First of all - the second phrase in the title above is just a pun by the writer. The writer dedicates this blog post to the group of 41 products of German A-Level Preparatory Program (GAPP), which arrived to Germany via its Frankfurt International Airport a.k.a. Fraport on the last March 15, 2014, and to the current GAPP students at the German-Malaysian Institute (GMI) in Bangi, Malaysia. This article is intended to provide simple yet sufficient information for them about the main challenge that awaits them in Germany once they arrive here: the TestDaF.
On Saturday March 15, 2014 - a group of 41 future students arrived at the Fraport. Once they came out from the arrival gate in Fraport Terminal 2, they were led to an area in the Terminal 2. There they were given short briefings by 2 officers from the General Consulate of Malaysia in Frankfurt am Main. Afterwards they were separated to 4 groups - each group would then journey to a different state in Germany: Bayern (Bavaria), Sachsen (Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North-Rhein Westphalia / NRW) and Hessen (Hesse). At each place they must then undergo a preparation course for the ultimate German language test for them - the TestDaF / Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (German as Foreign Language).
The writer congratulates them for making it this far and hope they have adjusted themselves well in their first week in Germany.
Financial Management during the Language Course
In a briefing by one of the officers, students were advised to manage their allowance smartly and told to spare a certain amount of money from their early allowance for certain reasons. From their monthly allowance they must pay for living costs: mostly for room rent, health insurance, cellphone bills and of course foods and drinks. Here the writer would like to urge these students to refrain from spending on large (read: expensive) items such as TV-Monitor, desktop PC, musical instruments etc, which would then trouble them during the process of relocation to their respective college.
The process of moving into a new rent room always involves a big sum of money. They need to consider the costs of transportation, deposit of the rent (which is usually 2 or 3 month of monthly rent), the first month rent, new furniture and so on, hence the reminder of sparing some money from their early allowance. Apart from those, they must also be prepared to pay the semester fee (€ 200 and above).
The TestDaF
From here onward, the writer addresses the 41 students as TestDaF candidates. The writer welcomes comments from other fellow students who have also experienced the TestDaF, especially those who scored 16 points and above, to share their opinions and tips.
The writer took a liberty to briefly view the website of TestDaF-Institut [1], to refresh himself on information regarding the TestDaF. The following is the summary on TestDaF along with tips/suggestions by the writer. TestDaF candidates are hereby recommended to read further information and tips at the official website (the website is unforgiving - everything is in German, but that is the whole point - to test your German language competence). The writer predicts that all 41 candidates will do their TestDaF on July 15, 2014 [2].
1) The Structure of TestDaF
The following image (Fig. 1) shows that TestDaF is divided to 4 parts in chronological order:
- Reading comprehension (Leseverstehen / LV),
- Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen / HV),
- Text composition (Schriftlicher Ausdruck / SA) and
- Oral (Mündlicher Ausdruck / MA).
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| Figure 1: The structure of TestDaF [3] |
The total time of the test is 3 hours and 10 minutes, without the break time. The answer papers with the recording of the oral test (yes, it will be recorded) would then be sent to the TestDaF-Institut in Bochum for evaluation [3]. It takes at least 6 weeks until the result will be released.
2) Grading
The test result on TestDaF-certificate will be ordered in 3 grade levels to all 4 parts:
- TestDaF-Niveaustufe 3 (TDN 3)
- TestDaF-Niveaustufe 4 (TDN 4)
- TestDaF-Niveaustufe 5 (TDN 5)
The highest grade is TDN 5 - which makes the total highest grade overall is 20. If a grade is below 3, then it will be displayed as 'unter TDN 3' - which is obviously undesired by any German university. In comparison to certain English language certificates which are only valid for 2 years, a TestDaF certificate is described as 'valid without limit' [3].
3) The Required Grade for Enrollment
A candidate is considered to have passed the TestDaF if the total grade or points is 12 (TDN 3 multiplied by 4). To the writer's knowledge, so far only colleges in Bayern that accept such result. The writer would like to shift the reader's attention to colleges in other states, particularly in Hessen. This can be regarded as a highly significant case study.
In the process of application for a placement at a Hessian college, generally it is sufficient for an applicant to provide that she/he has acquired 15 points.
HOWEVER, upon enrollment the candidate must provide a TestDaF-certificate with minimum 16 points, with minimum TDN 4 in every part of the test (4 times TDN 4). The reason behind this is: applicants with 15 points are expected to re-sit the TestDaF and improve their results after sending their college application.
To clarify this matter, last year the writer made a phone call to the Director of International Affairs of Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen and consulted the advisor-in-charge for foreign students of Hochschule Darmstadt. A common point from them was the logic of requiring every applicant to get 16 points and above. They insisted that foreign students should be competent in their German language, to provide the very basic strength in doing an undergraduate degree in Germany. The writer could only agree with them.
4) Tips/Suggestions
As a starter, the writer suggests that TestDaF candidates go through the TestDaF website and download everything available to help them: from the sample test papers in PDF format to the audio files for HV part in MP3 format.
Be active when possessing all those materials - analyze them.
Read articles that come along with tables and graphs. Many phrases to describe the statistics are so useful that they can be applied later especially in the part SA of the TestDaF.
Candidates should also always practice to answer the oral questions effectively. Their all hi-tech gadgets should be utilized to record their voices and replay them. Do mock oral tests during free time.
Stop listening to MP3s when candidates are in places full of German-speaking people. Pay attention to their pronunciation, accents and tones. Try to emulate their accent. Try to slightly understand the topic of their conversation - it may be a dry humor, or may be about their music taste, outing plan, their train destination, how old they are, what kind of pets they have, the current political situation in EU or elsewhere, etc. Whatever. Anything.
It is important to remember why all of this matters so much. The candidates should bear in mind that they will have to attend countless lectures, spend hours to write lab reports, digest lecture scripts and notes - everything in German. The most challenging part would then be to write the final year thesis (Abschlussarbeit), for which bachelor candidates are required to write in impeccable German, before presenting it during a colloquium for final evaluation.
Conclusion
The candidates should fully utilize their 4 month-course to prepare themselves for the TestDaF. The writer urge them to NOT regard this 4-month-period as a rewarding time for them after passing the GAPP course in Malaysia. Instead they should take this as an opportunity to put their German knowledge in practice. No more simulation of dialog - but real-time conversation with native speakers. The candidates are also urged to aim for 16 points or above, for it shall open many doors to them afterward. The writer wishes all the best to the TestDaF candidates and again: 'Welcome To The Suck'*.
Sources:
*borrowed from the catchphrase of the film Jarhead.
