Hardly any other language offers such a wealth of language diplomas and examinations as German. Here you can get a helpful overview of the language levels and the appropriate diplomas.
You can also find out here how you can quickly and easily take the online German language test from the renowned education portal Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to reliably determine your current level of German. This will provide you with a particularly useful basis for choosing the right diploma course.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has developed a standardized grid regarding the learning level and learning progress in a foreign language. The levels are divided into six different levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2). This means that diplomas in Spanish, German, Italian, English and French can now be entered into a standardized cross-language system. This is regarded as a generally valid standard and offers a helpful orientation with regard to the foreign language skills achieved by the graduate.
Those seeking a German diploma are spoilt for choice: numerous important institutions offer internationally recognized diploma examinations that include all six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The Goethe-Institut is also the only language institute to offer a diploma examination which is one category above the top C2 level and is known as Level C2+.
| German level / level | Description of the competencies | German language test |
| A1 | You understand everyday terms and words and can form simple, short sentences on the simplest topics. You can introduce yourself, name your hobbies, where you come from and what you do for a living. |
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| A2 | You can keep up well in everyday conversations and understand sentences and expressions that are often used in context. You can communicate well in recurring everyday situations (shopping, ordering in a restaurant, etc.). |
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| B1 | You can hold everyday conversations without making any mistakes. You can also understand and write appropriate texts well. As long as the other person has a clear language of expression, you have no difficulty converting. |
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| B2 | Your language skills are well advanced. You can hold everyday conversations practically flawlessly and without difficulty. Writing everyday texts is also easy for you. You also understand the content of demanding and complex texts. You can communicate with native speakers without any problems. |
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| C1 | Your knowledge of the foreign language is very comprehensive. Local literature and demanding specialist texts are no problem. You understand idioms and jokes in the respective language and also understand words and synonyms that are rarely used. |
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| C2 | You have an almost perfect command of the foreign language and when you are in conversation with native speakers you converse and discuss at almost the same level. You can both understand and produce technically complex texts. |
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| C2+ | Your language skills exceed level C2. With this level, you can even work as a teacher in a foreign language country as a non-native speaker. |
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Anyone who has not completed their Matura in German must prove their German language skills before they can be admitted to a university or college. There are various German certificates that non-native speakers can present if they wish to study at a German-speaking university. Depending on the educational institution, individual German certificates may be preferred or not recognized, so be sure to contact the university in advance. The required level is at least C1. The following German certificates are very much in demand for admission to a university - but can also vary:
Most courses of study at higher technical colleges, as well as the Interpret certificate or three- and four-year basic training courses, require proof of language proficiency at level B2 before starting training. Here too, it is essential to clarify in advance with the relevant school which German diplomas are recognized. The following certificates are common:
After successfully passing a language test at level A2 or higher, no further proof of German language skills needs to be submitted when applying for naturalization.
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