Placement tests are compulsory for all courses in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese with the exception of beginner courses. The tests are taken on the computer in the Mediothek, registration for the test is not necessary.
The placement test serves exclusively to assess your general language level, thus enabling a uniform level in the courses and effective teaching. Therefore it is also not possible to issue a certificate about the level you achieved.
It is not possible to prepare specifically for the placement test, but it is helpful to read some authentic texts in the corresponding language (e.g. newspapers) for about a week before the placement test or to reactivate your own language level via radio or television programs. It is also important to know how the test works.
Our placement test is the C-test used at many universities. C-tests are based on scientific findings and usually have a high measuring accuracy without high expenditure of time.
In the C-tests used in Hohenheim, in five authentic texts half of every second word is deleted. If you take a placement test, you will have to complete these missing halves of the words. The aim of the test is to understand what the five texts are about and then to fill gaps correctly as quickly as possible. For each correctly completed half of a word there is one point.
The result is displayed immediately after the test has been completed. The required score for the individual courses can be found in the course structure (see Downloads) or on the corresponding notice board at the Language Center.
If you have never taken a C-test before, you should definitely take a look at examples and take an online test to practice using the special characters of a language (e.g. é). In any case, it is advisable to read the brief instructions in the Mediothek before the test. The short instructions are available in German, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
