overview
The German language test is designed to measure knowledge and skills equivalent to students who have completed two to three semesters of college German language study.
Material taught in both years is covered in a single exam, covering both Level 1 and Level 2 content. ACE recommends 6 semester hours of credit for proficiency in Level 1 content (50 score) and 9 semester hours of credit for mastery of both Levels 1 and 2 (60 score). Colleges may award varying amounts of credit depending on a candidate’s test scores.
Knowledge and skills are required
Around 120 questions are to be answered in the exam in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. There are three separately timed sections. The three sections are weighted so that each question contributes equally to the total score.
The examination is conducted in three separately prescribed sections:
- Sections I and II: Listening
- Chapter III: Reading
German language test questions require candidates to demonstrate the skills listed in each of the categories below. Percentages indicate the approximate percentage of test questions that focus on each skill.
Division I and II (40%)
listening
- 15% Rejoinder: Ability to understand spoken language through small stimuli or everyday situations
- 25% Conversation and narration: Ability to understand language spoken by native speakers in long conversations and narration
Division III (60%)
to read
- 16% Part A. Discrete Sentences: Vocabulary and Structure Skills in Sentence Context
- 20% Part B. Short Closed Passages: Vocabulary and Structure Skills in Paragraph Context
- 24% Part C. Reading Comprehension: Ability to read and understand representative texts of varying styles and difficulty levels (eg, passages of about 200 words; short passages such as advertisements, signs, etc.)
Score information
ACE Recommendations for German Language
| Level 1 | |
|---|---|
| Credit-granting score | 50 |
| semester hours | 6 |
| Level 2 | |
| Credit-granting score | 60 |
| semester hours | 9 |
Note: Each institution reserves the right to set its own credit-granting policies, which may differ from those of the American Council on Education (ACE). Contact your college to find out the score required for credit and the number of credit hours awarded.
