Examinations

Our Foundation Courses prepare you for the “Examination to Assess the Qualification of Foreign Applicants for Admission to Universities in the Federal Republic of Germany” (better known as the Feststellungsprüfung or FSP) of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The examination is administered twice a year by the district government of Cologne, in May and in November. The FSP certificate is recognized in all of Germany, not just in North Rhine-Westphalia. The grades obtained in the FSP are an admission criterion for university applications, together with the grades of your school-leaving qualification.

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Admissions criteria:

• An overseas school-leaving qualification which, according to the stipulations of the German Ministry of Education and the Arts (KMK), entitles you to attend a preparatory college (Studienkolleg) like ours. You can check whether or not your school-leaving qualification fulfills that criterion on the website https://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.html – or simply ask us.

• German-language proficiency at B2 level, proven for example by means of a relevant telc- or Goethe-certificate.

• If you have not attained B2 proficiency level yet, you can take one of our Intensive German Courses to prepare you for the examination for the telc language certificate B2.

Any questions?

If you feel unsure about whether or not you need to take the FSP, or indeed have any other questions about studying in Germany, you should let us counsel you free of charge and without committing yourself to anything. Each individual case is different. Thanks to our comprehensive experience, we are able to offer you specific advice tailored to your personal circumstances. Moreover, we recommend that you seek our advice early on. Sometimes obtaining a visa can take a very long time. Hence, you ought to apply at least 3 months before the start of your Foundation Course.

You can also check out our FAQ section where we answer some of the most frequently asked questions.