German Exams Frequently Asked Questions

The exams of the Goethe-Institut are available to anyone interested, regardless of the exam candidate’s citizenship. They are designed to demonstrate knowledge in German as a second language and/or as a foreign language.

We do recommend a minimum age for taking the exams:

• GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT A1: FIT IN DEUTSCH 1: 10 years of age and older
• GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT A2: FIT IN DEUTSCH, GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT B1 for teenagers and GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT B2 for teenagers (from 1st Aug. 2019): 12 years of age and older
• GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT A1-C2: 16 years of age and older

Potential exam participants, who are younger than the recommended age or whose age varies considerably from the recommended ages above may not appeal their exam results on the grounds of their age, e.g. because the topics are not suited to their age.
 

Goethe-Institut Hongkong makes every effort to accommodate participants with disabilities (such as chronic illnesses, visual or hearing impairment). Level and type of chronic illness/disability must be disclosed upon registering for the exam and be confirmed by a doctor’s attestation. We are obligated to maintain strict confidentiality.

More detailed information can be obtained directly during the opening hours of our language office (Mon-Fri 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sat 1:00 PM-6:00 PM). Alternatively, please send us an email at exams.hongkong@goethe.de.

The attendance of one of our exams requires neither prior attendance at a specific language school or in a prep course nor the acquisition of a lower level certificate.

However, we recommend attending one of our test preparation courses or booking individual lessons with a teacher. There you will learn the necessary linguistic and exam-specific skills that will help you succeed on the exam.

For current courses that we have on offer, please check our language courses.

The Goethe-Zertifikats A1 through C2 correspond to the ‘Common European Framework of References for Languages (GER)’. You can check the classification under:
Level classification of the Goethe-Institut exams and language courses

To find out your current language proficiency in German, please take one of our placement tests:

• Placement test online
• Placement test at Goethe-Institut Hongkong

Learning is an individual process. How much time you need to attain a certain level depends on various and individual factors: your commitment, your time input, and your taking advantage of additional practice resources.

Should you already have studied one or more languages, you may learn German faster. It makes a big difference if you participate in a language course in your home country or in Germany, where you will be exposed to the German language outside the classroom.

Also of relevance is the intensity of the instruction (intensive vs. standard courses, for example). Please write to us at exams.hongkong@goethe.de and request a personal consultation.
 

Goethe-Zertifikat exams	Minimum amounr of attended 45-minute units of teaching (depending on previous knowledge and learning conditions)
Goethe-Zertifikat A1 Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Fit in Deutsch 1	80-200 teaching units
Goethe-Zertifikat A2 Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch	200-350 teaching units
Goethe-Zertifikat B1	350-650 teaching units
Goethe-Zertifikat B2	600-800 teaching units
Goethe-Zertifikat C1	800-1000 teaching units
Goethe-Zertifikat C2	at least 1000 teaching units

For each exam level you will find practice and info materials for download on our website.

Our libraryalso offers a wide selection of language learning and exam preparation material. Come on over and find out!

Some exams offer distance learning material and online courses.

Learning German by correspondence course

Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP), Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS) and Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS) are recognized for study at a college/university in Germany, and exempt one from taking the TestDaF exam or any similar exam.

To find out more about the language requirement of a specific university and/or a course or field of study in Germany, request information directly from the university, or visit www.sprachnachweis.de.

You can find current exam dates at Goethe-Institut Hongkong here.
For exam dates at exam venues outside of Hong Kong, please go here.

You can find exam fees at Goethe-Institut Hongkong directly next to the respective exams and exam dates.

Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Fit in Deutsch 1
The exam is deemed to have been passed if at least 30 points (50% of the maximum point score) have been earned and if all sections of the exam have been completed.

Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1
The exam is deemed to have been passed if at least 60 points (60 % of the maximum point score) have been earned and if all sections of the exam have been completed.

Goethe-Zertifikat A2
Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch
Goethe-Zertifikat B2
Goethe-Zertifikat C1
The exam is deemed to have been passed when at least 60 points (60 % of the maximum point score) have been earned and if all sections of the exam have been complet-ed. Of these points, at least 45 points must have been earned in the written exam and at least 15 points in the oral exam. Otherwise, the entire exam will be deemed to have been failed.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1
Goethe-Zertifikat B2(modular)
Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom
A module is deemed to have been passed if at least 60 points or 60% are attained.

You can know more about the Goethe certificates by clicking on the examination title.
 

The exam as a whole can be re-taken as often as needed. Details on re-taking the exam or part of the exam can be found under Terms and conditions for exam administration.
 

We only offer the C2 exam once a year. Therefore, the exam is not planned for the second half of the year. However, we are available as needed, and interested individuals can contact us individually by email.

Candidate should bring their IDs or other official document where their name is written in Latin letters.
 

Candidates who arrive late for the examination must adhere to the timetable set by the examination centre. In order to minimise the risk of candidates arriving late for the examination, they will be clearly informed in advance that they must arrive for the examination with an appropriate lead time. 

If you cannot take the exam because you are sick before or during the exam, please send us an email exams.hongkong@goethe.de within 5 working days after the exam providing written proof of your illness in the form of an official doctor's statement. In this case, we will refund the exam fees in full.

If there is a typhoon with signal no. 8 or higher, the exam(s) will be cancelled. In this case, we will provide a substitute exam date for the cancelled (parts of the) exams within 2 weeks. The exam fee already paid will be transfered to the substitute exam date.

We normally release the exam results online 15 working days after the day of the exam.
We issue the digital exam certificates 2 working days after the release of the exam results.

The results of the exam may only be appealed within two weeks of receiving one’s exam results.

All appeals are to be submitted in writing to the management of the exam center where the exam was taken.

The person in charge of the exam may reject appeals that are unfounded or are based on unsatisfactory reasons. Merely pointing out that a certain number of points was not achieved does not qualify as a sufficient reason for an appeal.

The person in charge of the exam at the exam center shall decide whether the appeal is accepted. In case of doubt he/she shall consult the Goethe-Institut head office, which shall decide the matter. The decision on the appeal is final.
 

Starting from August 2024, the Goethe-Institut Hongkong will only issue digital certificates. In exceptional cases, we can provide a printed certificate for a fee of 500 HKD.

Goethe-Zertifikats A1 through C2 do not expire.

Many institutions and employers, however, expect the certificate to be dated not more than two years ago.

The certificates of the Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP), das Kleine Deutsche Sprachdiplom (KDS) und das Große Deutsche Sprachdiplom (GDS) will be valid after the introduction of the new Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom and with the change of the the exam offers on the level C2 beginning 01.01.2012.

No duplicate will be issued.

If the exam was taken within the last ten years, the testing location where you took the exam will issue a substitute document for a fee. At Goethe-Institut Hongkong, we incur a fee in the amount of HKD 100.

In the case of a name change (for example due to marriage, adoption, divorce, etc.), neither a new certificate nor a substitute document will be issued.

A change of name can be verified either with an official document from the relevant authority (birth certificate, marriage license, etc.) or a notarized copy of the above.

Name/ spelling of name must be documented via photo ID during registration at the testing location. The certificate for the exam will be issued based on this previously recorded personal information.