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University aptitude test

TestAS: prove you're ready, before the offer.

TestAS is a standardised aptitude test for international applicants to German universities. It is not a language exam. It shows an admissions office how you think, and a strong score can lift a borderline application into an offer.

Format
Digital, on-screen
Language
German or English
Structure
Core test + 1 module
Validity
No expiry date
Your standard score
Centre = 100
scores are standardised so the field average sits near the centre of the scale
Your score
placed as a percentile, higher is stronger
No pass mark
a modest score does no harm, and it never expires

What it is

An aptitude test, not a language test.

TestAS measures the cognitive skills a German degree demands: reasoning, pattern recognition, quantitative thinking and subject-specific problem solving. Many universities and Studienkollegs ask for it, and a number of them weight it heavily for competitive courses. A confident score is one of the few levers you fully control in your application.


Structure

A core test, then your subject module.

Everyone sits the Core Test of general reasoning. You then choose one subject module aligned to your intended degree, in German or English, and the whole test runs in that one language.


Find your module

Pick your field, see what it tests.

Choose where your degree points. We reveal the matching subject module and the kind of thinking it asks for. The Core Test sits underneath them all.

I am heading toward

Sat by everyone

Core Test

General problem solving that underlies every module. Strong here lifts your whole result, so it is where we always start.

  • Patterns & matrices: completing figures and analogies
  • Number series: spotting the rule and continuing it
  • Quantitative reasoning: working through number problems
Subject module

Engineering

Technical reasoning for engineering degrees: reading how parts and forces relate, then thinking through the problem.

  • Reading diagrams: understanding technical drawings
  • Formalising relationships: turning a situation into structure
  • Physical & mechanical problems: analysing how things behave
Subject module

Maths, Computer Science & Natural Sciences

For STEM applicants: working cleanly with quantitative and scientific problems, abstraction and logical structure.

  • Quantitative problems: reasoning with numbers and figures
  • Scientific problems: applying method to data
  • Abstraction & logic: holding structure in your head
Subject module

Economics

For business and economics degrees: reading data, reasoning about it and turning it into a clear conclusion.

  • Interpreting data: reading charts and tables
  • Economic reasoning: thinking through cause and effect
  • Quantitative analysis: putting numbers to the argument
Subject module

Humanities, Cultural & Social Sciences

For humanities and social-science degrees: reading closely, seeing relationships and reasoning with language-based material.

  • Text analysis: reading for meaning and intent
  • Interpreting relationships: linking ideas across a passage
  • Language-based reasoning: arguing from words, not numbers

Scoring

There is no pass mark. There is a percentile.

Your result is a standard score with a percentile rank, set against everyone who took the same module. The scale is built around a centre of 100. Pick a band to see how a university reads it.

Lower percentileHigher percentile

A score near the centre of the scale reads as a solid, middle-of-the-field result. It does no harm and shows you sat a recognised aptitude test.

An above-average percentile sits in the upper percentiles: high enough to strengthen a borderline file, realistic to reach with focused practice.

A top-band percentile sits in the highest percentiles and can tip competitive courses your way, which matters most when the universities on your list weight TestAS heavily.


How we help

From "do I even need it?" to a score on file.

  1. Decide if it is worth it

    We check your target universities and programmes against their TestAS requirements, then tell you plainly whether it helps your case or is a distraction.

  2. Pick module and language

    We match the subject module to your intended degree and choose the test language that gives you the cleaner run.

  3. Register and schedule

    We handle the booking and slot you into a test date that fits your admission timeline, not the other way round.

  4. Prepare with real material

    A focused prep plan with practice on the actual task types, so test day holds no surprises.


Questions

TestAS, answered.

Is TestAS mandatory?

Not universally. Some universities and Studienkollegs require it, many recommend it, and for competitive courses a strong score can be decisive. We confirm exactly where your shortlist stands before you spend a cent on it.

Is it a German language test?

No. TestAS measures aptitude and reasoning, and you can sit it in English. German proficiency is proven separately, usually with TestDaF.

How often can I take it?

It runs on several dates through the year and you may sit it more than once. Because there is no expiry and no penalty for a modest score, the strongest result is the one that counts.

Can I prepare in a few weeks?

The task types are learnable. With a focused plan and real practice material, a few weeks of consistent work makes a visible difference. We build that plan around your dates.

Next step

Let's see whether TestAS earns its place in your application.

One consultation tells you whether to sit it, which module to take and how to prepare, mapped to your universities and deadlines.


Sitting dates

Every TestAS date, kept current.

Pulled straight from the official GaST exam calendar, so this table updates itself when a new sitting is published. Register through the official portal; we help you pick the date that fits your admission deadline.

Exam dateFormatRegistration closesResults
23 Oct 2026Paper18 Sep 2026 Open20 Nov 2026
25 Nov 2026Digital16 Nov 2026 Open16 Dec 2026
24 Feb 2027Paper21 Jan 2027 Open29 Mar 2027
17 Mar 2027Digital8 Mar 2027 Open7 Apr 2027
23 Apr 2027Paper22 Mar 2027 Open23 May 2027
14 Jun 2027Digital3 Jun 2027 Open5 Jul 2027
22 Oct 2027Paper23 Sep 2027 Open21 Nov 2027
24 Nov 2027Digital15 Nov 2027 Open15 Dec 2027

Updated automatically from gast.de Checked 15 Aug 2026

Add these dates to your calendar

Subscribe once and every new sitting appears on its own, or download the file for a one-off copy.

Works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook.