German language exams
Goethe, TestDaF, DSH, telc and ÖSD — five certificates, different formats, different acceptance. What each is genuinely for, how long each level takes, and where to confirm what your own programme requires.
Nobody on this site decides your language requirement. Your programme does. Which certificate is accepted, and at what level, is set by the individual university and frequently by the individual course — two Masters at the same university can differ. Everything below explains what each exam is so you can read your programme's admissions page and understand it. It is not a substitute for reading that page, and if this guide and your programme disagree, your programme is right.
The most widely known German certification, following the CEFR levels. Useful to understand first, because the same A1–C2 scale is what telc and ÖSD certify against too, and what everyone means when they say "B2".
| Level | What you can actually do at this level | Where it usually comes up |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Introduce yourself, ask and answer very basic questions, read a form with help. | The first step; occasionally named for family-related visa routes. |
| A2 | Handle simple everyday exchanges — a shop, an appointment, a short phone call you have rehearsed. | Enough to make your first weeks in Germany less bruising. |
| B1 | Manage most day-to-day situations independently, including some you did not prepare for. | Sometimes named as general-purpose proof; also relevant to some longer-term residence routes. |
| B2 | Follow and take part in detailed discussion, including in a workplace. | Around the range several Studienkollegs and many employers look for. |
| C1 | Study and work in German, including academic reading and writing at length. | Around the range German-taught degree admission sits in. |
| C2 | Near-native command. | Translation, teaching, and specialist professional contexts. Rarely required for admission. |
The right-hand column says "usually" and "around" deliberately: these are patterns, not rules. Your programme, your Studienkolleg or your employer names the level and the accepted certificate, and that naming overrides anything here. How long each level takes is set out in the hours table below.
In India, Goethe exams are run by the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, which has centres in several major cities. Fees rise with the level and are published per level and per centre; registration opens weeks in advance and popular sittings fill.
Goethe certificates carry no expiry date. That said, some universities and many employers ask for a certificate issued within roughly the last one to two years, so "does not expire" is not the same as "will be accepted indefinitely". If you sit an exam early, expect to be asked about the date.
Current levels, fees, dates and Indian test centres: Goethe-Institut India — exams.
The standard university-entry German exam. If you are studying in German at a German university, this is most likely what you need.
TestDaF is a single test that grades you across four sections — Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking — on a scale of TDN 3 to TDN 5 in each section.
Most German universities require TDN 4 in all four sections for German-taught programmes. Some technical universities accept TDN 3 in some sections. A few competitive programmes require TDN 5.
TestDaF is run by g.a.s.t., the same organisation behind the dMAT. It runs several times a year, results take weeks rather than days, and the fee is published by the test centre. Build the result-waiting time into your plan — a test sat too close to a deadline is a test that arrives after it.
Compared with DSH, TestDaF is standardised and portable: the same test, the same scale, recognised across German universities. DSH is set by an individual university and is generally valid at that university. For an applicant sitting the exam from India rather than already in Germany, TestDaF is usually the more practical choice for that reason alone.
Format, dates, fees and test centres: testdaf.de and g.a.s.t..
University-set German exam. Strong, but specific.
DSH is set by individual German universities for incoming international students. It tests reading, listening, writing, and an oral exam — typically over one day, with grades DSH-1, DSH-2, DSH-3 (highest).
Most programmes require DSH-2 for admission. Highly competitive ones require DSH-3.
The catch is portability: a DSH taken at one university is generally valid at that university, and another may or may not accept it. Fees and sitting dates are set by the university running it, usually a small number of times a year and close to the start of the semester.
DSH makes most sense for someone already in Germany — at a Studienkolleg, or on a language course attached to the university they intend to study at. For an applicant still in India, TestDaF is normally the easier and more transferable choice.
What DSH is and which universities run it: dsh.de. Fees and dates come from the individual university.
Accepted by many universities and increasingly common in India.
telc (The European Language Certificates) is a Frankfurt-based certification recognised across Germany and the EU. It offers the same A1 to C2 levels as Goethe, with similar format.
telc Deutsch B2 and C1 Hochschule are specifically designed for university admission and are accepted by most German universities for both Bachelors and Masters programmes.
In India telc exams are held by approved language schools rather than a single central institute, which means more centres, more flexible dates, and fees that vary between providers. It is frequently less expensive than Goethe at the same level, though you should compare current prices at the centres near you rather than assuming.
Acceptance is broad but not automatic: telc C1 Hochschule in particular is designed for university admission, and it is the variant to look for if a German-taught programme is your goal. Confirm the specific telc certificate your programme names.
Certificates, levels and how to find a test centre: telc.net.
Austrian-issued certificate. Accepted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
ÖSD is the Austrian state German certificate. It uses the same CEFR levels (A1 to C2) as the others and is widely recognised, including in Germany — though as with every certificate here, acceptance for a particular programme is that programme's decision.
Fewer Indian applicants take it than Goethe, simply because there are fewer centres. It is worth considering if your shortlist includes Austrian or Swiss universities alongside German ones. Fees and centre availability are published by ÖSD.
Levels, recognition and test centres: osd.at.
Read this alongside your programme's admissions page, not instead of it. Fees and sitting frequency change and are set by the provider and the centre, so they are linked rather than listed.
| Exam | Issued by | Best suited to | Portability | Taken in India? | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goethe | Goethe-Institut (German cultural institute) | Proving a general level at A1–C2; the most widely recognised name | Recognised broadly, but acceptance for a given programme is that programme's call | Yes, at Max Mueller Bhavan centres in several cities | goethe.de India ↗ |
| TestDaF | g.a.s.t. | Admission to German-taught degrees, applying from outside Germany | Standardised and portable across universities | Yes | testdaf.de ↗ |
| DSH | Individual German universities | Applicants already in Germany, at a Studienkolleg or attached language course | Generally valid at the issuing university; others may not accept it | No — taken in Germany | dsh.de ↗ |
| telc | telc gGmbH | A1–C2 levels; telc C1 Hochschule is the university-admission variant | Widely accepted; confirm the exact certificate your programme names | Yes, at approved language schools | telc.net ↗ |
| ÖSD | Austrian state certification body | Shortlists that include Austria or Switzerland alongside Germany | Widely recognised; again decided per institution | Yes, at fewer centres | osd.at ↗ |
None of these certificates carries a printed expiry date, and guides often summarise that as permanent validity. In practice many universities and most employers ask for a certificate issued within roughly the last one to two years. If you sat your exam three years ago, check with the programme before assuming it still counts — and factor a possible resit into your timeline rather than discovering it at the deadline.
Work through these four steps rather than picking an exam first. The exam is the last decision, not the first.
This is the number that decides your intake, so it is worth being unsentimental about it.
The Common European Framework (CEFR), which all five exams are built on, works on the order of 75 to 100 guided learning hours per level. Guided means taught — with a teacher correcting you — not time spent on an app. Stacking those up from a standing start:
| From zero to… | Roughly | At one focused hour a day | Typically needed for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | 150–200 guided hours | Around 6–8 months | Managing basic daily situations after you arrive |
| B1 | 250–350 guided hours | Around 8–12 months | Living independently; sometimes named for visa or general-purpose proof |
| B2 | 350–600 guided hours | Around 12–18 months | The range many Studienkollegs sit in; workplace German |
| C1 | 700–1,000+ guided hours | Two years at a serious pace | The range German-taught degree admission sits in |
Treat these as planning ranges, not promises — people differ, and someone who already speaks a second language well often moves faster. What is consistent is the direction of the error: almost everyone underestimates this, and the underestimate surfaces about six months before a deadline, when there is nothing left to do about it.
Two practical consequences. First, if a German-taught degree is your goal, the language is the long pole of your entire plan and everything else can be arranged around it. Second, if your intake is closer than the required level is, an English-taught programme is not a compromise — it is the option that fits, and you can keep building German while you study.
Start the moment Germany becomes a serious plan, whether you are in 11th or in your final year. It is the one part of this process that cannot be compressed later by working harder.
In order of credibility:
Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan — the official German cultural institute, with centres in several Indian cities. Qualified teachers and the certificate at the end. It is the most expensive option, and fees are published per level on their site.
Goethe-affiliated partner schools — generally less expensive, teaching to the same framework. Find them through the Goethe-Institut India site rather than by search, so you can confirm the affiliation is real.
Local German classes / private tutors — Quality varies wildly. Cheaper but harder to verify. Ask for trial classes and check student reviews.
Online platforms — Babbel, Lingoda, italki for one-on-one. Useful as supplement to in-person, less so as your only source.
Self-study — Possible but very hard to reach B2 or higher without a teacher. Combine apps (Anki, Duolingo) with podcasts (Slow German, Coffee Break German) and try to find a language exchange partner.
What does not work: Trying to learn only from YouTube. You need active speaking practice and a real teacher who corrects you.
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