International certificates and recognized proof of language proficiency for admission to studies
The regulations listed below regarding proof of language proficiency (particularly with regard to demonstrating language proficiency through academic performance) are applicable to the admissions process at the University of Bremen; for other public universities in the Land of Bremen, we recommend that you also consult with the respective admissions offices regarding recognition of these documents.
Please submit the documents proving your language proficiency directly to the relevant admissions offices for review; the Language Center is happy to provide advice but does 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)
| 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.
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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 (including IELTS Academic Online and IELTS One Skill Retake) | 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
Download "overview of recognised certificates"
Download the above overview of all languages collected in a four-page PDF (German).
How to contact us
If you didn't find the information you were looking for on the pages linked above, get in touch.