Preparatory College and Placement Test
Not all foreign school-leaving certificates which – possibly with a university entrance examination – entitle the holder to study in their country of origin are recognised as proof of eligibility for higher education in Germany. Often, minimum requirements are set for individual results, average marks or the range of subjects covered in the school-leaving certificate, or proof of successful study periods in the home country must also be provided.
Information on the country-specific assessment of foreign school-leaving certificates and academic qualifications can be found online at: anabin.kmk.org.
If your foreign qualifications entitle you to sit the ‘Feststellungsprüfung’ (assessment examination) in Germany as an alternative to providing evidence of periods of study abroad, you can apply for admission to a Studienkolleg to prepare for this examination.
‘Feststellungsprüfung’is the abbreviation for ‘examination to assess the suitability of university applicants with foreign educational qualifications (“foreign-educated applicants”) for admission to higher education institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)’. The assessment examination can be taken in various subject areas. However, it is not equivalent to a German university entrance qualification. Together with your home country’s educational qualifications, it enables you to obtain a subject-specific foreign university entrance qualification for the Federal Republic of Germany. Applications to study at the University of Wuppertal must therefore also be submitted via uni-assist.
General information on preparatory colleges in Germany and the assessment test
Information on Studienkollegs and the assessment test in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
In NRW, the state-run Studienkollegs have been closed down. In NRW, the only institutions still offering free preparation for the assessment test are the Studienkolleg run by the Ökumenisches Studienwerk e.V. in Bochum (T-course – www.studienkolleg-bochum.de) and the Luso-Brazilian Studienkolleg in Mettingen (T, W, G and M courses – www.studienkolleg-mettingen.de/). Places at the Mettingen preparatory college are primarily intended for students from Portuguese-speaking countries and Latin America. Applications from other continents are accepted, but will be given lower priority when places are allocated.
Taking the assessment examination without prior attendance at a Studienkolleg
In North Rhine-Westphalia, it remains possible to sit the ‘External Assessment Examination’ in all subject specialisations without having previously attended a Studienkolleg. This takes place twice a year. Three subjects are examined in writing and one subject orally. The examination subjects depend on the chosen specialisation (see below). To be admitted to the External Assessment Examination, you must demonstrate a command of German at least at level B2. The External Assessment Examination is administered centrally by the Cologne District Government, whilst the formal assessment is carried out by the Düsseldorf District Government. Your application for admission to the External Assessment Examination must be submitted to:
Düsseldorf District Government, Department 48, PO Box 30 08 65, 40408 Düsseldorf
Applicants from China, Vietnam and Mongolia must, in addition to the usual application documents, provide a certificate from the Academic Assessment Centre (APS).
Some providers offer fee-based preparation courses for the External Assessment Examination. It is important to check carefully whether the private preparatory college you have chosen actually offers a state-recognised qualification!
Focus areas of the assessment examination
- Focus area T (technical, mathematical, natural science and engineering degree programmes, excluding biology programmes)
- Focus M (medical and biological degree programmes)
- Focus W (economics and social sciences)
- Focus S (language degree programmes)
- Focus area G ( humanities, arts and social sciences)
Here you will find an overview of how Wuppertal’s Bachelor’s degree programmes are allocated to the specialised courses at the preparatory colleges.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the international student administration office!
