German exams explained
It was announced a long time ago and now it’s finally here – the new exam for participants on •integration courses. When integration courses for migrants and refugees were first introduced in Germany in 2005, it was clear that language exams would be required to meet the needs of the target students. The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) specified a •language syllabus, which the •Goethe Institute and •telc GmbH have used to develop a •multilevel, end-of-course exam.
The single exam with its sliding scale approach measures the range in ability of students covering the •Common European Framework levels A2 to B1. Including the lower A2 level means that slightly weaker learners will also be able to successfully complete their courses with an appropriate finishing certificate. Before the exam is fully introduced on 01.01.2009, it needs to undergo a pilot stage. The Goethe Institute has approached a number of organisations across Germany, •International House Berlin PROLOG included, to pilot and evaluate the exam in their courses.
There has also been very strong demand for the new Goethe certificates at Common European Framework levels •B2 and C1. These exams have replaced the earlier Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung, which sat halfway between the B2 and C1 levels.
The competition has not been standing still either, with telc (the European Language Certificates) introducing a new •C1 level exam, which seems to be having some initial problems attracting candidates due to the fact that it is seen as more difficult than the Goethe Institute’s exam at the same level.
Accreditation by the official bodies responsible for specifying which language exams foreign students need to take to be accepted at German universities would certainly boost the uptake of telc’s C1 level exam. The two main examinations at this level, the DSH (German Language test for University Entrance) and the •TestDaF, are not particularly candidate-friendly, at least as far as the number of dates upon which the exams can be taken and the length of time it takes for candidates to get their results.
International House Berlin PROLOG is an •exam centre for telc’s Start Deutsch 1 and 2, Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD), telc Deutsch B2 and C1, as well as the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf ZDfB (Certificate of Business German). All exams are offered on a monthly basis. Preparation courses for the Goethe and university exams are run regularly.
Useful links:
•www.prolog-berlin.de/de/deutschkurse-zertifikate.htm
•www.telc.net
•www.goethe.de
•www.testdaf.de
Felix Breitkreuz is our Director of Studies for German and has been working for IH Berlin PROLOG since 1997. He is also responsible for the exams here at the school.