German Language Test

A German language test can help you hire the right employees, based on their proficiency in German.

  • What is a German language test?

    A German language test can be used to assess an individual's grasp of the German language, as well as their level of proficiency.

    The test consists of multiple different sections for candidates to work through including grammar, reading comprehension and sentence structure. It will help you get a better idea of how strong each applicant's German skills are.

    Using a test like this means you can quantify the skills and experience you read about on a resume, ensure you hire the candidate with the strongest language skills, and remove unintentional bias from the hiring process.

Jump to a section on this page:

  1. What is a German language test?
  2. Why is a German language test so important when hiring?
  3. How to assess German language skills using our test
  4. German Language Test FAQs

Identify the best candidates and hire faster

Our pre-employment tests let you drill down to the best candidates at the click of a button.

  • Find those candidates who will excel in the role.

    Select the assessments that match the skills or behaviours for the position. You can test for software or coding competency, soft skills like teamwork, or personality traits, to be sure those who pass have high potential.

  • Reduce costs and time.

    No more laborious sifting of resumes or cover letters. Pick your ideal assessment mix, invite your applicants to take them, see the results in your dashboard. Get to the interview stage fast.

  • Eliminate bias.

    All your candidates take the assessments on a level playing field. Only their results determine whether they get shortlisted.

  • Why is a German language test so important when hiring?

    If you're hiring for a role where speaking German is beneficial or even essential, it's important to ensure you've assessed each candidate's skills. While a level of fluency may have been expressed on a resume, there's no real way to know how confident and competent someone is in another language without testing them.

    The German language test assesses grasp of language, comprehension, sentence composition and grammatical basics to ensure a rounded view of each applicant's skill level in different areas.

    As well as giving you additional data and information to help you make an informed decision, the test can make the hiring process fairer by removing unintentional bias.

    Those who use a test such as this when recruiting will also speed up their process by only spending valuable time interviewing and meeting with candidates who have the required level of skill, as demonstrated on the test.

    The test can also help you tailor subsequent assessments and interview questions accordingly. For example, if the German language test shows a candidate struggling in one particular area, you could then ask them further questions or set an additional test in this specific area.

    A German language test would be suitable when hiring for the following roles:

    • Teaching
    • Hospitality
    • Tour guides
    • Translators
    • Interpreters
    • Diplomats
    • Journalists
    • Cabin crew

    This list is just a snapshot of the many job roles that may need a German speaker.

More Language Proficiency Tests

Sample German Language Test question

___ Schwester ist hübsch.

  • Mein

  • Meine

  • Mich

  • Meinen

How to assess German language skills using our test

Our German language test asks a variety of questions that vary in difficulty level. Candidates who are proficient in German should be able to answer most of the questions correctly.

The German language test provides valuable data insight into what a candidate knows and understands. The test is structured using multiple-choice questions: a familiar format for most test-takers, that allows for instant and objective scoring.

As well as the correct answer, there are typically 2–4 distractors, representing common misconceptions and mistakes. This helps make the test more challenging, so a candidate's ability can be measured more accurately.

Test scores are provided to the user and can be compared to other test-takers in your talent pool, to see how they perform relative to each other.

Each test has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure accuracy and validity in line with industry standards. It has been written, examined and edited by German language experts and psychometric professionals. It has also been reviewed by a diverse sample of job seekers to check for any issues including sensitivity, face validity, fairness and accessibility.

This test is continually monitored so our team can optimize performance and regularly assess fairness issues.

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  • Assessments

    A full suite of assessments

    Our platform comes with 12 tests across both foundation and advanced levels so they’re suitable for everyone. Including aptitude, behavioural and personality tests, you’ll have a full range of tests to help you find the candidates you’re seeking.

  • Analytics

    An array of candidate metrics

    For each of your candidates, you’ll be given a comprehensive report. Included will be all the metrics you need to build a detailed picture of each candidate and ensure you’re making the right hiring decisions.

“The platform is so simple to use. I had used competitor providers for over six years and will never go back. Fast, efficient and friendly!”
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd

German Language Test FAQs

How important is hiring German speaking employees?

Around 130 million people worldwide speak German, and it's an official language in seven different countries. This makes it an important business language.

Although learning another language is hard, German is often considered to be one of the easier ones to pick up thanks to its relatively simple and straightforward rules.

Is the German test difficult?

This very much depends on an individual's proficiency. Those that are genuinely fluent or near to fluent in German shouldn't find the test too hard, while those that are still learning, or perhaps excel in speaking rather than writing, may find it more challenging.

As with any test, the more you encourage a candidate to practise and prepare, the better they're likely to do.

How do you test an applicant's German language competency?

The German language test is a great way to assess an applicant's language competence.

The test looks at everything from spelling to sentence structure and grammar, and can help recruiters and hiring managers to make the right choice when it comes to hiring a German speaker for a role.

Why is knowledge of speaking German important?

German is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, particularly in Europe. It's important to have a good grasp of the language if you're planning to work in a German-speaking role or one that involves travel to Germany.

“An unbeatable service, impressive platform and fantastic value for money.”
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA

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