Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Language courses in TUM Language Center is free of charge and  is available for all the members of TUM.

• Students and exchange students
• PhD students at TUM (as long as they are enrolled for doctoral studies program)
• Staff members at TUM and not matriculated PhD students(depending on the capacity)

You can participate in all the courses that the TUM Langueage Center offers. Only the offers that are improved and financed in cooperation with Schools or seperate degree courses are available for the students of these Schools/degree courses.

Allocation of places:

• 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.
• 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.

For students with a confirmed place:

• 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.

For students without a confirmed place:

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

Participation is only possible if you have received a confirmed place via TUMonline. It does not matter whether it is a face-to-face, blended, hybrid or online course.

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.

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 is a simple test of your current language skills. You can best prepare by regularly reading/ watching quality French language media 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.

Bieten Sie Kurse zur Vorbereitung auf einen TestDaF, TELC oder DSH an?

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).

The number of ECTS depends on the contact hours of the course:

• 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

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.

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.