If you do not understand the German version of this page, you have probably not reached the level of proficiency required to pass this examination.
Who is required to take this examination?
If German is not your mother tongue, you have to take this examination before you may be admitted to the University as a student. The Language Center offers this examination. For registration you have to contact Admissions Office.
Examination preparation courses are offered in August for the German entrance examination at the University. Please look under: Examination Preparation Courses.
Who may be exempt from taking the examination?
You need not take the examination if you have one of the following certificates:
- neues Goethe-Zertifikat C1 (Prüfungen ab September 2007)
- Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Grosses Deutsches Sprachdiplom (neues GDS ab 2012)
- Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung des Goethe-Instituts (ZOP)
- Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom des Goethe-Institutes (KDS)
- Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom des Goethe-Institutes (GDS)
- Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber an Deutschen Universitäten (DSH – Ergebnisklassen 3 und 2)
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD der KMK), Zweite Stufe
- Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache für ausländische Studienbewerber (TestDaF) mit einem Ergebnis von durchschnittlich TDN 4 und mindestens TDN 3 in allen Prüfungsteilen
- Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD) Prüfung C1 Oberstufe Deutsch
- Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD) Wirtschaftssprache Deutsch - Niveau C2
- telc Sprachprüfung: telc Deutsch C1
PhD students may be exempt from the examination if they have sufficient knowledge of German or if their advisors agree to their
dissertation being written in a language other than German.
What are the requirements?
German is the language of instruction and administration at the University of Zurich. The University expects all students
to have a good command of German. You should be able to understand a subject-specific text of average difficulty and to summarize
or discuss it both orally and in writing.
About the examination
The examination comprises three parts:
Part A: 60 minutes (35 points)
- Reading comprehension
- Grammar
Part B: 60 minutes (45 points):
- Listening comprehension (talk/lecture)
- Questions about the talk/lecture
- Production of a short text
Part C: oral examination, 15 minutes (20 points):
- Conversation with the examiner
Maximum number of points: 100
To allow you to have a clearer idea of the German entry examination and the question types, we suggest you do our mock examination. You can download the different sections of the examination as PDF files.
Lesetext
Aufgaben zum Lesetext (Musterlösung)
Hörverstehen-Text als MP3-File
Hörverstehen-Text als geschriebener Text
Fragen zum Hörverstehen und Schreibaufgaben (Musterlösung))
Hinweise zur Musterprüfung
What is the passing grade for the examination?
You need to obtain at least 60 out of a 100 points in order to pass the examination.
There are two possible results:
1. Pass
The passing grade for this test is 60 points, which is equivalent to a B2 level. If your grade is 60 points or above, you qualify for University entrance.
2. Fail
If you obtain less than 60 points, you have failed the examination. You may not enroll as a student at the University of Zurich. But you may re-apply for admission at a later date and prove that you attended a German course in the meantime. Then you can either repeat the German examination, which is only possible once, or you can hand in a certificate of an external examination at the required level of proficiency.
Where do you register?
Registration for the German examination must be done in writing through the
Admissions Office.
Who may register for the examination?
You need to meet the University’s admission requirements before you register for the test.
In order to register for the test, you need to supply proof that you have already reached a good level of German.
Please include with your registration form information about German courses you have previously attended.
When does the examination take place?
The examination is scheduled approximately three weeks before the beginning of the semester. The next examination will take place on August 20, 2012. The oral examination is scheduled for August 23, 2012 and August 24, 2012. No other dates are possible.
The Admissions Office will inform you about the exact time and place for the oral examination.
Once you have received authorization to enroll, please contact the Admissions Office before July 31, 2012.
What are the costs?
The examination fee is CHF 90.00.
If you re-take the examination, you have to pay the fee again.
