International certificates and recognized proof of language proficiency for admission to studies
If you have general questions about providing proof of language proficiency for admission to a degree program, please contact sprachnachweise(at)uni-bremen.de
Please submit the documents proving your language proficiency directly to the relevant admissions offices for review; the Language Center is happy to offer advice, but we do not offer a preliminary review of the documents.
Recognised certificates and proof of language proficiency for admission to universities in the State of Bremen – all languages
Last updated: April 2026 (Valid for all application processes for the 2026/2027 winter semester)
The regulations listed here regarding proof of foreign language proficiency (particularly with regard to demonstrating language proficiency through German school records) are valid for the admission process at the University of Bremen; for other public universities in the state of Bremen, we recommend that you also consult with their respective admissions offices regarding the recognition of these credentials.
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Proof of language proficiency by means of an Abitur/Fachabitur awarded in Germany | at least 1 year of language instruction at school | at least 3 years of language instruction at school | 4 years of language instruction (through 10th grade) or 3 years of language instruction (through Abitur/Fachabitur) | If the language level B2/C1 is explicitly noted on the transcript, the B2 level will be recognized for that foreign language | If the C1 level in a foreign language is explicitly and exclusively noted on the transcript, the C1 level will be recognized for that foreign language | / |
| Proof of language proficiency by means of school records from other countries | Applicants or students who have not attended a German school must submit an officially recognized proof of language proficiency listed in this table - this applies to all languages and proficiency levels (A1 to C1). | / | ||||
| UNIcert® certificate in that particular language | UNIcert® Basis | UNIcert® I | UNIcert® II | UNIcert® III | UNIcert® IV |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Deutsches Sprachdiplom der KMK | DSD I | DSD I | DSD II | DSD II | / | |
| DSH | DSH-1 | DSH-2 | DSH-3 | |||
| TestDaF | TDN 3/4 | TDN 4/5 | / | |||
| ÖSD | ÖSD A1 | ÖSD A2 | ÖSD B1 | ÖSD B2 | ÖSD C1 | ÖSD C2 |
| TELC | TELC A1 | TELC A2 | TELC C1 Hochschule | / | ||
| Goethe-Zertifikat | Start Deutsch 1 | Start Deutsch 2 | B1 Zertifikat Deutsch | Goethe-Zertifikat B2 | Goethe-Zertifikat C1 | Goethe-Zertifikat GDS |
| German language entrance exam at a Studienkolleg | Pass | Pass | / | |||
| Completed Bachelor or Master degree taught entirely in German | Bachelor/Master Degree Certificate & Transcript | Bachelor/Master Degree Certificate & Transcript | / |
Proof of English proficiency through secondary school certificates or university degrees:
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Abitur / Fachabitur in Germany | at least 1 year of language instruction at school | at least 3 years of language instruction at school | 4 years of English instruction (through 10th grade) or 3 years of English instruction (through Abitur/Fachabitur) | If the English level B2/C1 is explicitly noted on the transcript, the B2 level will be recognized | If the C1 level in English is explicitly and exclusively noted on the transcript, the C1 level will be recognized | / |
| Bilinguales Abitur in Germany (without a mention of C1) | Pass | / | / | |||
Secondary school certificate (qualifying for university admission) from an English-speaking country and educational system, e.g.
| Pass | |||||
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) in English | Pass | |||||
Completed Bachelor/Master degree program, conducted entirely in English | Certificate and Transcript of Records | |||||
High-School year in an English-speaking country | Certificate and Transcript of Records | |||||
Certified “Fremdsprachenkorrespondent” | Certificate |
Important Note about English modules completed as part of other degree programs
| Completing English courses (at language schools or as part of a degree program) does not count as proof of language proficiency when applying to the University of Bremen, unless the certificate is issued by UNIcert. However, if you have completed English courses offered by the SZHB at one of the four universities in the state of Bremen, please contact our English Advisory Service. |
Proof of English proficiency through certificates and language tests:
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
UNIcert® Englisch | UNIcert® Basis | UNIcert® I | UNIcert® II | UNIcert® III |
| Language proficiency tests offered by third-party providers |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
British Council (IELTS) Academic (auch IELTS Academic online) | Band 4.0 – 5.5 | Band 6.0 – 6.5 | Band 7.0 – 8.0 | / | ||
Cambridge | Key English Test | Preliminary English Test | FCE BEC | CAE BEC H | CPE | |
Duolingo English Test (certificate) | Mindestens 55 Punkte | / | / | / | / | |
ISE Trinity College London (beide Module) | ISE 0 | ISE 1 | ISE 2 | ISE 3 | ISE 4 | |
KMK-Fremdsprachenzertifikat | KMK B2 | KMK C1 | ||||
LCCI Certificate | Level 3 | |||||
Oxford Test of English Advanced | 111 – 140 Points | 141 – 170 Points | ||||
Oxford Test of English | 51 – 80 Points | |||||
Pearson PTE Academic (also Pearson Academic @home edition) | 10 – 29 Punkte | 30 – 42 Punkte | 43 – 58 Punkte | 59 – 75 Punkte | 76 – 84 Punkte | ab 85 Punkten |
telc | telc A1 | telc A2 | ||||
TOEFL iBT (also TOEFL@home edition) | 42 – 71 Punkte
3.0 – 3.5 | 72 – 94 Punkte (old scale)
4.0 – 4.5 (new scale) | Ab 95 Punkten (old scale) 5.0 und höher (new scale) | / | ||
TOEIC | Listening/Reading 550 Speaking 120 Writing 120 | Listening/Reading 785 Speaking 160 Writing 150 | Listening/Reading 945 Speaking 180 Writing 180 |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| DELF/DALF | DELF A1 | DELF A2 | DELF B1 | DELF B2 | DALF C1 | DALF C2 |
| Proof of B1 Language Proficiency for University Applicants | B1-Test Institut Français | / | / | / |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| CILS | CILS A1 adulti all'estero | CILS A2 adulti all'estero | CILS Stufe 1 | CILS Stufe 2 | CILS Stufe 3 | CILS Stufe 4 |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| CNaVT (Universities of Amsterdam und Leuven) | NT2 Programm I | NT2 Programm II CNaVT - PTHO | CNaVT - PAT | / |
CNaVT: Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universities of Amsterdam and Leuven)
PAT: Profiel Academische Taalvaardigheid - Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universities of Amsterdam and Leuven)
PTHO: Profiel Taalvaardigheid Hoger Onderwijs - Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universities of Amsterdam and Leuven)
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| State examination: certyfikat polski | PL-B1 | PL-B2 | / | / |
| Certificate | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| DELE | Nivel Initial | Nivel Intermedio | Nivel Superior | / | ||
| Proof of B1 Language Proficiency for University Applicants | B1-Test Instituto Cervantes | / | / | / | ||
| SIELE Global | SIELE Global B1 | / | / | / |
SIELE: Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española
List of abbreviations
| TOEFL ITP | TOEFL® Institutional Testing Programme (ets) Wird nur vom SZHB für B1 Englisch anerkannt, wenn alle 4 Teile absolviert wurden und mind. 460 Punkte erreicht wurden |
| CAE | Certificate of Advanced English (Cambridge ESOL) |
| CPE | Certificate of Proficiency in English (Cambridge ESOL) |
| FCE | First Certificate of Englisch (Cambridge ESOL) |
| LCCI | London Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| KMK Zertifikat | Fremdsprachenzertifikat der Kultusministerkonferenz (Nachweis berufsbezogener Fremdsprachenkompetenzen) |
| GCE/GCSE AL / IAL | General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level / International Advanced Level (Abitur in international schools der UK) |
| IB Diploma | International Baccalaureate Diploma (in English) |
| ISE | Trinity College London - Integrated Skills in English |
| GDS | Goethe-Zertifikat - Großes deutsches Sprachdiplom |
| ÖSD | Österreichisches Sprachdiplom |
| SIELE | Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española |
| CNaVT | Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universität Amsterdam und Leuven) |
| PAT | Profiel Academische Taalvaardigheid - Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universität Amsterdam und Leuven) |
| PTHO | Profiel Taalvaardigheid Hoger Onderwijs - Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (Universität Amsterdam und Leuven) |
Standardisierte, international anerkannte Prüfungen am SZHB
You can take the following internationally recognized exams directly at the SZHB or at the cultural institutes (Institut Français, Instituto Cervantes) in Bremen:
- Italian: CILS
- German: TestDaF
- French: DELF / DALF
- Spanish: DELE
We recommend that you seek advice and guidance before registering for one of these exams. Further information and contact details can be found using the links provided.
To prepare for these exams, you can use our independent learning resources.