Other than the Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF and DSH are the other most famous German Proficiency tests available for German learners. Today I will try and describe the fundamentals of TestDaF and DSH, including their structure, important dates, grading system, and information such as the price and registration procedure that you should be aware of before taking the test.
These tests are equivalent to TOEFL which is a proficiency test for the English language.
Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Test of German as a Foreign Language) is a standardized language test for learners of German.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a global standard for describing language proficiency. It assigns a six-point scale to language competence, ranging from A1 for novices to C2 for those who have mastered a language. This allows anybody involved in language education and testing, such as instructors or students, to quickly determine the degree of various credentials. It also implies that companies and educational institutions will be able to readily compare our credentials to those of other tests in their country.

The TestDaF certification ranks a person on the B2 to C1 level of competency on the six-level competence scale given forth in the Common European Framework of Reference and is recognised throughout German universities; however, the proficiency level required may vary by university. It is typically a 3 to 3.5-hour-long test that is administered at authorised centres (see below) and evaluates a person’s competency on four levels of reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
Registration and Test Schedule
The TestDaF is produced, revised, and maintained in Germany by the TestDaF Institute, and is exclusively available in India through Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, having test centres in Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Coimbatore, and Pune. Learners might search the TestDaF website for dates to register and take the test. It is presently provided six times a year in about 450 test sites across 90 countries.
Fees
The exam cost is determined by which of the three nation groups you represent! Candidates in Germany, for example, must pay 175 euros for the TestDaF, but students in Argentina pay 130 euros and Ethiopia only 90 euros. More information is available when you register for the exam, either online or at your test centre. The cost is only payable online at www.testdaf.de. The test cost for 2021 is 100 Euro, which is about Rs. 8500 in India.
Eligibility
A person should ideally have completed an intermediate level of the language, which equates to 700 – 1000 hours of German language study at a certified institute.

Test Structure
The exam is standardised, so it is the same across different centres, and it is evaluated over 5 points throughout 4 portions, for a grand total of 20. The admissible TestDaF score at various institutions is between 16 and 18, and it can be repeated an unlimited number of times. The four components on which a person is graded/tested are as follows:
Reading Comprehension
The segment is then broken into three parts, each lasting 60 minutes. In the first section, you must match 10 assertions to the corresponding 8 short paragraphs. Following that, you must read a journalistic/scientific piece and answer 10 multiple-choice questions in the second portion. Finally, you will be given a pretty complex scientific text/paragraph and asked to answer 10 questions in true/false or does not belong to the text based on your comprehension of the presented paragraph.
Listening Comprehension
The Listening Section, like the Reading Comprehension, is broken into three portions lasting 40 minutes. The first portion consists of a short sound clipping that is pretty easy, and you are asked to answer 8 questions swiftly after simply listening to the clipping once. The second clipping is slightly more difficult and is likewise played only once. The second section has ten True/False statements. The third clipping is the most difficult, however, it is played twice for your convenience. The section comprises of seven questions that must be answered in nonsensical German. It is crucial to remember that the purpose of the test is to determine how well you understand the German language, therefore it is essential to focus on the key pointers and not worry about the grammar in this section.
Writing
The final portion assesses your analytical talents as well as your ability to properly express them. The 60-minute test challenges you to compose a paragraph in 60 minutes on a specified topic. The part is mostly focused on graphical interpretation, which means you will be given a graph and asked to write down what you understand about it. This, however, is not required.

Speaking
A computerised test, the test lasts around 30 minutes and is divided into 7 subsections, with you needing to talk for approximately 2 – 3 minutes on each of the topics. You are given 0.5 – 2 minutes of prep time before each segment, following which you must record your voice on the computer, one after the other. Again, it is important to note that TestDAF, as a general rule, does not evaluate your grammar. The goal is to see if you can construct logical sentences, reason, and respond in German with a specific level of skill. While grammar is an essential component of every language, it is widely held that perfect grammar is not a criterion for determining proficiency in the language or not.
Grading and Result
As previously stated, the four sections are equally weighted and scored on a 5-point scale for a total of 20 points. The information is then collated and certified on three competence levels: TDN 5 (TestDaF Degree 5), TDN 4 (TestDaF Level 4), and TDN 3 (TestDaF Level 3), with 5 being the greatest level of competency. Again, it is best to consult with a university to understand the approved level, since an individual criterion may differ.
Another thing to bear in mind before writing the TestDAF is that the results are generally announced in three weeks. So, if you want to study in Germany, completing this test well in advance can help you understand your eligibility at different universities in Germany and also help your application process.
The TestDaF certificate is valid indefinitely. But in fact, some universities require “recent” language certificates (TestDaF or others) which are no older than 1, 2 or 3 years.
