A mandatory requirement for international students is to have completed at least two courses at a CIS university and to have a good command of the German language. Before starting classes in their specialty, international students must pass a German language exam - DSH (Deutsche Sprachpruefung fuer den Hochschulzugang). This exam is mandatory for all foreign applicants and is organized by university admissions committees. Moreover, requirements differ everywhere. The deadlines for taking the DSH are set directly by the universities, so it is recommended to find out in advance from the International Academic Department the time of the language exam at a particular educational institution. This exam includes a written assignment, listening to a text, formulating questions to both assignments, and an interview.
Typically, the DSH consists of two stages: written and oral. If you pass the written part of the exam, an oral test (interview) awaits you, which will lead to the overall result. In the interview, you need to demonstrate the ability to express your thoughts correctly from a grammatical point of view, as well as show the level of vocabulary. The DSH exam is considered fully passed if at least two-thirds of the task is completed.
As a rule, this exam contains certain types of tasks. For example, comprehension and processing of text by ear (listening) is a check of whether you will be able to understand lectures and scientific reports in the future, meaningfully take notes and convey the main points. Another type of task is comprehension and processing of text while reading. Here, international students must show that they understand the text given to them in writing and can explain it. As a rule, the task consists of a brief summary and description of information in diagrams, visual pictures, and tables. Orientation texts determine whether international students can independently and coherently express their opinion on the topic of the text and ask questions about it. The next task is comprehension and processing of structures inherent in the scientific style: various grammatical phenomena of the German language are especially often found in scientific texts. For example, the examinee, through structural exercises, must show that he understands these structures and can apply them. As a rule, the sentences used are meaningfully related to the rest of the exam. If the result of the written exam is ambiguous (66% and 75%), an oral exam is conducted, which brings the final outcome. It determines whether the applicant can conduct a conversation about processes, content, and express thoughts on a given text. The oral exam lasts about 20 minutes.
If you have completed less than two-thirds of the tasks, the exam is not passed. The DSH can be taken twice. If an applicant is not confident in their knowledge, they can improve their German on language courses for DSH preparation at the university and then take the exam later.
Despite the fact that the DSH is mandatory for all foreign citizens wishing to study in Germany, there are cases when this is not a necessity. You can provide equivalent certificates of German language proficiency. This could be the language diploma of the Conference of Ministers of Culture, second level (Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz, Stufe 2). A language diploma or certificate of completion of the upper level of the Goethe Institute (Kleines/Grosses Sprachdiplom oder Zentrale Oberstufenpruefung des Goethe-Institut - ZOP) can also be considered an equivalent certificate. Alternatively, you can take the Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF). Having one of these diplomas, you can start studying at a university without taking the DSH exam.