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DAAD Certificates

English

Overview

The DAAD language exam follows a hybrid format.

An exam registration is necessary. Please register for an exam date with your UniAccount on our course platform under the menu item DAAD. We will enroll you in the Moodle course "DAAD-Sprachnachweis Englisch" one week before your chosen exam date and then email you further information. Please note that if you register for the DAAD exam at some point within the week before the exam on Monday, we may contact you as late as Friday, 4 p.m. of the same week.

Please note: We do not process registrations on weekends, and we do not accept same-day exam registrations.

The written part of the exam will take place in-person using the Moodle site on the exam date you have chosen, the oral part of the exam will be conducted via Zoom. The written exam starts at 9:00 a.m. on Monday unless your examiner informs you otherwise. You will schedule your oral exam directly with your examiner.

Registration for a particular date is binding. If you are unable to particiapte for a legitimate reason, please cancel your registration via the course platform or notify us by e-mail. We reserve the right to cancel multiple registrations to let other students take the exam. The DAAD exam may only be taken once within 6 months.

Please note that in general, the DAAD exams take place once a month. During the semester break, the dates might deviate from a monthly schedule. You will find the exact dates after logging into the course platform and navigating to "DAAD." We will not be able to offer any additional exam dates apart from the scheduled dates. Please also note that an official DAAD certificate will be issued to you within the following three business days after the completion of the last part of the exam. We cannot guarantee that you receive the DAAD certificate on the day of the exam and ask you to plan accordingly.

Please upload the following documents to the Moodle page "DAAD-Sprachnachweis Englisch":

  • DAAD language certificate form - pre-filled with your name, degree programme and examination language on all five pages!

  • A self-written letter of motivation written in the target language in which you define the language goals you intend to achieve during your stay abroad. Specifically address what you personally and professionally expect from your trip abroad. Your letter of motivation should be one page (A4), 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1.5 spaced.

Please bring the following documents with you to the written part of the examination:

  •    Student ID card or certificate of enrolment as proof of affiliation to TU Dortmund University.
  •    ID card or similar for identification

Please contact Dr. Kai Herklotz or Dr. Tetyana Müller-Lyaskovets by e-mail if you

  •    would like a printout of another, non-DAAD language certificate (e.g. J1 visa, Fulbright, Humboldt)

Please contact Dr. Meni Syrou if you

  • already have language certificates or other documents relevant to the language certificate. Please refer to Recognition of Certificates on this site.
Written part

You have to choose your written exam track. We offer the following tracks: B1/B2 track and B2/C1 track. Your writing task and the allotted time will be adjusted to your chosen level.

  • B1/B2 track:  Text production on a selected topic. You have 30 minutes to complete the assignment.
  • B2/C1 track: Task #1: Text production on a selected topic. Task # 2: Describing a graph or table. You have 50 minutes for both assignments.
Oral part

30 minutes plus 15 minutes of preparation time

  • Reading comprehension (15 minutes preparation): Discussion of a text
  • Interviewing for your study-abroad project. We will use your letter of motivation as a starting point for our conversation with you.

Because the DAAD examination tests one’s current language level, specific preparation is not necessary. Yet, we recommend deeper engagement with the language, for example, by working with English-language podcasts, videos, or texts several weeks before the exam. You can find DAAD exam  preparation tips in this document.

The following resources will help you write a better letter of motivation.

We will issue you an electronic copy of your certificate and email it to you within three days after the last exam session. If you need a hard copy, please make an appointment with the secretary.

Where applicable, a DAAD language certificate can be issued on the basis of another certificate provided the following conditions are met:

  • The certificate indicates the bearer’s level of ability in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
  • The certificate is not older than one year. Exception: UNIcert-certificates and internationally recognized certificates (according to this list) may not be older than 2 years.
  • Language certificates acquired from the Division of Foreign Languages are also accepted, provided they are not older than one year. Please note that certificates from skill-specific courses (e.g. Speaking and Listening B2, Writing and Reading C1) cannot be recognized, as they only cover two of the four skills.

For any questions with regard to the recognition of certificates, please contact Dr. Meni Syrou.

When submitting the written part of the DAAD exam on Moodle, you are required to sign an affidavit affirming that no AI tools were used.

Please review this document carefully:

Guidelines for Academic Integrity in the DAAD Writing Exams

Contact

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