Application & admission
Admission Requirements for the Studienkolleg
1. High School Diploma
Did you earn your high school diploma abroad? If so, you may not be able to start a degree program in Germany right away. In that case, you can prepare specifically for your studies at the Studienkolleg at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
If you’re from an EU country, the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), or Switzerland, you can usually study directly in Saxony with the degree you earned in your home country—often without having to attend a Studienkolleg first. You can find out exactly which qualifications you need here:
2. German Language Skills
Classes at the Studienkolleg are held in German. For your application, you need at least a B1 level of German proficiency.
By the start of the course, we recommend at least a B2 level so that you can follow the lessons well. For your subsequent studies at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, a C1 level is then required.
3. The following fees and expenses should be factored into your budget:
- Tuition fees:
- FSP: €2,100.00 per semester for preparation for the placement exam in the TI or WW course
- DSH: €800.00 per semester for preparation for the German Language Exam for University Admission
including fees for the Student Services Organization, the Student Council, and the Germany Semester Ticket
- Exam fees:
- FSP: up to 300.00 €
- DSH: up to 200.00 €
- Course Materials & Books: Expenses for course materials and books are incurred each semester.
- Other supplies: Additionally, one-time costs may arise for calculators, reference books, or other supplies.
You will need a good knowledge of German for the Studienkolleg and your future studies. There are many language schools in Saxony that offer suitable courses.
Before you choose a course, you should know your language level. You can find a free placement test on the Goethe-Institut website.
It is important that your course concludes with a recognized German exam.
The Application Process
- Application: Applications for the Preparatory Program at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences are submitted through the university’s online portal.
- Required Documents:
- High school diploma with an officially certified German or English translation
- Proof of German language proficiency (at least level B1)
- Resume
- APS certificate for applicants from India, Vietnam, and China
Our courses
The application deadlines
Applications for the Studienkolleg Zittau are possible twice a year. You can find all deadlines here:
Start online application
Applications must be submitted online via the university's application portal.
Admission test
Before beginning your studies at the Studienkolleg, you must pass an entrance test.
The entrance test takes place twice a year in Zittau at the Studienkolleg, once at the beginning of February and once at the end of August, usually on a Tuesday.
Address of the Studienkolleg
Location: How to reach the Studienkolleg:
Studienkolleg
Schwenninger Weg 1
02763 Zittau
Good to know: It takes about 35 minutes to walk from Zittau train station to the Studienkolleg at Schwenninger Weg 1 (route).
The exact dates for the entrance test in the respective semester can be found under Procedure/Dates.
The entrance test refers to the following semester. The test in February is for the summer semester, the test in August is for the winter semester.
The test checks whether you have sufficient knowledge of German and mathematics to successfully take part in the Studienkolleg's classes / courses.
Whether a place at the Studienkolleg can be awarded depends on the result of the entrance test. After the test, applicants are ranked and assigned to the individual courses. For this reason, the entrance test is also known as the placement test.
The results of the entrance test are usually published the same week on the homepage of the Studienkolleg under "Results of entrance test".
Please note: Passing the entrance test does not automatically lead to a place at the Studienkolleg. Admission is only possible once all documents have been checked in full and the requirements have been met.
The entrance test can only be repeated once, at the earliest after one semester.
Procedure of the test
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1. registration and confirmation of identity
When you arrive at Studienkolleg Zittau, you must first confirm your participation in the entrance test with your signature. To do this, please present your invitation to the test and a valid identification document (identity card, passport or similar).
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2. assignment of test number and room of the test
You will now be given a small piece of paper with your test room and test number on it.
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Important information in the leaflet
You will receive an information sheet with all the important information about the entrance test. In it you will find the rules for the procedure, instructions for completing the test documents and the next steps: Retrieving your result, registering at the student residence, enrolment and information on the required textbooks.
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4. output of the test tasks and solution sheets
You will now receive the test. On the first page, enter your personal details and your test number. Please also note the test number on all solution sheets in the top right-hand corner.
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5. test
The test begins!
- Implementation:
- The test is written.
- Duration:
- The German part lasts 90 minutes, the math part 30 minutes.
- The math section is not required for applicants of the DSH course.
- Resources:
- You are not allowed to use any aids.
- Prohibitions:
- Cell phones must not be switched on.
- You may not write with a pencil.
- Red or green pens are not allowed.
- It is forbidden to use "cheat sheets" and to talk to your neighbor.
- Implementation:
Contents of the German section
Your German language skills are tested in three areas:
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1. basic knowledge of vocabulary and German grammar
The tasks on your basic knowledge test your vocabulary and whether you have mastered the basic grammar.
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2. advanced grammatical knowledge
In some grammar tasks, you will have to grammatically transform simple sentences, for example an active sentence into a passive sentence or vice versa, and you will be tested on how confident you are in using the most common subordinate clauses in German, for example relative clauses and causal or conditional clauses.
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3. reading comprehension
Finally, you will be tested on how good you are at understanding German texts by
a) answering questions in bullet points
b) assigning information to lines of text
c) deciding whether statements are true or false
d) supplementing main clauses with appropriate subordinate clauses, etc.
The texts come from areas such as studies, travel, current world events or regional studies. They can be texts from personal experience, media reports or factual texts.
- Don't be afraid of the test: it doesn't test your personality, but only your German and math skills, which are important for successful studies in Germany.
- Nevertheless, good preparation is crucial. Sufficient time should be planned for this.
- Read the instructions for the entrance test carefully and ideally complete the entire test in the time allowed. This will give you a realistic feel for the level of difficulty and time limit.
- Don't let other test takers make you feel insecure before the test starts - they are also nervous and no better prepared.
- In the test room, avoid distractions and work with concentration. Read the tasks carefully and only do what is required, as additional work can easily lead to errors.
- Solve the easy tasks first, then the more difficult ones.
- If a task remains unsolved, it is better not to hold on to it for too long, but to move on to the next one so as not to lose any time.
- Allow enough time for reading comprehension, as experience has shown that this part takes longer than the grammar tasks.