DSH Sample Exam

In the DSH, you should prove that you can:

  • understand and analyse a written text (assessment of reading comprehension), identify academic language structures relevant to understanding the text and specific passages, and use such structures yourself (assessment of knowledge of academic language structures).
  • follow a spoken lecture and answer questions about it (listening comprehension test).
  • express yourself in writing independently and coherently on a given topic (text production).
  • speak about written information (text, images, and/or graphics) related to your field of study and respond appropriately in conversation (assessment of oral communication skills).

The DSH assesses these skills through a written exam (1–3) and an oral exam (4).

1. ASSESSMENT OF READING COMPREHENSION AND KNOWLEDGE OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE STRUCTURES

You will be given a text of 4,000 to 6,000 characters, which may also include a graphic, a chart, or a diagram. Based on this text, you are expected to, for example:

  • answer questions related to the text
  • explain specific passages in the text
  • illustrate connections
  • identify and paraphrase grammatical structures in the text

This section of the exam lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Reading comprehension: Example task – Example text

Grammar: Example task

2. ASSESSMENT OF LISTENING COMPREHENSION

You will listen to a lecture (5,500 to 7,000 characters) and complete related tasks. Tasks may include:

  • Answering questions about the text
  • Filling in missing information in a table or list
  • Determining whether statements are true or false
  • Summarizing, explaining, or paraphrasing a specific section or aspect of the text

This section of the exam lasts approximately 80 minutes.

The audio text is presented twice:

Before the first reading, the audio text is introduced using, for example, outline points, vocabulary aids, or visual aids.

After the first reading, participants receive the task sheet and have 10 minutes to complete the tasks.

This is followed by the second listening and 40 minutes to complete the tasks.

Listening comprehension: Preview – Example task – Listening text

3. GUIDELINE-BASED WRITING (ARGUMENTATION)

  • Time: 70 minutes
  • Permitted resources: monolingual German-as-a-foreign-language dictionary

The written exam concludes with the text production (TP) section. This involves writing an argumentative essay on a given topic. To help you write the essay, you will be provided with a template containing information from various sources (e.g., charts, expert opinions, etc.). You should then incorporate relevant information into your own argument in a meaningful way. The text concludes with a statement of opinion. You have 70 minutes for this part of the exam. It is recommended that you use the first 10 minutes to carefully review the material (the graphic and/or the quotes) and the instructions, to understand them, and to structure your text. It is important that you address all the points specified in the prompt. Your work will be evaluated on content, text structure, and coherence, as well as vocabulary and linguistic accuracy. The text should be approximately 250 words in length.

Text production: Example task – Grading rubric

4. ORAL EXAMINATION

You will be presented with a short text, an image, or a graphic related to the field of study you are pursuing. You will have 20 minutes to take notes on the exam questions using a monolingual dictionary. The dictionary and notepaper will be provided.

After the preparation period, you will answer the exam questions in a free-form presentation to the exam committee (which usually consists of three people). You may use your notes, but you may not read from a written text. The tasks are designed so that your presentation is followed by a discussion about the text’s topic. You will often be asked about your experiences and your opinion.

The oral exam lasts about 35 minutes (20 minutes of preparation and about 15 minutes in front of the examination board).

Please keep the following tips in mind:

  • Take notes only in the form of keywords! Do not write out complete sentences. During the exam, you are expected to speak as freely as possible.
  • Be proactive! Ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. Answer the examiners’ questions as thoroughly as possible! After all, they want to hear you speak!
  • The oral exam does not test your subject knowledge. If there is something you don’t know, that is not a problem. Here, too, it is your language skills that are being assessed, not your personal opinions.

Oral examination: Example task – Grading rubric