exam (Einzelprüfung). Four module certificates equal one overall certificate. The literature-based Schreiben tasks are created together with the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Each module: maximum 100 points = 100 %, passed with at least 60 points (60 %); Prädikate 100-90 sehr gut, 89-80 gut, 79-70 befriedigend, 69-60 ausreichend, 59-0 nicht bestanden. Modules can be repeated as often as desired, capacity permitting.
Lesen: 80 minutes, Teil 1-4 (Sachtexte, Kommentare, Reportagen, Anzeigen - abstract and linguistically complex texts including implicit meaning); 1 or 0 points per answer, the parts are added up to a maximum of 100. About 5 minutes within the time for the Antwortbogen.
Hören: about 35 minutes, Teil 1-3 (reports and Reportagen from the media, informal conversations, expert interviews at natural speed); 1 or 0 points per answer, maximum 100; 3 minutes for the Antwortbogen.
Schreiben: 80 minutes, Teil 1-2. Teil 1: rephrase parts of a Kurzreferat - 10 answers scored 2, 1 or 0 = maximum 20 points. Teil 2: one well-structured text (Leserbrief or Buchrezension) on ONE of four topics - two general topics and two literature-based topics (one per book on the year's Literaturliste, which is published online and valid for the calendar year); five criteria scored 4-0 = 20 points, multiplied by four = maximum 80 points.
Sprechen: about 15 minutes plus 15 minutes of preparation; an introduction of about 2-3 minutes (not graded); Teil 1 Produktion: a free Vortrag of about 5 minutes on the topic chosen from two (e.g. globalisation), followed by about 2-3 minutes of questions; Teil 2 Interaktion: about 5 minutes - choose one of two topics and the Pro or Contra side, open the discussion, and the second examiner argues the other side. Two examiners rate independently; the points of Teil 1 and 2 are added and multiplied by 2.5 to give the score out of 100.
The written modules take about 195 minutes without breaks; recommended order Lesen - Hören - Schreiben with breaks of at least 15 minutes.
Target group: adults; a minimum age of 18 is recommended; the Goethe-Institut estimates at least 1,000 teaching units of 45 minutes to reach C2. On 1 January 2012 the GDS replaced the former ZOP, KDS and GDS.
Recognition: gives international students access to German universities - holders of the GDS are exempt from the DSH/TestDaF proof of language proficiency under § 8 of the HRK/KMK Rahmenordnung (RO-DT); the German Länder accept it as the language proof within the teacher qualification; it is widely used as proof for teaching German.

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