Assessment Examination (FSP) at the Studienkolleg

In order to study at a German institution of higher education, you must provide proof of a university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung; HZB) in Germany. For many countries the secondary school qualification on its own does not permit access to undergraduate programs in Germany.

In addition to their secondary school qualification, many candidates need the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung; FSP) for admission to a degree program. You can preliminarily check if this applies to you in the DAAD database. This is offered by Studienkollegs (preparatory colleges) in Germany. To prepare for the assessment test, you visit a one-year preparatory course. 

The Studienkolleg finishes with the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung; FSP). You can study certain subjects at a German university only after having passed the assessment test (FSP). Which subjects you can study depends on which course you attend (T-course for technical subjects, W-course for business-related studies, G-course for humanities subjects etc.). Please inquire at the university where you wish to study which of these courses you have to take at the Studienkolleg.

After successfully completing the Studienkolleg with the assessment test (FSP), you can apply for a place in a bachelor's degree program in the subjects and universities stated in the FSP certificate.

 

What is the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung - FSP)?

The assessment test (FSP) enables subject-specific access to bachelor studies in Germany. Which subjects are accessible depends on which course is attended. These are T-course (for technical and engineering programs), W-course (for business-related degrees), S-course (for social science study programs), G-course (for humanities study programs). The individual university decides which course you need for admission to a particular field of study. This may differ from university to university.

If you have sat the assessment test (FSP) at a Studienkolleg of a university of applied sciences, the HZB is often limited to studying at a university of applied sciences.

After completing the preparatory course, you have to reapply for a bachelor’s degree program in order to obtain a place at university. Providing only the FSP certificate is not sufficient because it counts for only 50% of your HZB grade. Therefore, you have to enclose the certificates from your home country when applying (the marks from the home country also account for 50% of the HZB grade).

Please note: graduates of the Studienkolleg are not Bildungsinländer (foreign national who has attained a German university level entrance qualification Abitur) but still have to apply as international applicants.

Prerequisite for the invitation to the admission exam for the preparatory course at the Studienkolleg
  • Your secondary school qualification entitles you to study at a preparatory course in the core course which is associated with your future bachelor’s study course. There are secondary school qualifications which entitle the student only to participate in a specific core course.
  • Since there are many more applicants than places in the preparatory course, we are forced to make a preliminary selection through the invitations to the admission exam. Candidates who in their school certificates do not achieve at least an average of 70% (of the country-specific minimum and maximum score) unfortunately cannot receive an invitation to the admission exam.
  • German language skills: To apply, you need B1 level skills (CEFR). Accepted proof: certificate of attendance of the B1-course which does not yet have to be completed, or B1 language certificates (CEFR).
How, where and when can I apply?

You must apply for a bachelor’s degree course. Direct application for Studienkolleg is not possible.

International applicants (citizenship non-EU), who after their FSP want to study at KIT please apply via the online portal of the KIT International Students Office.

Applicants with German or EU-citizenship please apply via the online portal of the KIT Studierendenservice (student services). Please note the information for applicants on the pages of student services. For them, a slightly different application process applies than the one described on the websites of the International Students Office.

Applicants wishing to study at another university in a bachelor program, should please apply directly for the Studienkolleg / FSP at that university.

Applications for the preparatory course at the Studienkolleg are possible in the winter and summer semester. Please note, however, that the bachelor program, at least at KIT, only starts in the winter term.

Application deadline:

Winter term: July, 15th (winter semester 2021/22: July 31, 2021)
Summer term: January, 15th

Application documents:

Please note: All documents concerning education have to be submitted in the original language and an official translation (German / English). Simple, non-notarized copies of all documents are sufficient for the application.

  • print-out of online application with your signature*
  • school certificates
  • for some countries additional documents have to be submitted: e.g. university entrance examination, proof of previous study (proof of enrollment, listing of previously completed courses with grades and semester, so-called Transcript of Records). To find out which documents are necessary for an application from your home country, please refer to the database Informationssystem zur Anerkennung ausländischer Bildungsabschlüsse (German language only).
  • proof of German language skills: To apply, you need B1 level skills (CEFR). Accepted proof: certificate of attendance of the B1-course which does not yet have to be completed, or B1 language certificates (CEFR).

* Applicants with EU citizenship or German citizenship, please apply via the student services and not via the International Students Office.

Studienkollegs in Germany

There are Studienkollegs throughout Germany. In Baden-Württemberg there is a Studienkolleg at the University of Heidelberg (all core subject areas), the Studienkolleg of KIT (only T-courses for technical subjects) and the Studienkolleg at the University of Applied Sciences Konstanz. If you apply for a bachelor’s degree course at the University of Ulm, Tübingen, Freiburg etc. and need to sit the assessment test (FSP), you will be invited to the Studienkolleg at the University of Heidelberg. The KIT applicants as well as the applicants of University of Stuttgart for technical and engineering subjects will be invited to the Studienkolleg at KIT. Candidates of KIT for all other courses (humanities, social sciences etc.) will be invited to the Studienkolleg in Heidelberg.

Entrance exam for the T-course at the Studienkolleg of KIT

To be admitted to the T-course of the Studienkolleg at KIT, you have to participate in the entrance exam in the subjects German and mathematics. For the entrance exam in the subject German you need at least a B1-level of German, you cannot pass the admission exam with any less. Higher language skills may better your chances to be accepted at Studienkolleg KIT.

The invitation from IStO will provide you with the information when and where the test takes place. Information on the contents of the admission exam, on registering and for preparation purposes are provided directly by the Studienkolleg.

Dates for the entrance exam at Studienkolleg KIT:
The entrance exam usually takes place in early February (for the summer term) and early September (for the winter term). You will receive more detailed information in your invitation after a successful application.

New: Registration for the Entrance Exam
After you have received an invitation (Vormerkung) from IStO you have to register for a place at the entrance exam. Registration is done via the homepage of the Preparatory College (Studienkolleg) and is only possible a few days in August. You will find the link in your invitation (Vormerkung).
After registration you will receive further information (including confirmation whether you have successfully reserved a place at the entrance exam) directly from Preparatory Colllege (Studienkolleg).
Please note: There are only a limited number of places for the examination, therefore not everyone who was accepted by KIT can take part in the entrance exam. There is no entitlement to take part in entrance exam!

Visa:
To take part in the entrance exam is only possible with a student visa (study purposes § 16).

Entrance exam for the G-, S- or W-course at the Studienkolleg of the University of Heidelberg

To be admitted to the Studienkolleg at the University of Heidelberg, you have to participate in the entrance exam in the subject German. For the admission exam in the subject German you need at least the B1-level of German, you cannot pass the entrance exam with any less. Higher language skills may better your chances to be accepted at Studienkolleg Heidelberg. The invitation from IStO will provide you with the information when and where the test takes place. Information on the contents of the entrance exams, on registering and for preparation purposes are provided directly by the Studienkolleg Heidelberg.

Dates for the entrance exam at Studienkolleg of the University of Heidelberg:
The exam usually takes place in early April (for the summer term) and early October (for the winter term). You will receive more detailed information in your invitation after a successful application.

Visa:
To take part in the entrance exam is only possible with a student visa (study purposes § 16).

What are the chances of getting a place in the T-course at the Studienkolleg of KIT?

More applicants than places! In recent years the number of applicants has risen sharply. The high demand exceeds the available places by far. If you received an invitation to participate in the entrance exam and reserved a place successfully, that does not mean that you automatically get a place in the course. The result of the exam determines who gets a place in the Studienkolleg.

Even if you do well enough in the exam in German and mathematics, you may still not receive a place in the Studienkolleg. In the winter term 16/17 KIT had over 600 applicants for the T-course, in which 100 places are available.

You did not receive a place in the T-course at the Studienkolleg, you did not pass the entrance exam or did not participate in the entrance exam, what now?

If you did not get a place, there are 2 options:

1) Reapplying:
You can apply again for the next semester to get an invitation for the next entrance exam. Please note: an extension of an invitation in the next semester is not possible, you need to reapply.

2) Completion of years of study in home country:
An alternative to the one-year preparatory course at the Studienkolleg and the assessment test (FSP) for the school leaving qualifications of some countries is to prove one (or more) successful academic year(s) at an accredited university in your home country. The school leaving qualifications together with the study certificates then directly entitle you to study in a degree program in Germany and the assessment test (FSP) is not necessary.
For information on the specific conditions for your country, see the Informationssystem zur Anerkennung ausländischer Bildungsabschlüsse (in German only).

Study Costs

Students preparing the assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung) at the Studienkolleg are obliged to pay the following fees/charges every semester:

Adminstrative Contribution student services
(Studierendenwerk)
87,70 €

Administrative Contribution

70,00 €

Contribution for the General Students’s Committee
(Studierendenwerk)
7,50 €
Total 165,20 €

 

Fees for international Students

Tuition fees for international students in the amount of 1.500 € are only charged for bachelor's and master's programmes. Students attending the preparatory course (Studienkolleg) to prepare the assessment exam (Feststellungsprüfung) don’t pay tuition fees for international students but only the above mentioned contribution.

 

August 2022