TestDaF
What is TestDaF?
TestDaF (Test of German as a Foreign Language) is an international, centralized and standardized language test for German as a Foreign Language within a university context. It is aimed particularly at
- persons wishing to study in Germany who need proof of German proficiency
- persons who need to submit proof of German proficiency in their home country
- scholars planning their stay at a university in Germany wishing to assess their German skills
- all those who need proof of German proficiency for jobs in higher education
TestDaF assesses the candidate’s language skills in order to verify their ability to study at a university in Germany. The tasks revolve around the general topic of higher education.
For more detailed information about TestDaF, please check out the website of TestDaf-Institute.
Please note that our test center only offers the digital TestDaF.
Test center for TestDaF at the University of Würzburg is the Language Centre.
The following test dates are scheduled for 2026:
| Test | Date | Registration period | Exam location |
| TestDaF-2026/1 | March 3, 2026 | November 3, 2025 - February 19, 2026 | Room 00.035 at the Language Centre (Building 25, Hubland Nord) |
Yes, even those who are not enrolled at the University of Würzburg can take the TestDaF in Würzburg!
Registration for the exam takes place online on a website set up for this purpose by the TestDaF Institute registration. It is not possible to register directly at the test center of the University of Würzburg.
Candidates of the digital TestDaF will not be provided with a letter of admission in their participants portal. You will receive the necessary information about the exam location and start time about 5-6 days before the exam in your portal.
Further information on the registration procedure can be found at FAQ registration.
The TestDaF exam costs EUR 210,-. The examination fee is paid directly to the TestDaF Institute. Payment at the University of Würzburg test center is not possible.
Payment has to be made in the participant portal. You can choose either credit card, credit debit, PayPal, Alipay or immediate transfer (see FAQ). For payment via credit debit you have to be an account holder with a German bank or Sparkasse.
At the test center of the University of Würzburg, only the digital TestDaF is offered. The digital TestDaF is conducted online on the computer and consists of four parts.
- Reading (7 tasks with 34 items, duration: approx. 55 minutes)
- Listening (7 tasks with 30 items, duration: approx. 40 minutes)
- Writing (2 tasks, duration: approx. 60 minutes)
- Speaking (7 tasks, duration: approx. 35 minutes)
The processing time and number of tasks may vary in each part of the exam. In addition to the actual test tasks, all participants complete additional test tasks that are being trialed. However, all participants receive a test of the same length and these so-called scatter tasks are not taken into account when determining the test results.
All topics and tasks of the TestDaF are related to the university context. They are based on important communicative tasks in lectures, in discussions or working groups as well as on other study-related activities at the university.
Further information on structure and types of tasks of the TestDaF can be found on the website of the TestDaF Institute.
TestDaF is a centrally assessed exam. Test scores from all four parts of the test are divided into one of three levels:
- TestDaF Level 3 (TDN 3)
- TestDaF Level 4 (TDN 4)
- TestDaF Level 5 (TDN 5)
There is no one final grade, instead, the certificate shows one TestDaF level per skill.
The highest score you can achieve is TDN 5, the lowest TDN 3. Results that fall below level 3 are not graded. In this case, the certificate only states “below level 3”. In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the TestDaF levels 3, 4, and 5 correspond to levels B2 and C1.
Detailed information on the score assessment of the digital TestDaF is provided on the website of the TestDaF Institute.
Even if you have sufficient German language skills, you should try to get to know the structure of the exam. On the TestDaF Institue website original test material is provided.
The department of German as a Foreign Language at the Language Centre does not offer TestDaF preparation courses.
Deutsch-Uni Online (DUO) offers preparation courses.
About four weeks after the exam date, you will see your TestDaF results online in your participant portal and could print out your TestDaF certificate by yourself.
E-Mail: zfs-testdaf@uni-wuerzburg.de
University of Würzburg
Language Centre
Matthias-Lexer-Weg 25
97074 Würzburg
