DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang)

Yesterday I took the third part of the German Language Exam for Entrance to Higher Education which compares to the Test of English as a Foreign Language except that, as it says, is expressly written to test preparedness for university study as opposed to the more general TOEFL and is pass/fail rather than on a scale. The administration is also completely different. The DSH can be taken at any university in Germany and any passing grade from any university fulfills the language requirement at any other university. However, the test itself is administered independently by every university. The professors at each university write the test for that university. There is no standard test or centralized administration. Because of this you have some tests that are easier than others. In Berlin, for example, the test at the Free University is the easiest, but the preparation courses at Humboldt U are the best. I have heard that the easiest test in Germany, if it can be called a test at all, is at Mannheim University in southwestern Germany. I don't have any idea how the one in Potsdam compares.

The DSH has four parts: three writing sections and one speaking. To pass you have to have 67% on each section. If you pass the three writing sections then you pass the exam as a whole and don't have to take the speaking test. If you don't get the required 67% on one or more of the writing sections, but still have more than 50%, then you have to take the speaking test. I find out whether or not I passed on the 29th of July and then if necessary, I'll take the speaking test on the 30th.