The Paper-Based TestDaF

The Paper-Based TestDaF

At TestDaF Testing Centre: Kapitel Zwei Berlin

Do you need the TestDaF Certificate to prove an advanced language level at a German university? Then register with the TestDaF Institute and select Kapitel Zwei Berlin.

Kapitel Zwei TestDaF Prüfungszentrum

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The Paper-Based TestDaF – The Proven Language Exam for your Studies in Germany

What is the TestDaF?

TestDaF stands for the Test – Deutsch als Fremdsprache (German as a foreign language). The TestDaF is a standardized exam that is conducted externally by the TestDaF Institute. This takes place at hundreds of TestDaF centers around the world on the same day – including at Kapitel Zwei Berlin. The standard and quality of the exam are reviewed periodically.

The TestDaF exam may be taken as the Paper-Based TestDaF or as the Digital TestDaF.

Kapitel Zwei offers both the paper-based and digital exams!

Structure of the Exam

How many tasks are there? Which type of tasks are there? How long is each component of the exam? Find FAQs here:

Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Written Production, Spoken Production

The Paper-Based TestDaF, as the name suggests, is taken partially on paper, with some components completed via computer.

The Paper-Based TestDaF consists of four components and lasts for 3 hours and 15 minutes of highly concentration work.

The exam is always structured in the same way. First, you will work on Reading Comprehension tasks. In the Listening comprehension sub-test, you will hear spoken texts as an mp3 (via computer). Then you will write a handwritten text in the Written Production sub-test. The Spoken production sub-test is completed via computer(!): You will listen to the tasks on a headset and your answers will be recorded. There will be no discussion with a real examiner sitting in front of you. You will receive printed test booklets for all parts of the exam.

Reading Comprehension

3 Reading Texts

Short texts
Pieces of journalism
Texts from an academic journal

30 Items

10 matching items
10 Multiple Choice items
10 items yes/no/not included in text

60 minutes

TestDaF Prüfung Berlin Lesen

Listening Comprehension

3 Audio Texts

Dialogue
Interview
Lecture

25 Items

8 short answers
10 items true/false
7 short answers

40 minutes

TestDaF Prüfung Berlin Hören

Written Production

1 Task

1 Write a structured text with clear arguments and descriptions of a diagram.

60 minutes

TestDaF Prüfung Berlin Schreiben

Spoken Production

7 Tasks

Speak in various typical situations at university

35 minutes

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Contents of the Exam Sub-tests

The Paper-Based TestDaF

As you may already know from your Kapitel Zwei preparation course, many of the topics and tasks in the Paper-Based TestDaF are directly related to university studies.

All topics are based on important communicative skills that can be used in classes, discussions, study groups as well as other parts of your studies. For example, you will evaluate other students’ comments in a seminar, take notes on a lecture, or summarize a text.

Just imagine you are at the university and need to apply various communication skills. For example, you will read a text and then summarize it verbally or hear a presentation and read a summary of it.

TestDaF – preparation
€ 320
online or offline
Licensed trainer
Experienced exam centre
More information

Reading Comprehension

In the Exam

This sub-test lasts for 60 minutes. Here you will work on three reading texts with different objectives: research and project reports, descriptive and argumentative texts, and short texts/ abstracts. The topics all come from different fields; however, you do not need any special knowledge.

You should:

get an overview of the main statements of short texts
understand different main ideas and topics, key facts, and arguments, as well as implicit meanings
recognize the structure and context of the text, as well as the author’s approach and objectives in the text.

For each correctly solved items in this sub-test, you will receive one point with a total of 30 possible points.

Listening Comprehension

In the Exam

This sub-test lasts for 40 minutes. You will listen to three spoken texts and hear from 1-3 participants (conversations about everyday study, interviews, or discussions as well as excerpts from lectures). You process the information with different goals as you would in your studies.

You should …

gather explicit individual information and key vocabulary
understand main messages and key themes
understand implicit information and the speaker’s objectives
briefly summarize important statements about a lecture or a conversation in bullet points

You will receive one point for each correctly solved item in this sub-test with a total of twenty-five points.

Written Production

In the Exam

This sub-test lasts for 60 minutes. You will work on a task with a given, socially relevant topic or questions. You will express yourself clearly and coherently in written form. In doing so, you will use various sources and pursue different goals in your writing, just as you will later in your studies.

You should

write clearly structured texts with coherent arguments
formulate your own position in a way that is appropriate for the target audience and restate others’ opinions in your own text
Use information from various sources (short text, diagrams) in your text and correctly paraphrase or describe data from these sources.
Revise and correct your own texts

Your text will be marked by assessors at the central TestDaF-Institute.

Spoken Production

In the Exam

This sub-test lasts for 35 minutes.You will complete seven tasks and speak about different study-related and/or socially relevant topics in different communication situations just as you would in your studies (e.g., in the university administration, in study groups, in seminars). In doing so, you will express different speaking objectives and goals.

You should:

gather information, report about something, and substantiate your claims,
collect ideas on a given topic; plan and structure your statement; develop your own argumentation,
formulate your own point of view, weigh advantages and disadvantages,
describe data from a graph and present its implications; develop and present hypotheses

What you say will be centrally assessed by TestDaF Institute assessors.

Kapitel Zwei offers both the paper-based and digital exams!

Assessment of the Paper-Based TestDaF

In the Reading and Listening Comprehension sub-tests, the answer sheets will be marked mechanically i.e., with a scanner. Experienced and trained assessors evaluate the performance in the Spoken and Written Production sub-tests using predefined criteria.

TestDaF

Further information

Are you already set for the TestDaF? Tips and exercises are available here as a pdf.

What’s the difference between TestDaF exam and telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule? You will find the answers here.

What’s the difference between TestDaF exam and the DSH exam? You will find the answers here (written in German).

of course, you can always take the exam with us, Kapitel Zwei Berlin, a licensed examination centre.

Feel free to email us should you have any further questions regarding your intensive preparation course TestDaF in Berlin: berlin(at)kapitel-zwei.de

TestDaF – preparation
€ 320
online or offline
Licensed trainer
Experienced exam centre
More information