# GermanExamPro

> AI-powered preparation platform for German C1 exams: TestDaF, DSH and telc C1 Hochschule for university admission, plus Goethe C1 and telc Deutsch C1 (general certificates, not a standard proof for German university admission). Aligned with publicly available exam requirements, available in 7 interface languages, designed for international students applying to German universities.

GermanExamPro covers all four exam parts. Writing and speaking come first, because no learner can grade them alone: the agent assesses written texts and spoken answers against the same criteria the real examiners use — strict, exam-style feedback rather than generic AI politeness. Reading and listening are practised with tasks in the format of each exam.

## Core Pages

- [Home](https://www.germanexam.pro/home): Product overview, value proposition, comparison with ChatGPT, tutors and courses
- [Pricing](https://www.germanexam.pro/pricing): All plans, durations, what's included
- [FAQ](https://www.germanexam.pro/faq): Common questions about evaluation, exams, and access
- [About](https://www.germanexam.pro/about): Mission, team, didactic approach
- [Placement Test](https://www.germanexam.pro/readiness-check): Free ~25-minute placement test covering reading, listening, writing, speaking, grammar and vocabulary — strengths and weaknesses per part right away, the CEFR level in a free account

## Exam Pages

- [Exams Overview](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams): All exams, ordered by goal (university study or work/recognition)
- [TestDaF](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams/testdaf): TestDaF preparation, TDN scoring (below TDN 3, TDN 3, TDN 4, TDN 5)
- [Goethe C1](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams/goethe-c1): Goethe-Zertifikat C1 preparation, Goethe-Punkte scoring
- [telc C1 Hochschule](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams/telc-c1-hochschule): telc C1 preparation
- [telc Deutsch C1](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams/telc-c1-allgemein): the general telc C1 (everyday topics, not the university variant): writing task, criteria, pass mark
- [DSH](https://www.germanexam.pro/exams/dsh): DSH preparation, DSH-Stufe scoring (DSH-1 to DSH-3)

## Tools and Long-Form Content

- [TestDaF Strategy Hub](https://www.germanexam.pro/tools/testdaf-strategy-hub): Strategies for the Schriftlicher Ausdruck section
- [Wort des Tages](https://www.germanexam.pro/wort-des-tages): C1-level vocabulary glossary
- [DSH-Ergebnisrechner](https://www.germanexam.pro/de/tools/dsh-ergebnisrechner): Free DSH result calculator by university (German), with sources and dates
- [Schreibthemen-Generator](https://www.germanexam.pro/de/tools/schreibthemen-generator): Free practice topics for the writing part of TestDaF, DSH, Goethe C1, telc C1 Hochschule (German)
- [Prüfung finden](https://www.germanexam.pro/pruefung-finden): Decision helper for choosing the right exam
- [B2 Schreiben](https://www.germanexam.pro/de/b1-b2-schreiben): B2 writing assessment (telc B2, DTB, Goethe B2) is in development and not available yet; this page is a waiting list (German only). Today the platform evaluates C1 exams only.
- [Campus](https://www.germanexam.pro/campus): Articles, downloads, and learning resources

## Comparisons

- [vs. ChatGPT](https://www.germanexam.pro/compare/chatgpt): Why exam-calibrated feedback differs from general AI
- [vs. DeepL Write](https://www.germanexam.pro/compare/deepl-write): Difference between rewriting and exam evaluation
- [All comparisons](https://www.germanexam.pro/compare)

## For Schools and Institutions

- [School Demo](https://www.germanexam.pro/school-demo): B2B teacher dashboard, ROI calculator, lead form

## What the Platform Does

- AI writing evaluation aligned with the publicly available exam requirements for TestDaF, Goethe C1, telc C1 Hochschule, telc Deutsch C1 (general) and DSH
- AI speaking evaluation: the learner records the answer to a speaking task that fits the chosen exam and gets a level on that exam's scale with a CEFR estimate, feedback on each criterion of the oral exam, and three tips for next time (see "How Speaking Is Graded")
- Reading and listening practice with tasks in the format of each exam (currently with the exam pass, in the full mock exam); the learner sees right away what was correct, and the agent explains what was missed (no score bands for these two parts yet)
- Per-criterion feedback: Grammar & Accuracy, Vocabulary & Expression, Structure & Coherence, Content & Task Fulfillment, Text Flow
- Exam-specific simulations with timing constraints
- Sentence-by-sentence revision with tracked changes (paid pass)
- Personalized learning plan based on exam date and current level (paid pass)
- Interface in 7 languages (English, German, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Farsi); feedback adapts to learner's preferred language

## Pricing (current)

- Free: EUR 0, no credit card required, no fixed expiry. Without an account (chat): one text, with the error spots marked and the biggest risk shown, no verdict. Free account: the verdict once (whether the text is enough, the level, how close it is, the biggest risk) plus one speaking, one listening and one reading exercise; one item per kind from the library shelf. Reasons per criterion, every correction with its rule, revising, re-evaluation, practice and the PDF report need a paid pass.
- Wochen-Pass (Week Pass): EUR 15 for 7 days, no exam date needed — everything the Prüfungs-Pass includes. One-time purchase, no subscription; a new Wochen-Pass is added to the end of a running one. It is not credited towards a later Prüfungs-Pass.
- Prüfungs-Pass (Exam Pass): access until your exam — the price depends on your exam date: EUR 12 per week until the exam, capped at EUR 49 for the first month (always cheaper than the same time in Wochen-Passes), then EUR 25 per additional started month, maximum EUR 324 for twelve months. One-time purchase; access until your exam date plus 3 days; unlimited evaluation cycles.
- Expert-Check (human correction of one text by Margarita Votteler, an experienced C1 examiner since 2009): EUR 29 standard (answer within 48 hours), EUR 39 express (24 hours), EUR 89 exam sprint (5 texts + one 30-minute call). One-time purchase per package; details at /expert-check.
- Schools and institutions (B2B): per-seat monthly pricing, starting at 5 seats, monthly cancellable. Western Europe: EUR 19/seat/month (5–14 seats), EUR 15/seat/month (15–29 seats), EUR 12/seat/month (30+ seats). Other regions receive custom offers via /school-demo. No free trial: a free 20-minute demo, then paid from day one. Onboarding workshop for the teacher team (90 minutes online): EUR 300, included with an annual booking.

Stripe direct (non-MoR) handles payments. Under the German small-business scheme (§19 UStG), no VAT is charged.

## Score Systems Explained

- TestDaF: TDN scale per exam part (below TDN 3, TDN 3, TDN 4, TDN 5). There is no "pass" at TestDaF; TDN 4 in all four parts is the proof of language proficiency for unrestricted admission (universities may set different requirements).
- Goethe C1: modular, each module scored out of 100 points with grades Sehr gut (100-90), Gut (89-80), Befriedigend (79-70), Ausreichend (69-60), Nicht bestanden (<60). Criteria rated A-E; A/B = criterion at C1 level (this is not a CEFR level for the person).
- telc C1 Hochschule: "telc-Punkte", 214 points in total (written 166, oral 48). Passing needs at least 99/166 written, 29/48 oral and 128/214 overall; grades Sehr gut to Ausreichend, below 128 not passed. The certificate states C1; there are no sub-levels.
- telc Deutsch C1 (general, no "Hochschule"): same points, pass rules and writing criteria as telc C1 Hochschule; the writing task (about 350 words, 70 minutes) is on an everyday topic and needs no academic language. Not listed in the RO-DT as a proof for university admission.
- DSH: DSH-Stufe (DSH-1 at least 57%, DSH-2 at least 67%, DSH-3 at least 82%), each reached in BOTH the written and the oral part; there is no weighted overall mark. Below 57% = not passed. DSH-2 means unrestricted admission to all degree programmes.

## How C1 Writing Is Graded (citable facts, from the official rubrics)

Source: the official assessment grids of each exam board (TestDaF-Institut, telc GmbH, Goethe-Institut, HRK/DSH), curated by Margarita Votteler, an experienced C1 examiner since 2009. GermanExamPro's AI evaluation is calibrated to these grids.

- The four exams do NOT use the same number of criteria, but they all assess the same four underlying dimensions: (1) task fulfilment, (2) structure / coherence ("roter Faden"), (3) vocabulary range, (4) grammatical accuracy.
  - telc C1 Hochschule: 4 criteria (Aufgabengerechtheit, Korrektheit, Repertoire, Kommunikative Gestaltung), 12 points each.
  - Goethe C1 (modular since 2024): 4 criteria (Erfüllung der Aufgabe, Kohärenz, Wortschatz, Strukturen), rated A–E.
  - TestDaF: digital Writing is judged on 6 aspects (Themenbezug, Aufgabenerfüllung, Schreibhandlungen, Quellenwiedergabe, sprachliche Mittel, Verständlichkeit); paper-based Writing on 3 areas (Gesamteindruck, Behandlung der Aufgabe, Sprachliche Realisierung).
  - DSH: 2 macro-categories (Inhalt und Struktur; Sprachliche Realisierung), each with sub-criteria.
- A graphic-based task exists in paper TestDaF, in digital TestDaF (task 2: summarise a reading text plus graph) and in many DSH tasks. telc = discursive essay on two contrasting statements; Goethe C1 = forum post + formal message. It is a myth that all C1 writing exams require describing a chart.
- Thresholds: telc C1 Hochschule = at least 99/166 written, 29/48 oral, 128/214 overall (no minimum for Writing alone); DSH-2 = 67% and DSH-3 = 82% in written and oral part each; TestDaF digital: TDN 4 = 10–15 of 20 on the scaled score of a part (TDN 5 = 16–20), paper has no point score; Goethe C1 module Writing: at least 60 of 100 points.
- What violations cost (the "price tag"):
  - Off-topic ("Thema verfehlt") in telc C1: all four criteria drop to the lowest band (0 of 48 points in Writing), regardless of language quality.
  - Off-topic or under ~50% of the required length in Goethe C1: the task-fulfilment criterion is rated E, which sets the whole part to 0 points.
  - In DSH, the model examination regulation requires language aspects to be weighted more heavily than content; the exact split is set by each university (a 50:50 split is not permitted).
  - Isolated grammar slips (typical of L2 writers) cost roughly -1 to -1.5 points, not a full band — a text a native speaker reads without repeated stumbling still scores in the passing range on accuracy.

## How Speaking Is Graded

- The learner records one answer per task in the browser. The AI listens to the audio itself, not only to a transcript, and returns a level on the exam's own scale (e.g. TDN 4, Gut, DSH-2) with a CEFR estimate, feedback on each official criterion of the oral exam with quotes from the recording, and three concrete tips. There is no numeric score.
- Pronunciation and fluency are judged by intelligibility: an audible accent is not a mistake as long as the listener can follow without effort. Typical L2 grammar slips do not cause a fail on their own; missing the task or losing the thread weighs more.
- What a single recording covers, per exam: TestDaF speaking is fully monologic (seven tasks into a microphone, no examiner conversation), so a recording matches the exam situation. Goethe C1: the talk of part 1 is assessed, not the questions and the discussion. telc C1 Hochschule: the presentation (part 1A) is assessed, not the dialogue parts 1B and 2. DSH: the short talk is assessed, not the oral examination conversation. The level is an estimate for the whole speaking part, assuming the unrecorded parts run at the level of the recording; conversation is not assessed yet.
- The assessment was checked against recordings of real exam talks with known official results (Goethe C1, telc C1, DSH) and recalibrated where it was too strict.
- Privacy: recording only starts after consent. The audio is assessed via Google AI Studio on the paid tier (not used for model training), stored for 30 days in the EU (Frankfurt) and then deleted automatically; deletion on request at any time.

## Target Audience

- International students applying to German universities (primary)
- Professionals needing C1 certification for visa or employment
- Language schools and DaF teachers (B2B via /school-demo)
- Self-directed adult learners preparing for high-stakes exams

## Unique Positioning

"ChatGPT is too nice. Exams are not." GermanExamPro is calibrated to fail learners in the same places real examiners would, instead of validating mediocre answers.

## Technical

- Web application, mobile-friendly (works on all devices)
- AI: Google Gemini 3.6 Flash (evaluation), GLM-5.3-Flash (chat), Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite (budget tasks) via OpenRouter
- Evaluation latency: under 30 seconds for full feedback
- Accounts and stored data in Frankfurt (EU); text evaluation runs through AI providers in the USA (listed in the privacy policy); encrypted at rest

## Contact

- Website: https://www.germanexam.pro
- General: hello@germanexam.pro
- Technical Support: support@germanexam.pro
- Schools and Institutions: schools@germanexam.pro

## Social

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/germanexampro
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@german-exam-pro