Examinations
Examinations are always held prior to the last course day. In intensive courses held every day, examinations are usually set during the last course week; in courses held once or three times a week, on the last course day and/or the day before last. Your teacher will notify you of the exact examination date on the first course day.
You are not eligible for a certificate if you have missed more than 25% of the course duration. Nevertheless, you can sit the examination.
There are two pre-requirements for the issuance of a course certificate: minimum 75% course attendance and sitting the final oral and written exam.
People with attested disabilities have the right to an accessible examination mode.
- (Future) students of the University of Vienna: Please fill out this FORM (in German) before the start of the course and send it to barrierefreisymbolunivie.acpunktat and then inform sprachenzentrumsymbolunivie.acpunktat.
- Course participants (except students at the University of Vienna): Please write to sprachenzentrumsymbolunivie.acpunktat within the first week of the course and ask for an appointment with the head of department.
A fail in one of the four skills means that the course objectives were not reached. The course objectives are only reached if and when passing grades are achieved in all four language skills examined.
No, not in our German courses. You must achieve passing grades in all four language skills.
No. The teacher schedules the examination for the entire group. Therefore, there is no posibility to make up for a missed examination, or part thereof.
In principle, no. Should however, in exceptional cases, the possibility exist to re-sit an examination in order to earn a passing grade, your lecturer will notify you in due time upon the conditions attached.
The examination is an assessment of your performance, and feedback regarding your learning progress. Not least of all, sitting the examination is a pre-requirement if you need a certificate.
The Language Competency Certificate attests its holder that she/he can communicate at a certain proficiency level in a foreign language (according to the CEFR). This document is often required by a university during the admission process or when applying for Erasmus programs.
To obtain the certification, the person has to sit an examination at the Language Center (SZUW).
The examination is offered for many foreign languages (esp. English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish; and many additional languages apart from German).
You can register for a language competency test at Language Competency Certificates.
The Language Competency Certificates are usually issued for the levels B2 and C1 in English and for level B1 in French, Italian, Portugese and Spanish.
Should you require another level issued according to CEFR, please state during the registration process.
If you have already gained a certificate with passing grades in a course at the Language Center in English B2/Phase 3 or French, Italian, Portugese and Spanish B1/Phase 3, this equals the Language Competency Certificate.
Other languages and levels are also available. Please contact us via e-mail.
We offer group appointments (min. 6 participants) as well as private appointments for Language Competency Certificate examinations.
Further information you will find here.
The (partial) refund will be disbursed after receipt of the letter of nomination from the OeAD database. Here you will find further information on the procedure.
Private examination appointments are available for all our target languages.
Please contact us via e-mail and inform us about your target language, the CEFR level and by what date you need the language competency certificate.
The examination consists of a written part (approx. 90 minutes) and an oral part.
The tested content variies according to language and leves tested. More detailed information on each exam you will find at "Further Information" in our booking system.
The Language Center organizes the university entrance qualification examination for English four times a year, on behalf of the Admission Office of the University of Vienna (recognition according to the University Act from 2002, § 64a, in the version currently in force). More detailed information is available at Studienzulassung der Universität Wien.
Further information on the examination at the Language Center and the procedure can be found here.
No examination fees are charged. The examination fee is paid out of the study fees for non-degree program students.
For registration, you will need a letter of admission from the university. The registration for the university entrance qualification examination for English is carried out at the Admission Office of the University of Vienna, Department for university entrance qualification examinations.
The Austrian Language Certificate (ÖSD) is an internationally recognized diploma for the German language. The Language Center offers examinations four times per year.
Further information can be found here.
The ÖSD website (www.osd.at) offers a sample test for every language proficiency level, as well as the possibility to order preparation materials. It also includes a list of all the institutions which organize preparation courses. The Language Center offers no preparation courses for ÖSD examinations at this time.
ÖSD examinations are held four times a year: in March, May/June, August and November.
