Placement test
German placement test: find your level in 20 minutes
Four C-Test texts, one per level from A1 to B2, five minutes each and no going back, like the onSET. At the end you see the highest text level you handle, the grammar that cost you points and what to practice next. Free, no account.
Take the placement test
The texts get harder one by one. Complete the missing half of each word; capitalization counts. A text counts as handled at 14 of 20 gaps.
How this placement test works
Each text starts with a complete sentence. After that, every second word is missing its second half: you see the start of the word and type the rest, often an ending, an article or a short word. This is the C-Test, the format the onSET uses.
You get one text each at A1, A2, B1 and B2. Your result is the highest level where you complete at least 14 of 20 gaps. Because every gap depends on grammar, the result also shows which areas cost you points.
Where German placement tests are used
Universities use placement tests to put students into the right German course and, through tests such as the onSET, to check language requirements. The onSET itself is a C-Test: eight texts with 20 gaps and five minutes each, scored from 0 to 160.
Many Studienkollegs test German with a C-Test as well; the Studienkolleg at Goethe University Frankfurt, for example, uses an electronic C-Test as its entrance exam. Practising the format once means you know what to expect in all of them.
onSET: format and result · Goethe University Frankfurt: Studienkolleg
What your result means
- A1 texts still too hard: start with word types, sentence structure and endings, then untimed A1 texts.
- Up to A1: articles, cases and plurals, with A2 texts every day.
- Up to A2: adjective endings, prepositions with their case and verb forms decide the step to B1.
- Up to B1: subordinate clauses, the passive and small function words, with timed B2 texts.
- Up to B2: keep the level with full simulations and review only the gaps that still cost points.
A practice result, not a certificate
This test shows the text level you complete today with our original practice texts. It is not a CEFR certificate and does not predict your onSET score. For university or scholarship applications, take the official test your institution names.
To keep practising, the Pass opens 104 C-Test texts from A1 to B2, grammar lessons for every gap type and full eight-text simulations.
Questions
How long does the placement test take?
About 20 minutes: four texts with five minutes each. Each text moves on automatically when its time runs out.
Do I need an account?
No. The test and your level are free without an account. Leave your email only if you want the full review of every missed gap.
Is this the official onSET?
No. onSET Prep is independent. This test uses the same C-Test format with our own texts, so it is good practice but not an official result.
Can I take it again?
Yes, but the four texts stay the same, so a second score mostly shows that you remember them. Use new texts to measure progress.