TestDaF vs DSH: which test to take for university in Germany

What is the difference between TestDaF and DSH?

Both exams prove that your German is good enough to study at a university in Germany. The key difference: TestDaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache, "test of German as a foreign language") is made by one organisation, g.a.s.t. (the TestDaF-Institut), and is the same for everyone. The DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang, "German language exam for university entrance") is set by each university itself, within a shared framework from the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and the education ministers (KMK), called the RO-DT. Almost every other difference follows from that.

Which test will my university accept?

Usually both. g.a.s.t. states that all German universities accept the TestDaF certificate. The same applies to the DSH when the university's DSH regulations are registered with the HRK. The University of Bonn, for example, announced after its registration that its DSH certificate is accepted by "ausnahmslos allen deutschen Hochschulen" (every German university, without exception).

Which level your degree programme needs is decided by the university. You will find it in the programme's admission rules. Some universities accept TestDaF combinations with one part below TDN 4 (more on that below). And some want recent proof, even though the TestDaF certificate itself never expires.

TDN 4 or DSH-2: which level do you need?

In TestDaF you get a separate level for each of the four parts: TDN 3, TDN 4 or TDN 5 (TDN stands for TestDaF-Niveaustufe, "TestDaF level"). According to g.a.s.t., these levels sit at B2 and C1 of the Common European Framework. For admission, universities ask for at least TDN 4 in all four parts. In the digital TestDaF, each part is converted to a scale of 0 to 20 points:

The DSH has three levels. You only get a level if you reach the percentage in both the written and the oral exam:

What happens in each exam?

The digital TestDaF has four parts. The times are approximate figures from g.a.s.t.:

One thing to know about the digital TestDaF: you can move ahead faster, but you cannot go back to an earlier task.

The DSH has a written and an oral part. The RO-DT sets the frame; the university writes the texts and tasks:

If you fail the written exam, you do not sit the oral exam at all. The University of Bonn, for example, states this on its DSH page.

Can a strong part make up for a weak one?

This is where the two exams differ most.

TestDaF: the four results are not combined into an overall score. A TDN 5 in reading does not automatically make up for a TDN 3 in writing. But g.a.s.t. says universities may decide this for themselves. Some use a points model and accept combinations that add up to 14 to 16 points, counting the four TDN levels together.

With this result you do not meet the rule "TDN 4 in all four parts", because writing is at TDN 3. At a university that uses a points model of, say, 16 points, your 17 points might be enough. So ask the university before you book a retake.

Since 12 May 2026, g.a.s.t. also offers a combined certificate for the digital TestDaF. It shows your best results in individual parts from different digital exams. Check with your university first whether it accepts it.

DSH: in the written exam, the parts are weighted and combined into one percentage: listening, reading, academic grammar and writing in a ratio of 2 : 2 : 1 : 2. So a weak part can be balanced by strong ones.

At 68.6%, the written exam is above the DSH-2 line of 67%, even though two parts are well below it. If writing had come out at only 50%, the result would be 460 divided by 7, which is 65.7%: only DSH-1 in the written part. The written and the oral exam do not balance each other. You need the level in both.

Where, when and who can take each exam?

According to g.a.s.t., TestDaF is offered at about 550 test centres in 100 countries, on several dates a year. So you can take it in your home country before you apply. Results arrive after about three weeks for the digital TestDaF and about six weeks for the paper version.

The DSH is held at universities and state-recognised Studienkollegs. Who may sit it, when and at what price is set by each university. Three examples, checked 4 October 2026:

• University of Bonn: applicants from outside the EU only after they have been admitted to study in Bonn. Written exam in 2026 on 13 March (summer semester) and 27 August (winter semester). Fee €140.
• University of Giessen (JLU): twice a year, before the summer and the winter semester. You register with an admission letter from JLU or THM and an existing German certificate. Fee €140, including one week of exam training.
• University of Marburg: written exam for the summer semester 2027 on 23 March 2027. Fee €150, or €110 for students of its own preparation course. Places for outside candidates are limited and there is no waiting list.

How much do TestDaF and DSH cost, and how often can you retake them?

In Germany, TestDaF costs €210 (digital) or €215 (paper). Outside Germany, prices follow three country groups; you see the price for your country at the test centre or when you register. You can retake TestDaF as often as you need, but only as a whole exam with all four parts.

Each university sets its own DSH fee; in the three examples above it is €140 to €150. How often and how soon you may retake the DSH is set in that university's DSH regulations (DSH-Prüfungsordnung). Read them before you register.

Is TestDaF or DSH harder?

There is no official answer. Both exams check whether your German is ready for university. Which one feels easier depends on the kind of tasks that suit you:

• Answers: TestDaF uses fixed task types, in reading for example gap-fills, matching and multiple choice. In the DSH you write many answers in your own words, for instance when you explain a technical term from the text.
• Grammar: the DSH has its own part called wissenschaftssprachliche Strukturen (academic language structures). You rewrite sentences there, for example turning a relative clause into a participle phrase. TestDaF has no separate grammar part.
• Listening: in the DSH you hear one lecture twice and may take notes. Your answers are marked on whether they are complete and fitting, not on grammar. In the paper TestDaF, you hear two of the three texts only once.
• Speaking: in TestDaF you speak into a microphone, with a fixed speaking time per task. In the DSH you give a short talk and then talk with the examiners.
• Preparation: TestDaF is the same everywhere, and g.a.s.t. publishes model tests and sample tasks. DSH texts and tasks differ from university to university; many universities put their own sample exams online.

TestDaF or DSH: which one fits you?

• You are still in your home country and need proof for your application: TestDaF is usually the direct route. It is offered in 100 countries, and digital results come after about three weeks.
• You have already been admitted, or you are on a DSH course at the university: taking the DSH there makes sense. Check the date, the registration deadline and whether you are allowed to sit it.
• One of your skills is clearly weaker: work out the DSH weighting, and ask whether your university accepts a TestDaF points model or the combined certificate.
• You are applying to several universities: both certificates are valid everywhere. You have your TestDaF result before you apply; the DSH is often taken at the university where you want to study.
• So far you have a B2 certificate: whether a university accepts a certificate like telc Deutsch B2 or Goethe-Zertifikat B2 for a degree programme is the university's decision. The usual proof for full admission is TDN 4 in all parts or DSH-2.

To see how the tasks feel, try our practice exams for the digital TestDaF and the DSH, timed like the real exam. The official rules are linked in the sources below.