If you would like to study at Göttingen University you need to take the DSH exam before starting your professional studies. You need to pass this exam before you can start your professional studies here in Göttingen.

You can look up the current dates here.

Exemption from the test is granted to someone

• who has successfully passed the German Language exam at another German university or at a German “Studienkolleg”, referred to as "DSH" registered by the HRK(Hochschulrektorenkonferenz)
• who has already passed TestDaF with a result of a least four TestDaF levels 4 [TDN 4]
(the results of the different parts cannot be summed up)
• who holds the "German Language Diploma" (DSD II)
• who holds the "Goethe-Certificate C2: High German Language Diploma" (GDS)
• who holds the "Telc C1 university certificate"
• who will study in the context of a special exchange program for only one or two terms at Göttingen University

For further information please click here: PO DSH 2016, § 3 (1)

Exemption from the test is possible for someone

• who will study for a maximum of two terms at Göttingen University
• who has graduated in either German philology or another degree taught entirely in German

For further information on a possible exemption please click here: PO DSH 2016, § 3 (1).

If one of the above listed cases applies to you (you can ask for other possibilities to be exempted at the lectorate) you should personally contact Monika Wilhelm with the admission notice, the original copy of the language certificate and two photocopies of this certificate. Providing these documents, you get a certificate, the so called "Befreiung" that you need to present at your enrollment.

An exemption from the DSH and an attendance in the DSH is not necessary for participants of a Studienkolleg after successfully passing the admission exam, for foreign applicants who hold a German university-entrance diploma and for Erasmus-/exchange students.

The written exam consists of three parts:

• Reading comprehension/Grammar Understanding and working on a reading text and academic language structures. An authentic, study-related, and academic orientated text will be provided that does not require any specific knowledge. Time granted: 90 minutes.

• Listening comprehension Understanding and processing of a spoken text. Time granted: 80 minutes.

• Writing For producing a text an exercise sheet with a chart, table, figure or quotation to a special topic will be provided. Time granted: 70 minutes.


The different parts will cover at least two different topics.

Requirement for the oral exam: Passing of the written exam. The oral exam consists of two phases: the preparation phase and the actual exam. The exam consists of a short presentation (approximately five minutes) and a subsequent conversation (approximately fifteen minutes). For preparing the presentation twenty minutes are granted. The basis of the oral exam is often a short text, a figure, a chart or something similar.

If you have achieved at least the level DSH-2 in the written exam as well as at least the level DSH-2 in the oral exam (Written: at least 469 of 700 possible scores; oral: at least 201 of 300 possible scores) you can study at Göttingen University. For special study programs or module packages lower German skills (DSH-1) may be sufficient or higher German skills (DSH-3) may be obligatory. For further information please contact the faculty.

Of course. However, we advise you to attend a preparation course before taking the second exam. Please see here when the next DSH-exam takes place.

If you do not appear either at the written or the oral exam you fail the exam. The examination fee will not be refunded.

Only a monolingual dictionary (German-German).

Bringing an electronic device - such as a mobile phone, smartphone or notebook - is prohibited. You will be suspended from the exam if your mobile phone rings during the written exam.

• by taking intensive preparation courses and crash courses at the Institute for Intercultural Communication (IIK). For further information click here.
• by performing our DSH sample exam (with solutions).

Please click here for the parts of the DSH sample exam:

DSH Sample exam (PDF) Please notice: This is a sample which shows you the typical parts of a DSH-exam. Of course there are minor changes possible.

DSH Listining Sample exam 1 (Video)