Natalya Glukhova

DAF test in German - how to prepare?

04/06 2018

Good afternoon friends!

Are you planning to study at a German university? To do this, you will definitely need to pass the daf test in German. Then you need to start preparing in advance, because you need a good level of language proficiency. That's what we'll talk about now.

From this article you will learn:

DAF test - what is it and why is it needed?

It will be useful for those students who are planning. Not for beginners, but for those who already know German. It will prove that your knowledge is enough to study on par with German students.

Let me say right away that DAF is not a German exam. DAF determines a person’s readiness to study at a German university!

Judge for yourself, because DAF is suitable for confirming levels from B1.2 to C1.2 - this already means that a person is fluent in a foreign language or knows it very well.

Usually, it is passed after 700-1000 hours of listening to German.

Adapted specifically for students, you will immediately notice this. The topics of all sections of the test, we also talk about them, are related to learning, here:

• student life;
• education;
• classes at a German university;
• professions;
• solving everyday student problems;
• the science…

As you can see, all the topics are necessary and vital for the student.

You can take the DAF not only in Germany. There are centers all over the world that accept DAFs and issue certificates. Of course, these must be legalized centers whose certificates are accepted at German universities.

Receive confirmation of payment and exam reservation. Take this document with you, and also your passport!

Registration begins approximately 8 weeks before the exam and ends approximately one month before. I don’t recommend waiting until the last minute, because every year there are more and more people interested. And the number of places is limited.

Exam dates for the year are known in advance. If you didn’t make it to one exam, take into account the mistakes and sign up in advance for the next one.

A month after the exam you will know the results! It's very simple, right?

What's included in DAF

The test includes the following sections:

• Leseverstehen - test your reading skill;
• Hörverstehen - how you perceive information by ear;
• Schriftlicher Ausdruck - written part of the exam;
• Mündlicher Ausdruck - colloquial speech.

Nothing superfluous; naturally, all this will come in handy during training. Now in more detail about all the parts.

Leseverstehen

You will have 3 texts. Each next one is more difficult than the previous one. And then there are comprehension questions for all texts.
This part lasts 60 minutes - 50 minutes to read and understand, and another 10 minutes to answer questions. Answers are entered on a separate form. There will be 30 questions in total.

Hörverstehen

There are also 3 texts that you are invited to listen to. There are 25 questions to them. This part is given only 40 minutes.

Schriftlicher Ausdruck

You will be given a topic on which to write, let’s say, an “essay.” Again, everything is on the topic of student life. In addition, there will be a graph or table, you need to describe them. Available for the entire 60 minutes. I don’t recommend wasting time on being too literary here; check your grammar.

Mündlicher Ausdruck

Your answers to 7 questions will be recorded on disk. No live communication with the examiner! You have 35 minutes. A certain situation will be described, and the student will respond to it verbally.

Total time: 3 hours and 10 minutes. It may be a little longer or a little faster - it depends on the center.

results

They won't be right away. Usually - in a month or a little more. Get the answer in 4 digits:

4545, 4444, 5555, 4345…

When assessing, values ​​from 3 to 5 are used - TDN3 - TDN5.

TDN3 - approximately B2;
TDN4 - something between B2 - C1;
TDN5 - C1 and higher.

In order to enter without any problems, you need a TDN 4 level in all parts of the exam.

If you get 5, it means that the level is even higher than necessary, that's great. With all the “A” grades, you don’t have to worry when choosing a specialty—you can apply to any one. But it rarely happens that a person gets all “A’s.” More often there is a mixed situation - 4455, 4544...

If you get one or two Cs, don’t be discouraged either. On the website of each educational institution there is a list of requirements - some even accept "C". Not with everyone, of course, but with one or less often with two they can.

Training awaits you! It's worth trying!

Using test results

Will be needed when entering a university. Note! Some specialties require very high results. For example, medical faculties, German studies.

Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss anything and receive a phrase book in English, German and French as a gift. It has Russian transcription, so even without knowing the language, you can easily master colloquial phrases.

It’s clear that you can’t prepare for DAF from scratch in a week or even a month. If you are planning to enter a German university, it is better to start learning German in 2-3 years, or better yet in 5 years. Of course, some people learn a foreign language faster, while others need a lot of time.

Be sure to sign up for a test preparation course! They can take a trial DAF, they have special textbooks. This is also important in order not to get confused during the main test. The delivery methods are unusual, so a child, or even an adult, may not immediately understand what and how to do. And if you go through the trial version 1-2 times, then later you will know exactly what and how to do.

A couple more tips from those who successfully passed the DAF and were admitted:

1. German should become a part of your life. He will be when you enter university. Listen to songs, watch films in German, search for information on websites.de, chat with friends...
2. Be sure to practice reading! Every day at least 1 German text, but read! During active preparation you will need to read much more. Choose texts that are more difficult than your current level. You must learn to cope with unfamiliar words and know exactly the rules of reading. So even a complex and long word, and in German there are more than enough of them, will not be difficult.
3. It is important to write essays. Small ones. Here's an interesting tip for you - start keeping a diary in German. Write notes, texts every day... Choosing words shouldn’t create problems either, expand your vocabulary. Practice, check your spelling. The journey will be short, but it will be regular. You can also make pen pals with your native German. It’s not difficult on social networks.
4. You don’t even need to buy books for preparation - they are freely available on the Internet online. They contain lists of topics - you will need to work through them all.
5. Record your speech on a voice recorder - it will be easier to find mistakes later.
6. You will need preparation materials: Fit für den TestDaF; TestDaF Training 20.15; Mit Erfolg zum TestDaF; testdaf.de
7. Start active preparation 5-3 months before the exam itself.
8. Practice! The official trial version takes only 10 minutes http://www.testdaf.de/teilnehmer/tn-vorbereitung_test.php?id=1

Of course - no need to worry! Concentrate, you have studied everything and know everything. I wish good luck to everyone who will be taking the DAF in the near future, and I wish everyone else success in their preparation. If you have questions about the test or need advice, write in the comments.

Those who want to work or study in a German-speaking country will most likely have to take a language exam. One option is an exam. We have already talked about it on the pages of Lifehacker and gave some useful advice to those who are about to undergo it. However, DSH has a significant disadvantage - it can only be taken in a German-speaking country. What to do if you do not have such an opportunity? There is an excellent alternative - TestDaF. Our reader will tell you about the exam itself and preparation for it. Annie Lenny.

What is TestDaF

TestDaF is an exam that is used to assess the level of knowledge required for admission to a German university. It can be taken at certified centers around the world, that is, without leaving your own country. This is perhaps the main and very significant advantage of TestDaF.

The exam is held six times a year. Works are checked within 6-8 weeks in Hagen, Germany. This point is worth considering when choosing an exam date: make sure that you have time to receive a certificate before the deadline for submitting documents to the university expires.

Please note that you cannot use any aids during the exam. A passport and a black or blue pen are all you can have with you.

Tasks

1. Reading.

Three texts of varying difficulty with 30 tasks. Running time: 60 min.

2. Listening.

Three audio recordings with 25 tasks. Completion time: 40 min.

3. Written speech.

One written assignment. Running time: 60 min.

4. Oral speech.

Seven speaking tasks. Execution time: 30 min.

results

Examiners' work is graded on a three-level scale (corresponding to levels B2.1 to C1.2 on the European Council scale).

If you have a 5 (TDN 5) on all points, as I did, then your level of knowledge is even higher than required. This gives you the right to apply for any specialty, including language.

TestDaF level 4 (TDN 4) allows you to study at universities in Germany. However, some language majors will not be available because they require TDN 5 in at least two points.

You can do the same with TestDaF level 3 (TDN 3), but your choice will be significantly limited. Most likely, these will be technical specialties or those in which training is conducted in English. More detailed information about this is usually posted on university websites.

How to prepare

TestDaF tasks are very similar to Modeltest and require the examinee to have a good language base. Everyone knows how to develop it: read, listen, speak and write in German, choosing current topics.

Personally, I practically did not prepare for the exam: having the education of a translator, I simply “ran through” Modeltest tasks from a book. But I can say that it is very important to understand the logic of the test itself. During its implementation, you will probably need the ability to gather yourself in a stressful situation and correctly calculate the time. You should not rely on memorized topics - the ability to think logically comes first. If you know how to understand information and convey it to your interlocutor, separate the important from the unimportant, compare different points of view and build an argument, this will greatly facilitate your task.

Among other things, the skill of describing pictures and graphs may be useful to you. For example, I had a task to describe the operating principle of a hydroelectric power station and the paper recycling process :)

In some cases, it doesn’t hurt to use your imagination and ingenuity. I was convinced of this while completing one of the oral assignments: I had to call the professor and ask to reschedule the exam date. Without being taken aback, I blabbed something about my sister’s wedding (which, by the way, I don’t have). Speak, speak and speak again, without forgetting about grammar.

Recording your progress on oral assignments can be an additional stressor. The situation is complicated by the fact that the examinees speak in parallel. I was lucky: I took the exam alone. Despite this, all TestDaF took me about five hours. It's difficult to maintain concentration for such a long time, so during breaks it's a good idea to treat yourself to chocolate, nuts or fruit. And most importantly, believe in yourself, then everything will definitely work out!

TestDeutschalsFremdsprache(TestDaF) – a German language exam, which is taken by foreigners to confirm their knowledge of the German language.

To enter a German university, it is enough to achieve the “TDN 4” level in each of the four examination blocks (if all other requirements of the educational institution are met).

Some universities in Germany offer specialties for which “TDN 3” is sufficient for admission. A TDN 5 rating indicates excellent command of the German language!

Each German university has its own requirements for foreign applicants, so before choosing a specialty and submitting documents, we advise you to find out which TestDaF results are required. As a rule, this information is presented on the university website.

The certificate indicates that its holder is able to:

• identify detailed information in short texts of various contents
• understand the details and main provisions of newspaper and scientific texts that discuss scientific or socially popular problems
• identify detailed information in everyday situations
• follow the course of an interview or conversation, the topic of which is study or general scientific issues
• understand reports on scientific topics
• write your own, well-structured texts, clearly and convincingly expressing your thoughts
• describe, summarize and compare various data and information
• express your point of view during a discussion or conversation, offer alternatives or put forward hypotheses in a balanced and reasoned manner

Conditions for passing the exam

Anyone who:

• intends to test the depth of knowledge of the German language
• plans to enroll in a German higher education institution
• wants to continue studying or working in the scientific field abroad or in the territory of his native state and needs an international certificate

Where can I take the TestDaF?

The TestDaF exam can be taken at one of the 150 examination centers in Germany (Testzentrum) or at a similar licensed organization in your home country. Testing is carried out several times a year, the dates are posted in advance on the portal of the TestzentreninDeutschland institute.

What do you need to register for TestDaF?

In order to participate in the exam, you must submit a written application to a pre-selected examination center. The form will be offered to you at the center itself, or you can use the online sample on the official exam website. As a rule, applications are closed 6 weeks before the exam.

How does the exam work?

Each task and topic correspond to different areas of higher education knowledge, due to the fact that the test is designed for any applicant, regardless of specialty. The duration of the exam is 190 minutes (not counting breaks between blocks) and includes four parts.

1. Understanding written text, Leseverstehen.

Stage duration: 60 minutes. Its main goal is to confirm the ability to perceive material on various scientific topics. Examinees are offered 3 texts for review: a short message about the activities of the university, a scientific article and a journalistic note, and for them - 30 tasks about the meaning and content of what they read.

2. Listening, Horverstehen.

Stage duration: 40 minutes. The point is to demonstrate auditory speech perception skills. As a rule, these are 3 audio texts (a report by specialists or an interview with them, a radio interview and a dialogue from the everyday life of the university) and 25 tasks of varying difficulty levels.

3. Written presentation, SchriftlicherAusdruck.

Stage duration: 60 minutes. The student’s task is to write an essay on a given topic, and the text should be divided into two parts. The first contains statistical data, which can be presented in the form of a table or graph, and the second contains your personal opinion on this issue.

4. Oral speech, MündlicherAusdruck.

Stage duration: 30 minutes. The student must demonstrate his ability to conduct a conversation in German in a variety of situations that may arise while studying at the university. This stage involves performing 7 speech situations of several levels of complexity. All tasks are listened to via tape or disk, and the answers are also recorded on media for later checking.

Benefits of the DaF test

• The science test is designed to test the skills required to study at German universities.
• The certificate is valid at all universities in Germany. A TDN 4 rating gives you the right to choose any of them. The university decides on admission with the result “TDN 3”, which depends on the policy of the educational institution, as well as the chosen faculty and specialty.
• Each test block (reading, listening, writing and speaking) is assessed separately, which allows you to identify your weaknesses in the language learning process.
• TestDaF can be taken while in your home country. Information about the program is provided all over the world in foreign language centers, German language departments, as well as in institutes named after. Goethe or from DAAD lecturers, at the German consulate or embassy.
• Sample tasks are available on the TestDaF Institute website. Regardless of the time of delivery, the difficulty of the tasks in the test is the same.
• You can retake the exam as many times as necessary to obtain the desired result.
• The validity period of the TestDaF certificate is unlimited.

How the exam is scored

Scale for grading the results of the “DaF test”:

• TDN 5 – level “TestDaF 5”
• TDN 4 – level “TestDaF 4”
• TDN 3 – level “TestDaF 3”

The levels correspond to steps B 2.1 – C 1.2., according to the scale of the European Council (Gemeinsamer europäischer Referenzrahmen - GER).

The TestDaF certificate with grades arrives one and a half to two months after submission by mail.

Cost of passing TestDaF

In different countries, the fee for participation in TestDaF varies (about 170 – 180 €), so it is worth checking with the exam center.

If you cannot attend the exam on the appointed day, you have the right to refuse until the deadline for accepting documents. In this case, 80% of the cost of the service will be returned to you. However, if you report a cancellation within the last 6 weeks, the money will not be refunded.

To obtain higher education at one of the German universities, among other things, you will need to pass an exam on your knowledge of the German language. Perhaps the most widespread and universal can be called TestDaF.

I passed the exam with grades of 5 5 4 5. I got a B, and rightly so for my writing. I will share my experience in preparing for the test, as a result of which I passed it with these points the first time.

Why is this exam so remarkable?
+ Recognized by all universities in Germany, can be taken outside the country;
+ The certificate is valid for an unlimited time, i.e. has no statute of limitations, unlike many other international certificates;
+ Four standard parts (writing, reading, listening, speaking);
+ It is carried out 6 times a year, read, if you wish, you can retake it at least every 2 months;
+ Just one type of written task (description and analysis of the schedule and that’s it);
+ The “writing” and “reading” parts are quite traditional for an international certificate;
+ Grammar does not play a decisive role in assessing results. What is important is vocabulary, the logic of presenting thoughts, the perspective of the test taker, etc.

What are the difficulties of the exam?
- Non-standard oral part (as many as 7 tasks) and a difficult “listening” part (you need to have time to listen, hear and at the same time make verbose, detailed notes in 2 tasks out of 3);
- An exam passed for a certain number of points in EACH INDIVIDUAL part is considered successful;
- Long wait for results (about 6 weeks) and receiving the certificate itself (another 1-2 weeks);
- Exam cost (175 euros in Germany);
- In my case, the oral part was recorded using a sound recording device, which had to be held in your hand throughout the entire oral part, while you had to manage to make notes on paper and turn over sheets with new tasks. It's a pity that we have so few hands.
- During the oral part, you have to “conduct a conversation with yourself” and not go crazy, i.e. just slur answers into a recording device, without live communication with a person. And one more feature of the oral part: all test takers begin to answer tasks at the same time, so because of this hum and cacophony, you can get seriously confused if you don’t practice in advance.

My collection of thoughts about TestDaF

In general, this is a completely normal test, which, like all international language exams, tests not only knowledge of the language itself, but also ability for logical, academic thinking. Therefore, for some test takers, the obstacle to obtaining such a coveted certificate is not the German language, but precisely the inability to think and lack of outlook. In this case, I advise you to read good newspapers in German, books on your specialty, and listen to analytical programs.

You need to prepare for TestDaF in advance even if your German is at a good level. There will be no time to read the assignments or select expressions/words and come up with an original structure for a written or oral answer. All this should be in advance learned by heart.

You can fully prepare for this exam on one's own without attending preparatory courses, if you systematically devote time to learning the German language. There are a great many textbooks and practice tests on the Internet, so you won’t have any difficulties finding training materials.

To enter a university, a TDN level of 4 (∾C1.1) is most often required in each of the 4 parts of the exam, i.e. all types of speech activity must be at level C1.1. If your German is already at level B2.1, then you can start preparing for this exam. Exam preparation courses will not improve your German (grammar, vocabulary), but they will “equip” you with useful tips on the structure and features of the exam.

Unfortunately, these tips did not work miracles: out of the 17 people who took the exam preparation course with me, only 3 passed the TestDaF at the level required to enter the university (TDN 4 and TDN 5). But the majority of the rest passed, at least to the TDN 3 level. Four received only one C grade. It still seems to me that courses alone are not enough; independent systematic preparation is also required. Together this leads to a good result. ;-)

Some TestDaF locations have a peculiarity: only those who have paid for the exam preparation courses, which are held directly at the same location, can register to take the exam at THIS test center. This was the case in my case. I became hysterical and shocked when I saw that on the website testdaf.de all the places in the test center closest to me were sold out like hotcakes within a few hours. Frustrated, I ran the next day to this center to take the TestDaF and found out that there were free places, but they were intended only for “our own people.” Pay for the exam preparation course at this language center and you are “yours.” These are the rules.

How to register for the exam

I came to the TestDaF center and paid for the exam (as far as I know, this can also be done by bank transfer) and received a paper with a TAN number. Next, I registered on the website www.testdaf.de. Do not forget that you must register within a certain period. My exam was on February 10th and the registration deadline was January 13th. This registration itself is quite tedious. First, you will be asked to enter the TAN, and then you will answer a lot of boring questions, such as “who are you anyway?”, “why do you need this?”, “how many hours/days/months/years (underline as appropriate) did you learn the language?”. At the end of the registration I was offered to download a document in pfd format called "testdaf_anmeldebestätigung".

On January 23, I received an email saying that I needed to log in to the TestDaF website and download the Zulassungsschreiben file in the Meine Prüfung section, which I did. I printed out the Anmeldebestätigung and Zulassungsschreiben the day before the exam.

On the day of passing the TestDaF

What not to forget to take

You should have the following with you for the exam:
Identity document;
Printout Zulassungsschreiben;
Printout Anmeldebestätigung;
2 black or blue pens, marker, pencil, eraser, ruler. Starting this year, it is prohibited to use a corrector. Answers written in pencil are not counted, and you cannot cross them out with a pencil, i.e. We use a pencil only for “personal purposes”: to underline an idea in a text or write an answer in a listening task, but not in Anwortblatt!
Eat and drink

The mobile phone MUST be turned off and in your bag, otherwise if it rings, you will be kicked out of the exam. I don’t know if everything is really that serious, but it’s better not to risk it.

How is time distributed and is it worth it when to come?

The exam itself starts at 10.00, but this does not mean that you can show up 5 minutes before it starts, or, like the Count of Monte Cristo, open the doors without one second to 10.00. It’s beautiful, of course, I don’t argue, but it may not work.

What if there are traffic jams or traffic stops for some reason, you will have to urgently call a taxi, and this will be extra stress for your already exhausted body.
We were told to be there at 8.45. Pale, with bags under our eyes and a slight tic, we were there on time and humbly awaited our fate.

About 30 minutes before the start of the exam, they began to let us into the office one by one; a paper with our name was stuck on each table, so our constitutional right to freedom of movement was violated; we did not have the right to choose a table. My place was at the second desk, we sat two by two, but there was almost no chance of cheating, because the gladiolus booths were on the tables. They told us where we found ourselves, what we had to do and the rules of the game called TestDaF, they gave us to sign a paper that we wanted to pick up the test results from this center, and not get them at home, because it would be more expensive and there was no need for it at all, and off we went. ..

Order of parts

4 days before the exam we were told in what order we would take which parts.

To be honest, I really liked the order of tasks that we had. As far as I understand, it may vary from exam to exam. In my case it was like this:
1. Mündlicher Ausdruck- he chattered for half an hour, while the thoughts “what are you talking about?”, “well, open your mouth, speak!” were constantly spinning in my head. What a blessing it is to go through this stage of the marathon at the very beginning of the exam, when your head is still thinking, and not on autopilot, as happens towards the end of the exam.
2. Hörverstehen- a break after speaking and before writing. I wasn’t particularly worried about listening, because I perceive speech very well by ear, but it wasn’t always possible to write it down even with the help of abbreviations.
3. Schreiben- what can I say, none of us passed this part with 5 points, although the task was not difficult. I completed the task in 30 minutes out of the allotted 60. Then I sat and reproached myself for why I wrote the conclusion so early, now I can’t even add anything, all I can do is meditate.
4. Leseverstehen- the simplest part, in my opinion. I was already reading the texts with difficulty and answering questions almost in complete delirium, because I was tired as hell by the end of the torture of the exam.

Exam conditions

Every second person on the table had headphones and a recording device. Half of them, including me, were taken out to be shot and moved to the “talking” part in another office. Apparently, to make it easier to hear ourselves during the exam, or at least such an opportunity appeared. :-) Then they brought us back and we all continued to make the remaining parts together.

If you take the oral part not with a computer, but with a recording pen, then:
After you have pressed the "ON" key, do not press any other key until the very end of the oral part, until the person checking tells you to hang up.
Do not place this device on a table, otherwise you will be difficult to hear and your voice will be distorted.
Do not shake it or move it from side to side during a verbal answer, although you want to supplement your already golden answer with non-verbal speech.
If you have naughty finger syndrome, try to calm them down or ask your supervisor how to lock the keyboard so you don't accidentally poke while answering and erase or stop the recording.
Hold the recording device vertically in front of your mouth at a distance of 10-15 cm.

Breaks

There are short breaks (15 minutes) between parts of the exam. During this time, you can eat, smoke, chat with other test takers, but all this in the presence of an understanding person who makes sure that you do not leave the building, do not talk on the phone, and also do not receive test answers from test takers in other countries/cities / centers and did not themselves transmit the answers in Morse code, by playing drums, and, of course, in no case did they use pigeon mail.

results

On the official website in your profile in the “Meine Prüfung” section in the “TestDaF-Ergebnis” column the earliest date for receiving results will be indicated. My date was March 24. And it was on this day that everyone in our group learned of their success. I opened my page with the results, not being completely sober, so it’s hard for me to even imagine how terrible this hour X is, being of sound mind and sober memory. Then I opened the page with my results more than once, because I couldn’t believe that I did it!

Good luck to you and may all your German-German dreams come true!