Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

The services offered by the TUM Language Center are free of charge and available to all members of TUM. You may participate in all courses and offerings of the TUM Language Center. Only those programs that are developed and funded in cooperation with specific schools or degree programs are subject to access restrictions.

For German and English: If you are a TUM staff member or a non-enrolled doctoral candidate, please use our staff programs 
→ English for Staff 
→ German for Researchers

If you are not (yet) a TUM student or a TUM employee, unfortunately you are not eligible for participation in our courses.

The program for the semester-long language courses is usually published in TUMonline no later than one month before the start of lectures.

Generally, the program for the intensive courses in spring/fall is published in TUMonline towards the end of every lecture period.

To stay informed about current dates, we recommend to regularly check the information on our website Dates and Deadlines. 

TUM students and exchange students: via TUMonline (instructions for registration)

Enrolled doctoral candidates (with student and staff status): via TUMonline (instructions for registration)

TUM staff and non-enrolled doctoral candidates: by email to the lecturer (email addresses in TUMonline)

HFF and HFPH students: via the coordinator of the cooperation at your university

Only for regular language courses (semester-long and intensive courses), registration is carried out as described above. Registration information for other formats can be found on the program’s website:
→ German for Researchers
→ English for Staff
→ Intercultural Communication
→ TUMtandem
→ Veranstaltungen

Students with previous experience with the language, please check your language level using either our placement test, or choose a course either one level up from your most recently completed course in this language, provided the course was at the TUM or based on a certificate issued according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). 

The placement test is available in Chinese, German, English, French, Italian, Russian, Swedish and Spanish

Link to Placement Test

If you have no previous knowledge of the language, register for a course at level A1 or A1.1.

Where and in what format each course takes place is indicated in the group name in TUMonline (after the name of the lecturer).

MUC = Munich campus
GAR = Garching campus
WZW = Freising/Weihenstephan campus
STR = Straubing campus
Online = via Zoom
Blended = alternating in-person and online sessions
Hybrid = online and in-person simultaneously

"The exact room information can be found in the course timetable in TUMonline.

Once the registration period is over, TUMonline automatically assigns students places in the course, corresponding to the ranking options specified in the registration details of the respective course. In all language courses, with very few exceptions, places are allocated by lottery. 

Students who have been assigned a confirmed place, will receive an e-mail from TUMonline. If you do not receive a confirmed-place-notification after the registration deadline and see “Check Requirements” listed by your name, this means you are in a waiting position.

If you are not assigned a confirmed place once the registration period is over, the description “Check requirements” will still be next to your name. It means that you are in a waiting position.

In the case of semester-long courses, registration will be reopened after this first allocation of places and another, automated allocation will take place after the first week of courses, in which any places that become free will be filled. In the period between the first and second allocation you can edit your course selection. (This second distribution does not take place in our intensive courses in the lecture free period.)

If your status in TUMonline still reads “Check Requirements” after the second allocation, you have not been given a confirmed place. If places are to become available in the first two weeks of the course and you move up from the waiting position to a fixed place, you will be notified automatically by TUMonline. 

We ask for your understanding that the number of places is limited.

We kindly ask for your understanding that course participation is only possible if you have received a confirmed place ("Fixplatz"). This applies regardless of whether the course is held in-person, blended, hybrid, or online. If you did not receive a confirmed place, unfortunately you cannot take part in the course this semester.

If you have received a fixed place in one course you cannot attend, you cannot transfer your place to another course.

However, you can deregister from the procedure after the first distribution and then register again. By deregistering, you will lose your fixed place, but you will have another chance in the second distribution, in which the system allocates places that have become free. The second allocation round takes place only for our semester-long language courses, not for the intensive courses during spring/fall (Blockkurse). 

If you are not able to be present on the 1st day of the course, please contact your lecturer by e-mail. The following information is important in the e-mail: name, first name, matriculation number, course level, day, time, and group. If you are not present on the 1st day without an excuse, you will lose your confirmed place.

If you have received a confirmed place in one course, you cannot attend, you cannot transfer it to another course. However, you can deregister from the procedure after the first distribution and then register again, as the registration will then be opened again (only for semester-long courses). By deregistering, you will lose your confirmed place, but you will have another chance in the second distribution, in which the system allocates places that have become free.

If you are unable to attend the first course session due to illness or other important reasons, please make sure to inform your lecturer. Otherwise, you will lose your confirmed spot, and it will be given to another student. 

Please discuss any further absences directly with your lecturer.

There is no attendance requirement in our language courses. However, please make sure to discuss any absences with your lecturer. Otherwise, your spot may be given to someone else.

Additionally, please note that in most of our language courses, the exam requirements consist of portfolio tasks, which are completed throughout the entire duration of the course. This means: it is unlikely that you will pass the course without active participation throughout the entire course period.

Students who successfully complete a language course at the TUM Language Center (i.e., by passing the exam) can download the corresponding certificate of achievement (Einzelleistungsnachweis) as proof of their language proficiency via TUMonline under Transcripts → Confirmations of Achievement, once their exam has been corrected by the lecturer and validated by the TUM Language Center. This process may take several days or even weeks after the exam date. We kindly ask for your patience.

A certificate for course participation only cannot be issued.

If you need proof before completing the language course (e.g., for an Erasmus application), please take a screenshot of your course registration in TUMonline. Additionally, indicate in your application that you will submit your performance record after successfully completing the course.

See also Exams and Certificates

No, we do not offer preparatory courses for the Studienkolleg or tests to confirm sufficient German language skills to register at a German university (e.g. TestDaF, DSH).

On this page, you will find all language certificates that you can submit when applying to TUM: Language Certificates

No, we do not offer German language exams such as TestDaF or DSH. Please research independently where these exams are offered - for example, on the official websites of the exam providers or at language schools in your area.

On this page, you will find all language certificates that you can submit when applying to TUM: Language Certificates

1. Check the specific requirements with your program coordinator. 

   Usually a German A1.1 certificate from the TUM Language Center is sufficient, but it is your responsibility to be sure. 
    

2. These are your options at the TUM Language Center, if A1.1 is sufficient:

   Option A: Participate in and successfully complete a regular “A1.1” German course.

   Option B: Successfully complete our “A1.1 Dive into the grammar and apply it in practice” German course.
    

3. Which option should you choose?

   You enjoy interactive learning in a classroom setting with a teacher guiding you through the program step by step. 
   > Option A “A 1.1”

   You enjoy self-study based on a series of online lectures on key grammatical elements. Emphasis is on self-study, practice of basic content in optional tutorials. 
   > Option B “A1.1: Dive into the grammar and apply it in practice”.

   You already have basic knowledge of German and only want to participate in the exam. 
   > Option B “A1.1 Dive into the grammar and apply it in practice”.
    

4. Take care of the required proof of basic German language proficiency in good time. 

   You can still attend the “Dive course” (Option B), even if you have missed the registration deadline: Please contact the TUM Language Center at sprachenzentrum(at)tum.de.

Compared to a regular course, a compact course runs for fewer weeks (9-10) but has more contact hours per week, e.g., 4 contact hours per week and 9-10 weeks. Some Compact-courses start later in the semester and thus have a later registration period.

Courses covering half a level, i.e. A1.1 comprise 2-4 contact hours per week. Plus-Courses covering an entire level, i.e. A1.1 plus A1.2 comprise 6 contact hours per week and are recommended only for students with very good previous knowledge and a lot of time for learning German. 

ECTS credits are awarded according to the number of contact hours per week:

• Courses with 6 contact hours ⇒ 8 ECTS
• Courses with 4 contact hours ⇒ 6 ECTS
• Courses with 3 contact hours ⇒ 4 ECTS
• Courses with 2 contact hours ⇒ 3 ECTS

If you would like to review an exam, please send an email requesting access to the exam to the respective lecturer and the TUM Language Center Infopoint (sprachenzentrum@tum.de).

The request for exam review must include the following wording (in German or English):

"I am aware that the questions of the exam as well as the correction notes of the examiners are protected by copyright and that I may use the copies or photocopies of the exam paper only for the purpose of inspecting the exam. It is therefore forbidden to pass them on to third parties or to publish them on the Internet. In case of violation, this may result in legal consequences. This does not affect my legitimate interest in legal protection (e.g. passing on the examination paper to an authorized attorney)."

An exam review can take place either in person or electronically, e.g., via Zoom. Please arrange an appointment directly with your lecturer. The Infopoint can provide the exam materials if the lecturer has already submitted them there.

TUM students and exchange students with a confirmed place in a language course are automatically registered for the exam in TUMonline.

If you are not automatically registered (e.g., because you received a confirmed place after the exam registration), you can register yourself within the registration period. For assistance, feel free to use our instructions for exam registration.

You can deregister up to the day before the exam. For courses with portfolio examinations, it is possible to deregister up to one day before the last course date. Please note that you are responsible for deregistering yourself; the TUM Language Center cannot deregister you. It is not possible to deregister after the examination date/last course date.

Participants who are not registered for the language course via TUMonline (e.g., TUM staff) should contact the lecturer directly to register for the exam.

A portfolio exam usually consists of multiple assessments that are completed throughout the semester. This means there is not just a single final exam at the end of the course. Please contact your lecturer to find out the specific types of assessments required.

You can select and download the individual performance record in TUMonline under Transcripts → Confirmations of Achievement once the exam has been corrected by the lecturer and officially approved by the TUM Language Center. This process can take several weeks after the exam date.

ECTS credits are awarded on successful completion of examinations. Information about how many ECTS are awarded for which language course can be found in the module handbook, which is available in TUMonline.

The way in which you can recognize the language course credits for your studies and how the ECTS are booked depends on your respective faculty or subject. It is therefore best to contact your responsible faculty.

The way in which you can recognize the language course credits for your studies and how the ECTS are booked depends on your respective faculty or subject. It is therefore best to contact your responsible faculty

You can only repeat an exam if you did not pass it the last time, or did not participate. 

It is not possible to retake an exam you have already passed, for example to improve your grade. If you have already received ECTS for a module, you cannot receive ECTS for the same module again. 

This also applies to TUM students who have already taken an exam in the Bachelor's program and would like to take the same exam again in the Master's program.

Please also note our Statute.

You can deregister up to the day before the exam. For courses with portfolio examinations, it is possible to deregister up to one day before the last course date. Please note that you are responsible for deregistering yourself; the TUM Language Center cannot deregister you. It is not possible to deregister after the examination date/last course date.

In your TUMonline Grade Report, only passed exams are recorded. If you remain registered but do not complete the exam assignments or do not participate in the exam, this will not be noted in your grade report. However, your TUMonline Examination Report will list non-attendance as “X did not attend - 5,0 fail”. This transcript is primarily for your orientation and is not part of the final graduation documents. 

If your score is within five points of the suggested range, you can still take the course, but you should expect to put in extra effort to pass the course. You should talk this over with the teacher of your course.

We ask you to take the test each semester in order to help us monitor overall student language ability over time and to provide the required number of courses to meet actual demand. In addition, it will help us to make any necessary adjustments to the test and the scale used to place students in courses.

You are only hurting yourself by tampering with the test results by repeating it, getting help from other people, using outside sources when you do the test, or signing up for a course at an inappropriate level. You will find yourself in a course which is either too hard or too easy and will waste your own and your teacher’s time, as well as that of your classmates. The test is meant to be a help, not a hindrance.

There are three possibilities:

1. Attend and complete a course at the TUM Language Center with at least 3 ECTS. The corresponding certificate of achievement (“Einzelleistungsnachweis”) can be used directly in the exchange applications of the university (TUMexchange, Erasmus+ etc.). If a DAAD certificate is required after all, we can issue it on the basis of the certificate of achievement.
2. Take a test at the TUM Language Center for DAAD certification. The test is offered on specific dates (see Exams and Certificates). Participation is only possible for TUM students and staff (including PhD students).
3. Only for English: because of the huge demand for English certification and the good English proficiency with which most students enter the university, we will issue a B2 certificate based on a German Abitur with at least 7 points in each of the last four semesters (B2/C1 level noted on the Abi). We have introduced this measure to optimise our limited resources and facilitate students’ applications to the majority of exchange/ internship opportunities which require B2 level: No lesser-value is implied for students with other school-leaving certificates, testing is available. This also applies only to matriculated TUM students and staff (including PhD students).

For case 1 and 3: Please send an email to sprachenzentrum(at)tum.de with the subject "Application for DAAD certificate based on German Abitur/TUM SZ language course". Attach the language certificate you used for your application and we will issue you a DAAD certificate on this level. Please allow about one week for the certificate to be processed.

We will only issue certification as described above. We must have taught or tested you to issue a DAAD certificate above B2 level.

As suggested by its name, the certificate from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service) is solely intended to facilitate your applications for international studies/ work experience.

The DAAD certificate is only recognised within academia and does not have the wide international acceptance (particularly in companies) of proficiency certification such as the Cambridge Exams, IELTS, TOEFL etc.

You probably already have a suitable certificate for the application stage of exchanges organised by TUM. You should check the exchange websites for details of the proofs of language proficiency accepted.

If you have successfully completed a course of at least 3 ECTS at the TUM Language Center, your certificate of achievement will be accepted as proof of your language skills for all exchange programs operated by TUM. 

The Language Center supports students in their overseas plans by offering language courses and testing to improve and confirm their language proficiency according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels.

Beyond this, and for any further specific requests from partner universities, please check how to proceed with the exchange coordinator from your School.

We do not have any influence over the demands made by other universities, and we are also not responsible for the exchange programs within TUM.

After requesting the certificate or taking the test, your certificate will be issued as a PDF within one week.

DAAD test: Speak to your DAAD examiner before the test to see if an earlier collection is possible.

Request by e-mail: Please provide an indication of the urgency. We will try to process your request as soon as possible.

But please note, ultimately you are responsible for meeting the deadlines.

Sadly, we don’t have the resources to make alternative arrangements for every situation. You will need to follow the usual routes to obtain a DAAD certificate.

The test is open to all matriculated TUM students and staff, including PhD candidates: Each candidate should show a TUM ID card at the test.

The test is free for TUM students.

Places for the test dates are limited so please organize yourself early! You can register to take the test on Moodle. More information about test registration

You may take the test a maximum of once per semester, so once in the WiSe, once in the SoSe.

The test for DAAD certification assesses the following four language skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. It is simply a test of your current language skills. You can best prepare by regularly reading/ watching quality media in the tested language and actively practising your productive language (written and spoken).

The test consists of reading, writing, listening and speaking sections and the result represents the current state of your language skills. For this reason, there are no special requirements for preparation.
More information about the test of the individual language departments can be found here: Exams and Certificates

Sorry, we are not the people to advise you. For the Erasmus exchange you will need to ask the Erasmus Beauftragte in your faculty. For TUM exchange, refer to the advice on the TUM Global & Alumni Office’s website.

Sorry, no. We only offer his for TUM students. The test is only open to matriculated TUM students. You will need a TUMid and password to get into the computer-based test.

Yes, of course. Please send a PDF of your ‘Nachteilausgleich’ letter to sprachenzentrum(at)tum.de 2 weeks before your appointment date.

The program is open to doctoral candidates, postdocs, visiting scholars and international staff at TUM. Participation number is limited up to 25 participants per class.

All courses are free of charge.

Please apply by using the application form on our website during the registration period.

Please be patient. You will receive an email 4-5 days before the course starts if you have been assigned a place in the course you have chosen or not.

Please wait until the application for the next course cycle opens up. We offer several course cycles per year, so you will get a fair chance to participate in our program.

If you are participating in the German for Researchers program for the first time, please take a placement test on Moodle or alternatively, you can take the test at https://www.hueber.de/momente/einstufungstest in order to determine the appropriate course level for you.

The placement test result will help you to choose a course that fits best your needs. If you consider yourself a beginner in German, please apply for the A1.1-level.

Please note: It is not necessary to send your test-result beforehand via email. Just keep it for yourself and have it ready on the first day of class. Just keep it for yourself and have it ready on the first day of class.

No. The placement test result will help you to choose a course that fits best your needs. It is not necessary to send your test-result beforehand. Just keep it for yourself and have a screenshot/picture ready on the first day of class.

Our courses build on one another; therefore it is not possible to register for more than on class at the same time. If you wish to change your course choice after registering, please email to sprachenzentrum(at)tum.de, subject: German for Researchers

Please email to sprachenzentrum(at)tum.de, subject: German for Researchers, so that we can cancel your registration and give your spot to someone on the waiting list. Thanks for letting us know.

Please send an email directly to your instructor to inform him/her early in advance. If you miss to inform your instructor, you will loose your spot in class and it will be given to someone on the waiting list.

A good self-assessment will help you to participate successfully in the course. So that you learn at the level that best suits your previous knowledge, we reccommend the placement test. It is not necessary to send your test-result beforehand. Just keep it for yourself and have a screenshot/picture of your result ready on the first day of class.

Please have a screenshot/picture of your result ready on the first day of class. It is not necessary to provide your result in advance.

Places are assigned randomly (lottery-system). Each class is limited up to 25 participants.

You will receive an email 4-5 days before the course starts if you have been assigned a place in the course you have chosen or not.

Please apply again for the next course cycle. We offer several course cycles per year, so you will get a fair chance to participate in our program.

Instructors will send out all the necessary information early enough in advance. Thank you for your patience.

The courses with the specification Munich will take place in presence on the Munich campus. Your instructor will provide you with the exact room number early enough in advance.

All the other courses will be held online via Zoom. Your instructor will provide you with all the necessary login information early enough in advance.

We offer several course cycles per year. Classes last 8 weeks and usually meet on two evenings per week.

Please find exact specification regarding days and times of the next course cycles on our website.

You can book one appointment per day, three per week, and a total of 12 per semester.

Our team of lecturers and writing scouts will advise you.

You can come with all texts that you produce in the course of your studies or your work at TUM.

The consultation takes place in German.  

We do not proofread or revise your texts for you; rather, we work with you to improve your ability in written communication.

Your writing advisor will contact you via your (TUM) email address to invite you to a Zoom meeting.

The availability of all our consultants is shown three weeks in advance each month.

Our booking system requires a minimum wait time of 12 hours before a consultation.

If you fail to show up for your advising appointment more than once, we regret that we will have to exclude you from advising for the current semester.

Please cancel an appointment using the link in your confirmation email. This will give other interested parties a chance.

Please cancel an appointment at least 24 hours in advance. (See link in confirmation email).

Please bring your current text (approx. 1-5 pages) in digital form or on paper.

The China Expertise Program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge for professional collaboration with Chinese companies. It provides a comprehensive understanding of China as a key business partner and enhances intercultural competencies relevant to a China-focused career.