DSH is one of the oldest, but still also most relevant exams to apply for a place at a German-speaking university or college as a student applicant with a non-German Abitur. It must also be taken by German nationals without a German-language certificate of education.
Each university has its own DSH exams. The university designs and sets the exam itself. There are no uniform exams or exam dates, but many types of exams are similar. Some universities require admission to a course of study at their university, while other universities also admit external applicants to the exams. In addition, some universities limit participation in their DSH examination to a maximum of three attempts. Participation is subject to a fee almost everywhere.
The exams consist of a written exam and an oral exam, with the written exam usually being taken first. In the event of a failed written examination, the oral examination is excluded.
The result of the examination is classified into three levels (DSH 1, DSH 2, DSH 3), whereby DSH 3 stands for the best result. DSH 1 is achieved from 57% of the maximum points, DSH 2 from 67% and DSH 3 from 81%. The written and oral exams are graded separately. The overall result is based on the lower sub-score. For example, if a DSH 3 was achieved in the written exam, but a DSH 1 was achieved in the oral exam, the overall grade corresponds to DSH 1.
DSH 1 is sufficient for most bilingual (English-German) study subjects, DSH 2 for the majority of all German study subjects. DSH 3 is only required by linguistically demanding courses of study such as medicine.