Placement/Registration

If you would like to take classes with us, you have to first take a placement test to prove that you have the required level for the class.

If you have not taken a placement test before, please take one of the following online tests (the tests are free):

English
Spanish
French
New: Chinese (further Information on the the test can be found below)

You may take the test for each language only once per semester.

If you would like to register in the First Phase or Late Registration Phase, you have to take the test by the latest on 03.10.; for the Second Phase the deadline is 10.10. by the latest in order for your registration to be valid.

The exam will be provide your result after the test has been completed with the corresponding language level achieved. There you will also find further details on what you need to know before taking our Digital Placement Exams for the languages English, Spanish and French.

Your score is saved in OpenOLAT, from where we will export it. You don't need to do anything else other than register in STiNE during the registration phases. We will not send you any additional notifications.

Important: You will need to sign into OpenOLAT with your UHH login to take the test. Should you not have received your UHH login yet, please write us an email (testing.sz"AT"uni-hamburg.de).

NEW: Placement test for Chinese

The test consists of 40 reading tasks in total and the working time for them is 40 minutes. Students can then click on the "view results" button at the very bottom, and it will show how many tasks have been solved correctly. The requirement for taking the Chinese language course is to solve 50% percent of them correctly. So you have to solve a total of 20 tasks correctly. The result should be sent as a screenshot via the contact form.

Placement results are valid for 3 years

Have you taken the test within the past 3 years (including 2020)? Then you don't need to do anything. Your results are still in our system. Simply register for the classes in STiNE.

Have you taken the test before 2020? Then please make sure to re-take the test.

Alternatives to taking the test

If you have obtained an internationally recognized langauge certificate (such as TOEFL, IELTS, DELF) or if you have been tested level B2 or higher by the Allgemeinsprachen, you can send in this certificate instead via our web form. Here too, though, this is only valid for 3 years. If you sent your certificate before 2019, you will have to send us a new certificate or take the test.

ALSO NEW: Have you attended two B2 classes? Then you can also use this to register for a C1 class. Please send us the following information via our web form: which two classes did you attended and in which semester did you attended them.

For the languages not listed above (Italian, Russian, Turkish, Portuguese)

the class teachers will decide whether or not your level is sufficient for the class.

We issue language certificate for: applications for exchange programs (such as ERASMUS, DAAD, and other exchange programs), master applications, other applications or something similar or to participate in classes offered by the faculty of law (for Fremdsprachenscheine).

[Please note: If you would like to take classes offered by the Language Center, you do not need to present one of these language certificates. Please take the online tests listed above.]

The test can be taken once per semester and once in the lecture free period.

For language certificates English

please send the digital proof of enrollment you can download from STiNE or alternatively a photo/scan of your student ID to testing.sz"AT"uni-hamburg.de. You will then receive a log-in code for the test and further instructions on how to proceed. After completing the test, you will receive an electronic certificate from the Language Center via email.

Please note: This is a more elaborate test than the one we use for course participation. So even if you already took the test linked above to take a class with us, you will still have to take this test with log-in code in order to receive a language certificate.

For most ERASMUS and master applications as well as for the classes offered by the faculty of law, this certificate from the Language Center is usually sufficient. If in doubt, please ask the institution you are sending your application to directly.

Should you ADDITIONALLY require a DAAD/bvmd certificate or another special document your exchange institution is asking for, please contact Mr. Feddersen (benjamin.feddersen"AT"uni-hamburg.de) to arrange a telephone appointment for a quick oral exam. Should you have already taken this test with log-in code with us in the past and have received the Language Center certificate, you can of course contact Mr. Feddersen directly. It is not necessary to repeat the test.

For language certificates in French/Spanish

please take the relevant test:

Spanish
French

and email a screenshot of your result to

Spanish/French: Verónica Guijas Gento (veronica.guijas.gento"AT"uni-hamburg.de)
and arrange an appointment with them for a ZOOM or in-person appointment for the oral examination.

Here you can find more information about DELE (Spanish) and DELF/DALF (French).

Please understand that we receive a lot of requests and that we are very busy; we will get back to you as quickly as possible.