Germany is a famous study abroad destination due to its globally acclaimed education, the standard of living, and ample career opportunities.
Moreover, as research suggests, more than 21,000 Indian students are studying in Germany. Furthermore, the government funds many universities in Germany, making education affordable.
In the 2019-2020 academic year, approximately 32,000 international students enrolled in German universities.
However, candidates must meet the IELTS for Germany requirement to be eligible to study in Germany. Therefore, aspiring candidates can turn to the blog to gain insight into Germany’s IELTS requirements.
What is the Minimum IELTS Score Required in Germany?
The International English Language Testing System is an English proficiency exam that must be opted for students who wish to pursue education in a country where English is the primary language of communication. One must be conversant with the scoring pattern to understand where one stands and whether one is eligible to apply to German universities.
Band Score | Skill Level | Description |
9 | Expert user | Candidates have complete command of the language. Their usage of the language is accurate, appropriate and fluent. |
8 | Excellent user | Applicants have command over the language, although a few inaccuracies may occur. They tend to misunderstand some unfamiliar situations. |
7 | Good user | Applicants have a stronghold over the language. However, they may misuse it in some situations. They do understand complex language relatively well. |
6 | Competent user | The applicant has an adequate command of English. However, they understand complex language in familiar situations. |
5 | Modest | Applicants have partial command of the language. Having said that, they can handle essential communication in their discipline. |
4 | Limited | The knowledge of the test taker is limited to familiar situations. He or she can not use complex language and shows problems in articulating and expressing. |
3 | Extremely limited | Applicants scoring this band have an understanding of the language in general situations. Moreover, they experience frequent breakdowns while communicating. |
2 | Intermittent | Applicants experience difficulty in understanding spoken and written English. |
1 | Non-user | The test-taker cannot use the language leaving a few isolated words. |
0 | Did not attempt | The candidate answered no questions. |
To be eligible to study in Germany, candidates must meet specific eligibility parameters. Some of the common eligibility criteria across most German universities are listed below.
- Candidates must hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that German universities recognise.
- One must appear for an aptitude test, in this case, TestAs. Universities can compare the aptitude of their applicants, although undergraduates can only apply for this.
- If a candidate has opted for a course in German, he or she must demonstrate proficiency in it. Then, one can either choose to appear for TestDaF or DSH. On the other hand, if the course is taught in English, one can opt for IELTS, PTE or TOEFL.
German universities usually do not ask their students to attain a 7.0 score as it is not an English-speaking country. However, most of them expect their students to obtain an IELTS score of 5.5 – 6.5. To opt for undergraduate courses, one must obtain a minimum of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each module. In contrast, one must score a minimum of 6.5 with no less than 6 in each module to be eligible for postgraduate courses. Abroad Education Consultant In Pune is helping students to get admission in German universities as well.
To better understand the university-specific score requirements of IELTS for Germany, one can refer to the table below.
Name of University | Minimum Score |
Bonn Graduate School of Economics | 6.5 |
Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences | 7.5 |
Clausthal University of Technology | 6.5 |
Cologne Business School | 5.0 |
EBC Hochschule | 6.0 |
Technical University of Munich | 6.5 |
University of Heidelberg | 6.5 |
University of Freiburg | 6.0 |
Humbolt University of Berlin | 6.5 |
RWTH Aachen University | 6.5 |
Free University of Berlin | 6.5 |
Charite Universitatsmedizin | 6.0 |
University of Bonn | 6.0 |
Ludwig Maximilians University Munich | 5.5 |
University of Tuebingen | 6.0 |
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University at Bonn | 7.0 |
Johannes Gutenberg University | 5.5 |
University of Dusseldorf | 5.5 |
University at Rostock | 6.0 |
Bielefeld University | 6.5 |
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | 6.5 |
Philipps University Marburg | 7.0 |
University of Koblenz | 6.5 |
International School of Management (ISM) | 6.0 |
INTEBUS – International Business School | 6.5 |
Hamburg School of Business Administration | 6.5 |
Hochschule Furtwangen University | 6.5 |
Hamburg University of Technology | 6.5 |
One must be aware that most of the courses here are taught in English. Hence IELTS for Germany is an essential prerequisite. Furthermore, it is required for employment if one applies to a multinational company where English is the dominant language of communication. So, to increase one’s employability, one must appear for IELTS, and one should hold a B2 or C1 proficiency level.