What is DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer)?
The DTZ exam, or Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, is a German language test for immigrants in Germany, evaluating their proficiency at the A2 and B1 levels. It's often a necessity for integration courses, residency permits, and citizenship submissions. The DTZ assesses listening and reading comprehension, as well as written and spoken skills.
Requirements for participation are:
· Understanding the Latin alphabet
· A minimum age of 16 years
· A valid eligibility for the integration course (including mandatory candidates)
or
previous participation in at least one section of the integration course (without eligibility, at your own expense)
The DTZ at a Glance
Structure and duration of the exam
The test takers work on communicative tasks in the four skill areas of listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The exam is piloted in two parts: a written and an oral exam.
The written exam comprises the "Listening and Reading" and "Writing" divisions. In "Listening and Reading", candidates are required to understand spoken and written texts. They crack a total of 45 questions for various texts by marking the answers on an answer sheet. In the "Writing" section, they compose a letter. The oral exam consists of five questions and is conducted as a written examination.
Content of the Exam
The topics of the German test for immigrants reflect twelve areas of activity in which immigrants want/need to act in German. These are:
-
Offices and authorities
-
Career and job search
-
Initial and continuing education
-
Banks and insurance companies
-
Care and education of children
-
Shopping, health, media use, mobility, education/training, and housing
In addition, the exam covers cross-functional communication areas, including:
-
Dealing with the migration situation
-
Realization of feelings
-
Attitudes and opinions
-
Dealing with dissent and conflict
-
Creating social contacts
-
Dealing with your language learning
Key Aspects of the DTZ Exam:
-
Levels: Assesses German language skills at levels A2 and B1.
-
Purpose: Used for integration courses, residency permits, and citizenship applications.
-
Sections: Includes written (listening, reading, and writing) and oral (speaking) components.
-
Development: Jointly developed by the Goethe-Institut and telc gGmbH.
-
Recognition: Part of the integration course system and recognized for citizenship applications.
Exam Format and Content:
The DTZ consists of a written and an oral part, with the written exam testing listening comprehension, reading, and written expression, and the oral exam testing the participants’ communicative skills. The test delivers a comprehensive insight into candidates’ language skills and presents detailed feedback with can-do statements to evaluate individual strengths and weaknesses.
The DTZ A2-B1 is not only a test of language skills for immigrants, but also an important step towards integration in Germany. With the required personal registration, specific documentation, and clearly defined examination times, careful preparation for participation in the DTZ is essential. By passing the test at level B1, candidates can also prove their language skills for naturalization in Germany.
Examination Parts
Requirements
Candidates should understand audio texts from various sources of public and everyday life in Germany (e.g., telephone messages, reports, announcements and instructions, radio broadcasts, and conversations between native speakers).
Task format
The "Listening" section of the exam consists of four parts with 20 questions in total. Parts 1 and 2 involve listening to short announcements, e.g., on the telephone or the radio. Part 3 presents four conversation situations, and Part 4 includes understanding individual statements on a topic.
Sequence
-
The lyrics are played back and have all necessary pauses. All lyrics are heard once.
-
Candidates can write the answers to the listening texts in their worksheet while listening or directly on the answer sheet.
-
Only answers on the answer sheet will be marked.
The “listening” part of the exam lasts approximately 25 minutes in total.