Just a really quick post for anyone looking to enter a German institute of higher education and wondering what level they require and how that matches up with the system that's often quoted elsewhere of the CEFR (with levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 & C2 being the most advanced).
First of all, the TestDaF is a test like the English language tests IELTS, TOEFL, etc, in that you get a score and your entry requirement is usually some minimum score. To keep this brief, I'll skip the foreplay and get straight to it. The comparison between TestDaF results and the CEFR scale can be found here:
http://www.testdaf.de/teilnehmer/tn-info_nivea_stufen.php
with some detail about the abilities required at each level here:
http://www.testdaf.de/teilnehmer/tn-info_nivea.php
There is some overlap between the categories which can be summarised as follows:
TDN 3 = B2.1 - B2.2 (i.e., a high score on the B2 exam)
TDN 4 = B2.2 - C1.1
TDN 5 = C1.1 - C1.2
In short, if the entrance requirement for your target university (or school) in German is TDN 3, then you should ensure you're a solid B2. If it's TDN 4 or above, make sure you're a solid C1. And don't aim low! Better to overshoot and find the exam easy than to risk failing the exam. It might seem like a waste of time to do the extra preparation, but an EVEN BIGGER WASTE OF TIME is to fail the exam!
The great part of learning a language is that study can come in many forms - sure, sometimes that's reading grammars and trying to memorise words, but it's also often listening (with focus!) to something you enjoy, watching movies and trying to understand them, and, best of all, making new friends and speaking to their hearts in their own language, instead of just their heads.
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