DSH examination schedule

The DSH at the Studienkolleg is officially recognized. The registration of our examination location can be found on the website of the HRK, please click „Download DSH-Registrierungen". Further informations about DSH examination can also be found at FaDaF.

The DSH for foreign students is based on the examination regulations of 15 July 2021 (Prüfungsordnung (opens in new tab) der Technischen Universität Darmstadt über die „Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH)“ von Studienbewerbern mit einer ausländischen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung). Only prospective students who have been accepted by the Technische Universität Darmstadt, or another university may take this examination. The examination consists of one written and one oral examination.

Written Examination

Part 1 Understanding and working with an audio text
Duration: approx. 80 minutes (5 minutes for preparation, 10 minutes after the first text reading, 40 minutes after the second text reading, plus the listening time; the task sheets will be handed out before the first text reading)

When listening, you should first show that you can identify information (selectively). And on the other hand, that you can process information from the listening text (elaboratively). Here it is necessary to process given information accordingly and to formulate your answer linguistically appropriate.

Break, duration 10 minutes

Part 2 Exercise-oriented text production
Duration: 70 minutes

Here you should show that you can express yourself independently and coherently on a study-related and science-oriented topic and that you can write an argumentative factual text.

Break, duration 10 minutes

Part 3.1 Understanding and working with a reading text,
Part 3.2 Understanding and working with structures of academic language
Duration: 90 minutes

When reading, you should first show that you can identify information (selectively). And on the other hand, that you can process information from the reading text (elaboratively). Here it is necessary to process given information accordingly and to formulate your answer linguistically appropriate.

The tasks relating to the structures of scientific language are transformations tasks. Here you should transform participatory attributes to relative sentences, verbal structures to nominal structures, active to passive, “Passiversatz” to active or passive, indirect speech to direct speech or vice versa. You should also replace modal verbs with alternative expressions or vice versa.

Oral Examination

All candidates who have completed the written part with DSH-1, DSH-2 or DSH-3 will be invited to the oral examination. The oral examination takes approximately 15 minutes (20 minutes preparation time).

In the oral examination you should demonstrate that you are capable of spontaneously, fluently and satisfactorily expressing and understanding in communicative actions such as discussions, debates, evaluations, clarifications and explanations. You must also be able to employ interactive strategies, such as turn-taking, cooperation and asking for clarification. You receive information in the form of statistics, diagram or text. These should serve as a basis for your presentation and the exam interview. The topics covered do not depend on studies, but concern areas of general interest.