German Proficiency Test
A1 through C2, based on how you actually performed across all 40 questions — not a self-assessment guess.. See what your level means in plain language — what you can read and write confidently at that stage, and what sits just ahead of it.. Come back later and draw from one of 5 parallel forms — a real second read on your progress, not the same 40 questions again..
What You'll Discover
🎯Your CEFR level
A1 through C2, based on how you actually performed across all 40 questions — not a self-assessment guess.
📊A level you can act on
See what your level means in plain language — what you can read and write confidently at that stage, and what sits just ahead of it.
🔁A retake that means something
Come back later and draw from one of 5 parallel forms — a real second read on your progress, not the same 40 questions again.
Sample Result
🔬 Research & Sources
Levels are mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the Council of Europe's published standard for describing language ability — this is a free screening instrument, not an accredited certificate, and it carries no equivalence to the Goethe-Zertifikat or TestDaF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this test cover speaking and listening?
No. It measures written German only — grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and everyday workplace usage. Listening and speaking are two of the four CEFR skills and neither is in this test, so your band describes what you can do with text and says nothing about how you sound on a call.
Is this an official German certificate?
No. This is a screening instrument mapped to the published CEFR can-do descriptors, not an accredited certification. It is not equivalent to Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF or telc and should not be presented as one — those are administered under exam conditions, cover all four skills, and carry recognition with universities and immigration authorities that this test does not have.
Which German does it test — Germany, Austria or Switzerland?
Neutral working German of Germany. No item is decided by ß versus ss: Switzerland writes ss for every ß, and a candidate who spells that way is not penalised, because nothing here turns on which national orthography a reader uses — the case, the word order and the vocabulary are what is being measured. Everyday questions use 'du' and work questions use 'Sie', which is the ordinary workplace distinction.
How is my CEFR level calculated?
Every one of the 40 questions is written at a target CEFR level, and the levels are spread across the test rather than stacked from easy to hard. Your total correct score is compared against cut-scores derived from that mix: to be placed at a band you have to handle the items written at that band, not simply collect easy points. The four area scores are reported alongside the band but do not change it — the band comes from the total.
How many questions are there and how long does it take?
40 questions, about 15 minutes. There is no timer and no time pressure, so you can read each passage properly. Every question has exactly one correct answer, so unlike a personality test there is no way to answer 'as yourself' — it is a knowledge test.
Does ß versus ss affect my score?
No. Nothing on the test is decided by whether a word is spelled with ß or with ss — that would measure which country a candidate learned to write in, not their German. Where ß appears, it is never the only thing separating the correct option from a distractor.
Can I retake it?
The test ships in five parallel forms built to the same blueprint, so a retake draws a different set of 40 questions at the same difficulty mix rather than the same paper again. That said, written German moves with reading and practice, not with repeated attempts — a retake is worth taking after a few months of study, not the same afternoon.
What do the four area scores mean?
Grammar and structure is the machinery that decides a German sentence: the case a preposition demands, the verb that goes to the end of a subordinate clause, the prefix that detaches and comes back, and the gender that everything in front of the noun has to agree with. Vocabulary range is how precisely a word can be chosen, not simply how many are recognised — including the compound noun that says in one word what a loose phrase would only approximate. Reading comprehension is what can be pulled out of a realistic German passage, including the one detail a reader has to act on. Everyday workplace usage is the register of a work email, a shift handover or a request to a colleague — including when a situation calls for Sie rather than du. They are reported so you can see which area is holding your band where it is.
Can an employer use this to screen candidates?
That is what it is built for, within its limits. The result leads with the CEFR band and a plain-language description of what the person can do in written German at work, which is the form a hiring reader can act on. Two cautions: it evidences written German only, so it cannot stand in for a spoken interview, and it is a screening signal rather than a certificate — treat it as a filter and a conversation starter, not as proof.