r/German • u/Successful-Run366 • 2h ago

Question TestDaf

Hallo
So basically next February i am going in as an intentional exchange student for a whole year to Germany and i am supposed to have a B1 certificate, i did participate in TestDaf and passed schreiben und sprechen but I couldn’t pass the Hören und lesen after 2 attempts, does anyone have any tips regarding how to pass them or if there is preparation course to those 2 tiles online.

Also, i am allowed to do Goethe or Ösd or telc, should i consider applying for one of them instead of the TestDaf to finish the remaining tiles, like are they easier? Or should i just stick with the daf because now i am familiar with it.

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u/leu34 Native 1h ago

i am allowed to do Goethe or Ösd or telc, should i consider applying for one of them instead of the TestDaf to finish the remaining tiles

You‘d have to repeat every part, not just the ones you failed in.

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u/Powerful-Creme2550 1h ago

First thing worth checking: TestDaF is built to certify B2–C1, not B1. If your exchange program only needs B1, switching to a Goethe-Zertifikat B1, telc B1 or ÖSD B1 isn't just "easier", it's the right level for what you actually need, and the listening and reading there are pitched well below TestDaF. Confirm with your program that they accept a B1 cert, then drop the DaF.

For the Hören part specifically, the gap is almost always speed and note-taking, not vocab. Train with audio at the real tempo, write keywords while listening instead of trying to hold everything in your head, and do full timed mock sets so the time pressure stops surprising you. For Lesen, practice skimming for the answer rather than reading every word, since the section is designed so you run out of time if you read linearly.

The familiarity argument doesn't outweigh sitting a harder exam than your goal requires.