Metadata

Title: German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH)
Category: courses
UUID: 0cdaaba5d6744e3bbe3732302c0b11f5

Source URL: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/studying/international-students/learning-german/germa...
Parent URL: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/studying/international-students/learning-german
Crawl Time: 2026-03-19T07:02:53+00:00

German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH)

Source: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/studying/international-students/learning-german/german-language-proficiency-test-for-admission-to-higher-education-dsh-1 Parent: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/studying/international-students/learning-german

The DSH is a German language examination which certifies sufficient German skills for studying at a German university. The DSH consists of a written and an oral examination.

German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH)

The DSH is a German language examination which certifies sufficient German skills for studying at a German university. The DSH consists of a written and an oral examination.

Current information

DSH Examination results

Results of the written DSH from March 08, 2024 and dates of the oral DSH.

Download (PDF)

General information

Fee

Examination fee: €140

Entry to the examination requires proven payment of the fee.

Dates

Summer semester 2025

Registration deadline: February 28, 2025\ Written examination: March 14, 2025\ Oral examination: March 26–28, 2025

Winter semester 2025/2026

Registration deadline: August 29, 2025\ Written examination: September 12, 2025\ Oral examination: September 24–26, 2025

Written DSH

The written DSH consists of three parts

Written comprehension (LV) and academic language structures (WS)
Listening comprehension (HV)
Performing a written task following set instructions (TP)

An exact description of the individual elements of the examination can be found in the DSH-Prüfungsordnung1 (PDF).

Please note the following examination rules:

Candidates may not have access to a cellular phone, a smart phone or a smart watch for the duration of the examination.
Candidates may only write on the examination papers with a non-erasable ball-point pen. Candidates may not use an erasable felt pen (e.g. Frixion Tintenroller) or lead pencils. The use of Tippex is prohibited. Non-compliance with these rules will lead to the papers not being marked.
Candidates may make use of a German-German dictionary; bilingual dictionaries are prohibited.
Dictionaries brought into the examination may not contain hand-written notes; this will be classified as attempted misconduct.

Any infringement of these regulations will result in immediate exclusion from the DSH examination; the candidate will be awarded a FAIL grade.

Download

Musterprüfung DSH (HV): Die Bedeutung der Familie2 (Audio)\ Musterprüfung DSH (HV): Transkript, Aufgaben und Lösungen3 (PDF)\ Musterprüfung DSH (LV): Text, Aufgaben und Lösungen4 (PDF)\ Musterprüfung DSH (WS): Aufgaben und Lösungen5 (PDF)\ Musterprüfung DSH (TP): Aufgaben und Erwartungshorizont6 (PDF)

Musterprüfung FaDaF7

Oral DSH

The oral examination is conducted individually and consists of three parts:

An introductory phase with a presentation,
A short presentation on a general academic or current socio-political issue,
Questions on the student’s presentation and/ or their field of study.

The questions section will not exceed 20 minutes.

Download

Musterprüfung DSH (MP): Text und Aufgaben8 (PDF)

Acceptance and Admission

Acceptance of the DSH certificate

The DSH provided at the University of Bonn is since December 23, 2021 with the HRK (university rectors' conference) registered - registration number: 32-12/21. The DSH certificate can be accepted at other universities all over Germany.

Registered DSH-examination regulations9

2024 DSH results for the University of Bonn compared to other universities nationwide10 (PDF)

Admission to the examination and German language certificates for enrollment

Applicants from non-EU states can only sit the DSH at the University of Bonn after they have been granted admission to the University of Bonn!

Applicants from EU states can register for the DSH directly with the German as a Foreign Language section via email.

Holders of the DSH 2 certificate are eligible for enrollment in almost all degree programs at the University of Bonn.

DSH 3 is required for the following degree program:

Master of Education

For the following degree programs, DSH 1 is sufficient:

English Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
Anthropology of the Americas (Bachelor of Arts)
Spanish Culture in its European Context (Master of Arts)
Latin American Cultural Studies (Master of Arts)
Applied Linguistics (Master of Arts)
English Literatures and Cultures (Master of Arts)
Spanish Culture and European Identity (Master of Arts)

Exemption from the DSH and examination regulations

Cases in which individuals are exempt from the DSH requirement are regulated in the DSH examination regulations at the University of Bonn. Applications for exemption from the DSH examination are to be submitted to the examination committee chairperson Dr. Andrea Lax-Küten via email.

Further Information:

DSH Preparatory Courses

The University of Bonn provides language courses for university applicants who wish to prepare for the German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH).

Learn more13

Contact

Sonja Hammer

sonja.hammer@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 73-7708

German language courses and language examinations

2.005

Poppelsdorfer Allee 102

53115 Bonn (Germany)

Dr. Andrea Lax-Küten

a.lax-kueten@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 73-5945

Examination chairperson

2.003

Poppelsdorfer Allee 102

53115 Bonn (Germany)

German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH)

German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education (DSH)

Current information

General information

Acceptance and Admission

DSH Preparatory Courses

Contact

Links