Reading and structures
A longer academic text with comprehension questions, plus tasks on academic language structures.
About 90 minDSH
The Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang is set and graded by each university itself. It isn’t a CEFR exam as such: it tests whether you can follow academic texts and build a structured written argument.
DSH-1 to DSH-3University entranceSet by the universityDSH-2 is the norm
Not every exam opens the same door.
Before you choose a level, check what the office asking for the certificate requires. These are the three most common reasons people take this one.
DSH-1DSH-2DSH-3
- University admissionDSH-2 is what most German-taught degree courses ask for. DSH-1 is only enough for some subjects and Studienkollegs.
- An alternative to C1If you already hold Goethe C1 or telc C1 Hochschule, you usually don’t need the DSH, and the other way round.
- Subject-specific admissionMedicine, law and some humanities subjects occasionally ask for DSH-3.
Why not being modular changes everything
At Goethe a strong Lesen can’t rescue a weak Schreiben. At the DSH it can, because the overall percentage counts. So a weak part pulls the whole result down, and a strong one pulls it up.
How the DSH is structured.
Based on the published format. Timing and the number of parts can vary by level and version, and your test centre’s model exam is always the reference.
Listening
A lecture-length talk. You take notes, then answer questions, so note-taking is part of the task.
About 60 minText production
An argumentative or descriptive task, often based on a chart or a set of statistics.
About 60 to 70 minOral exam
A short talk on a prepared text, followed by a discussion with the examining board.
About 20 minPractised in the real format
Deutschtrainer keeps its own task format for the DSH: the number of parts, the instructions, the timing and the scoring rule. Switching exams never means starting from scratch.
What actually counts for passing.
Four points that make the difference between “well prepared” and “passed”, and that practice often misses.
Every university tests differently
Structure and weighting are set by the university running it. Always look at the model exam of the exact university you’ll sit it at.
Three grades, one result
57 to 66% gives DSH-1, 67 to 81% DSH-2 and 82% or more DSH-3. The oral exam has to be passed as well.
Not modular
Unlike Goethe and ÖSD, the DSH is retaken as a whole. One weak part pulls the overall result down.
Your notes are part of the exam
In Hörverstehen the quality of your notes decides your answers. It can be practised, and it rarely is.
Your exam date is fixed. Your preparation shouldn’t be.
Tell Deutschtrainer which certificate you booked and the level you need. From then on, everything points at the day you sit in the exam room.