Learning German - levels, courses, exams and costs in 2026

German courses, exams and laws use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, in German Gemeinsamer Europäischer Referenzrahmen, GER). It has six levels:

• A1 - beginner. You can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions and understand very basic phrases.
• A2 - elementary. You manage routine situations: shopping, simple appointments, short messages.
• B1 - independent. You can handle most everyday situations, talk about work and plans, and write a simple letter. This is the level of the integration course and of naturalisation.
• B2 - upper intermediate. You can follow detailed discussions in your field and talk fluently enough that conversations are not a strain for either side. Job ads for skilled roles often name this level.
• C1 - advanced. You can use German flexibly at work and in study, including complex texts.
• C2 - near-native.

German residence law uses fixed terms for these levels (section 2 of the Residence Act, Aufenthaltsgesetz): einfache Deutschkenntnisse = A1, hinreichende = A2, ausreichende = B1, gute = B2, and someone who beherrscht the language = C1. When a letter from an authority uses one of these words, it means that level.

Residence and citizenship

• Spouse joining a partner in Germany: normally A1 before entry. There are exemptions - for example when the partner in Germany holds an EU Blue Card or certain skilled-worker permits, or has a nationality that may stay in Germany long-term without a visa. See the family reunification guide.
• Opportunity Card (points route): A1 German or B2 English as a minimum; higher German levels earn points. See the Opportunity Card guide.
• Settlement permit, general route and skilled workers: B1, plus basic knowledge of the legal and social order. See the settlement permit guide.
• EU Blue Card holders: settlement after 27 months with A1, or after 21 months with B1 (section 18c(2) Residence Act).
• Recognised refugees: settlement usually after five years with A2, or after three years with C1.
• Naturalisation: B1 plus the citizenship test. See the naturalisation guide.

Study

German-taught degree programmes usually require the TestDaF with level TDN 4 in all parts, or the university's own DSH exam at level DSH-2. A German Abitur, the Goethe-Zertifikat C2 or telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule are also accepted. Whether a lower result is enough for some parts is up to each university. See the guide on studying in Germany.

Work

For most jobs there is no legal minimum - the employer decides. Job ads often name a level or use words like verhandlungssicher (business-fluent). In regulated professions such as doctor or nurse, a specific level is a condition for the licence; the official Recognition Finder shows the level for each occupation. See the guides on recognition of qualifications and job search.

1. The integration course (federally funded, A1 to B1)

700 lessons of 45 minutes: 600 lessons of German and a 100-lesson orientation course, ending with the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) and the Leben in Deutschland test. It costs €2.29 per lesson in 2026 (€1,603 for the full general course), can be free on application for people receiving basic income support and some other groups, and half of what you paid can be refunded if you pass in time. Many non-EU residents are entitled or obliged to attend; admission for others depends on available places and budget. Details are in the integration course guide.

2. Volkshochschulen (adult education centres)

Every Berlin district has a public Volkshochschule (VHS) that runs German courses from A1 to C2, including integration courses, evening and intensive courses, conversation, pronunciation and exam-preparation classes, and parent courses at schools and Kitas. Before booking any German or integration course you need a short counselling and placement session (Beratungsgespräch) at the VHS of your choice; some have walk-in hours. Fees are set Berlin-wide (see costs below).

3. Goethe-Institut

The Goethe-Institut is Germany's cultural institute. It offers German courses for all levels in Germany and abroad (13 locations in Germany) and runs its own exams, the Goethe-Zertifikat. Check prices and dates directly with the institute.

4. Private language schools

Berlin has many private schools offering intensive, evening and online courses. Prices, class sizes and quality vary widely. Before signing, ask about the class size, the number of 45-minute lessons per week, whether the course ends with a recognised exam (and whether the school is an exam centre), and the cancellation terms. Avoid long prepaid packages until you have tried a class.

5. Universities

University language centres mainly teach their own students and staff, and some also run fee-based evening courses. For example, TU Berlin's language centre (ZEMS) offers a German evening course "for university and work" on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 20 October 2026 to 11 February 2027 for €360 (winter 2026/27); check the eligibility conditions on the course page. If you are enrolled at a university, look at its language centre first.

6. Job-related German (Berufssprachkurse)

Once you have B1 (or have finished an integration course), the federal job-related German courses (DeuFöV) take you to B2, C1 or C2 with work vocabulary. They are usually free; employed participants above an income limit pay €2.56 per lesson in 2026. Details are in the integration course guide.

7. Free official online offers

• DW Learn German (Deutsche Welle): free courses from A1 to C1, a placement test, the beginners' video course Nicos Weg, grammar and vocabulary trainers, and short news texts graded by level.
• vhs-Lernportal (German adult education association, DVV): free online courses for German as a second language and basic skills, aligned with the integration-course curriculum, now up to C1. In the courses up to B1, navigation and instructions are available in 18 languages, and there are apps for offline learning. It is funded by the federal government, which is why it is free.
• Public libraries: a Berlin library card (€10 a year in 2026, free or reduced for some groups) includes online language courses (LinguaTV, including German as a foreign language), German e-books and newspapers, and some libraries host German conversation groups, such as the Sprachsalon at the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek. See the guide to libraries in Berlin.

A course certificate of attendance is not proof of a level. Authorities, universities and employers want a certificate from a standardised exam. The most common:

• Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) - the final language exam of the integration course. It is scaled: one exam that certifies either A2 or B1. Written part 100 minutes (listening, reading, a short letter) and an oral part of about 15 minutes with a partner. To get B1 overall you need B1 in speaking and in at least one of the other two parts. At the Berlin Volkshochschulen you can register for the DTZ only after attending at least one integration-course module, and only in person at a VHS German counselling office.
• telc exams (telc gGmbH) - for example telc Deutsch A2/B1 (scaled), B2, C1 and C1 Hochschule for universities, and the Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) at the end of job-related courses. Offered by Volkshochschulen and many private schools.
• Goethe-Zertifikat (Goethe-Institut) - exams at several levels; the C2 certificate is accepted for university admission.
• ÖSD (Austrian Language Diploma) - internationally recognised exams A1 to C2.
• TestDaF and DSH - for university admission.

For the integration course, only B1 exams following the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) - telc, Goethe-Institut or TestDaF-Institut - are recognised as an alternative to the DTZ. For visas, check the embassy's list of accepted providers before you book.

Practical points (Berlin VHS exam centre, 2026): results for telc exams arrive about six to eight weeks after the exam; DTZ certificates are posted to your home address in about the same time. Scaled exams (DTZ, telc A2/B1) and A1/A2 exams must always be retaken in full; at B1 to C2 you can retake only the written or oral part within 12 months, but you pay the full fee. On the exam day you must show an original, valid photo ID - passport, ID card, residence permit or refugee travel document. You need to have taken a VHS course in that language within the last 12 months to register for an exam at the Berlin VHS exam centre.

Volkshochschule courses. Since 1 August 2026 the Berlin-wide base fee is €3.20 per 45-minute lesson; individual courses are priced between 50% and 250% of that. German courses up to B1 that are not free may cost at most 130% of the BAMF integration-course contribution - about €2.98 per lesson in 2026 - and at least 25% of the base fee. The usual 50% reductions do not apply to these A1-B1 German courses. For German courses above B1, regular fees apply, and you pay half if you hold, for example, the Berlin-Ticket S entitlement or receive basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld), social assistance, asylum-seeker benefits, unemployment benefit, housing benefit or child supplement, or if you are a full-time student, trainee or holder of the Berlin-Brandenburg volunteer card (Ehrenamtskarte). Bring proof when you book: reductions cannot be applied afterwards. Parent courses held at schools and Kitas are listed at €20-25.

Exam fees at the Berlin VHS exam centre (registrations from 1 August 2026):

• Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ): €117.11 (no reduction). It is free for integration-course participants taking it for the first time.
• telc Deutsch A2/B1: €155 (reduced €116.25)
• telc Deutsch B2: €160 (reduced €120)
• telc Deutsch C1 and C1 Hochschule: €190 (reduced €142.50)

Cancellation: free within 14 days of booking; after that 20% (at least €10); no cancellation from 13 days before an exam or 5 days before a course starts.

Integration course: €2.29 per lesson, €229 per 100-lesson module, unless you are exempt.

Paid educational leave: if you work mainly in Berlin and have been employed for at least six months, the Berlin Bildungszeit law lets you take five paid days per year (for a five-day week) for recognised courses, and you can combine two years into ten days. Apply to your employer at least six weeks in advance. Ask the course provider whether your German course is recognised for Bildungszeit.

1. Find your level. Take the DW placement test or the placement test at a VHS counselling session.
2. Pick a structured course that ends in a recognised exam - integration course if you qualify, otherwise a VHS or school course.
3. Add daily practice. Short daily sessions with the vhs-Lernportal or DW work better than occasional long ones.
4. Speak from the start. Join a conversation group at a library or VHS, or a club or volunteering role where German is spoken - see the guide on making friends in Berlin.
5. Book the exam once mock tests go well. Free model tests are published by g.a.s.t. (for the DTZ) and telc.