DSD I Show Exams
Since last December, the candidates who qualified for the DSD I, the Deutsche Sprachdiplom Stufe 1 (Engl.: German Language Certificate of the Education Ministers Conference Level 1) had been preparing for one important day! On Wednesday, the time had finally come to prove their German skills. Students from grades 7-10 sat for three papers: listening comprehension, reading comprehension as well as writing in a 4-hour-long exam with intermittent breaks.
One German lesson a week had been dedicated to giving feedback on their progress and reviewing their work. In addition, a special Google Classroom with materials that introduce participants to the exam format had provided them with ample tasks to practice for the exam.
Currently, the DSD I candidates have two weeks to get ready for the speaking exam which will take place on Monday, March 29, 2021. In order to know what to expect from this official exam setting, IGS hosted demonstration exams on Friday. At this event, students of grades 7 and 8, as well as the older candidates, were able to get acquainted with the sequence and the expectations of the exam format by watching two of their brave classmates being examined. A great variety of topics were presented by the students. They ranged from the chess move Queen’s Gambit to the popular phenomenon of K-Pop to the sustainability of Fast Fashion; questions by the examiners were often answered to satisfaction.
With a DSD I certificate, German language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) are certified. It is accepted as proof of the German language skills required for access to a Studienkolleg (Preparatory College) in Germany.
The DSD I certificate is a prerequisite to be registered for the DSD II exam that IGS holds in grade 11 and satisfies language requirements of tertiary institutions, e.g. universities in Germany.
The German Language Diploma is currently taken in over 70 countries by more than 80,000 candidates per year who sit the exam on the same date worldwide.
