The Goethe Institut has an excellent list for learning all about available German language proficiency tests. Its examinations are highly respected and internationally recognized.
A brief overview:
Basis Language Use: A1 or A2 (course and/or proficiency test)
Independent Language Use: B1 or B2 (course and/or proficiency test)
Proficiency: C1 and C2 (course and/or proficiency test)
Click here for more detailed information.
For adults, language learning can sometimes seem frustrating, when there seems to be little progress and the learning curve just does not seem to go up. I would always recommend taking the proficiency test to confirm and, hopefully, reward one’s efforts with a certificate. But the most significant fact is to get started – whether you plan to be here in Germany on a short-term basis or plan on moving here. Get started with Start Deutsch 1, take the low-level proficiency test, such as A1, and keep moving on. Suggested book for practice tests: Start Deutsch 1
To get a better idea which testing level is most suitable for you – whether you are applying to German university, an adult moving to Germany, or a foreign adolescent resident of Germany wanting credit for the next school – take a look at this German language proficiency graph.
10 reasons to learn German posted by the Goethe Institut.
Most inquiries about which level of German proficiency one must obtain come from foreign students wanting to apply to a German university.
This is what the Goethe Institut has to say:
The TestDaF is a language examination at an advanced level. It covers levels B2 to C1 of the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference. The TestDaF exam is the language qualification that facilitates admission to university and is recognized by every university in Germany.
No specialist knowledge is required.
If you have successfully completed all four partial examinations at TestDaF level 4, the certification you will then obtain is valid as a language qualification for admission to any university in Germany. The TestDaF language examination is also internationally recognized proof of your knowledge of German for scientific projects and academic professions.
If you have any further questions, then please contact me.
[…] certificate for their professional career, others just get frustrated with their pace of learning German. Nevertheless, if you can imbed a sense of humor into your language learning, like Mark Twain did, […]