ÖSD

Candidates must be able to communicate in everyday life. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older to take part. The exam is offered either as a whole or in two parts. Written and oral. At this level, the emphasis is on receptive skills. The written exam includes the following: Reading comprehension lasting 25 minutes. The exam is based on three simple and authentic texts from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. This is followed by listening comprehension lasting 10 minutes. The topics are based on everyday life. Also included is written speech lasting 20 minutes, where the candidate is asked to write a simple text, and finally, there are oral exams, where both the preparation and the exam last 10 minutes each. Candidates must introduce themselves, describe an image and conduct a dialogue. The sections that make up the exam can be taken in the same or in different periods. The written exam is supervised by trained ÖSD staff, while the assessment is carried out by trained examiners. The oral exam is conducted by 2 certified examiners with one male or female candidate. The oral exam is assessed by two certified examiners. In the ÖSD / KID A1 exam (candidates aged 10 to 18 years), the exam structure is as follows: Reading comprehension (30 minutes): Based on 3 texts, both general comprehension and comprehension of important details are tested. Listening comprehension (15 minutes): Based on 3 exercises, both general and detailed listening comprehension of the German language are tested. Written production (20 minutes): The beginning of the email is given, to which the candidates must respond. They must answer 3 simple questions by completing it. Oral production with 10 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of examination time. The exam is conducted on the basis of two exercises. Candidates must introduce themselves and conduct a dialogue. The aim is to test the candidates' ability to communicate at a basic level in everyday life.

The aim and focus of the exam is the direct exchange of information on simple topics. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older. The exam is offered either in full or in two parts, oral and written. The exam consists of the following categories: - Text comprehension, lasting 30 minutes. General comprehension and understanding of important details are tested based on 2 exercises. - Listening comprehension, lasting 15 minutes. The exam aims to understand auditory texts. - Written production, lasting 30 minutes. Candidates respond to an email. - Oral production, lasting 10 minutes and with 10 minutes of preparation as well. Candidates present themselves based on 5 topics and engage in a dialogue with their co-candidate. Candidates can take part either in the entire exam or in one of the 2 parts independently of the other. If they succeed in both parts within a year, they receive a single certificate. The oral examination is conducted by 2 examiners, but if there is only one candidate, then one examiner takes on the role of the interlocutor.

The focus of this exam is on the direct and simple exchange of information on familiar topics. Candidates aged 10 to 17 can take part in this exam. A candidate can take the exam either in its entirety or in sections: oral and written. The emphasis here is also on receptive skills. The parts of the exam and what each of them includes are presented below: • Text comprehension lasting 35 minutes. In this part of the exam, both general comprehension and comprehension of important details of a text are examined. • Listening comprehension lasting 15 minutes. Here, the candidates' overall and individual listening comprehension are examined and assessed. • Written production lasting 30 minutes. Candidates must write an email to a friend answering 4 questions. • Oral production lasting 10 minutes and a corresponding amount of preparation time. Candidates present themselves based on 5 topics and engage in a dialogue with their co-candidate.

The focus at this level is on the one hand the ability to communicate, on the other hand the correct expression. To register for the exam, a candidate must be 18 years old. A candidate can be tested either in each part of the exam or in each section separately. To receive a single certificate, a candidate must successfully pass all 4 sections within a year. This exam was designed jointly by the ÖSD, Goethe Institut and Freiburg Universität in Switzerland and is currently held worldwide. If they succeed in all 4 sections within a year, they receive a single certificate. Below are the sections and what each of them includes: - Text comprehension with a duration of 65 minutes. In this part of the exam, the candidate is tested with 5 texts, which can be advertisements, e-mails or blogs, and it is proven whether he can understand the information both globally and selectively. - Listening comprehension with a duration of 40 minutes. Here the candidate is tested in 4 exercises with the aim of determining the understanding of basic but important details. - Written production It lasts 60 minutes. The candidate must write 2 emails, one apologetic and one personal, and in addition express his/her opinion in a report. The main criteria taken into account for the award of the score are the relevance of the text, the vocabulary and the correct structure mainly in terms of grammar. - The last subsection is the production of oral speech The duration is approximately 15 minutes, while the candidates have approximately 10 minutes to prepare. The criteria that determine the score are the same as the production of written speech. In the first part of the exam, the 2 candidates organize something through a dialogue, while in the second, they present a topic of everyday life, answering some questions. In the third and final part, they give each other a short feedback. ÖSD B1/ JUGENDVARIANTE: This exam is for candidates under 18 years of age. It consists of the same sections as the regular version. The requirements in the main points are the same. The sections that make up the exam, as well as what is included in each of them, are similar to the B1 exam.

At this level of the exam, candidates must be able to express themselves on a wide range of topics with fluency and well-structured speech. To take part, a candidate must be over 18 years old. Candidates can take the exam in whole or in part, and they can also have a dictionary in their possession. Sections: - Text comprehension (90 minutes) This section of the exam tests whether the candidate is able to understand a text both in general and in important details. The texts are authentic and come from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. - This is followed by listening comprehension, which lasts half an hour. The exam focuses on the same points as text comprehension. - The third part is the production of written speech, which lasts one and a half hours. During this time, the candidate must write 2 texts, a properly structured email, expressing his/her opinions and citing arguments. - Finally, there is the speaking section consisting of 3 sections. First, candidates conduct a dialogue about a situation in everyday life, followed by the description and interpretation of a picture and a discussion at the end. The preparation time is 15 minutes, while the duration of the exam is 20 minutes. Candidates can take part in either the entire exam or in separate parts. These sections can also be examined in different examination periods. If they take part in the exam in parts and successfully pass all sections within a year, a single certificate can be issued. The assessment is carried out by trained examiners, while the oral part is carried out by one or two examiners depending on whether one or two candidates are being examined. ÖSD Jugendvariante / ZB2/J: Exactly the same applies as the adult exam.

The communication of candidates at this level is based on more complex associations. Through this specific exam, the linguistic fluency of the candidates is certified and at the same time their ability to choose the phrases that suit each situation. The exam is offered either in full or in parts. The conditions for granting the certificates are similar to those of the B2 exam. The oral exam is conducted with 2 certified examiners of the Institute and one candidate. Exam sections: - Text comprehension is the first section and lasts 90 minutes. Four exercises examine both the general understanding and the understanding of general information on the part of the candidates. The texts given are authentic from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. - Listening comprehension follows with an exam duration of 40 minutes. Based on 2 exercises, the candidates are examined in terms of selective and detailed understanding of general and social topics. - The third section is the production of written speech. Here too, the exam lasts 90 minutes. Objective: to write 2 texts, a formal email and a report. - Finally, the production of written speech follows. Both the preparation and the exam last 20 minutes each. This includes three exercises: a discussion, a short lecture and a telephone conversation. ÖSD C1/ Jugendvariante /ZC1-J: The same applies here as in the adult exam at this level. It is aimed at candidates who are not yet 18 years old.

The exam is aimed at candidates over 16 years old. The requirements for taking and awarding the diplomas are the same as those for levels B2 and C1. Success in this exam demonstrates the candidates' ability to communicate correctly with well-structured speech in both their personal and professional lives. Similarly, this exam consists of 4 sections: - Reading comprehension and listening comprehension are similar to the C1 level exam. - Written production lasts 75 minutes here. The candidate must write 2 texts within this time frame that are evaluated based on specific criteria. - Finally, there is oral production with an examination and preparation time of approximately 20 minutes. This section includes 3 exercises, which are the following: a telephone conversation, a presentation and a discussion on the subject.