How I got TDN 5 for the TestDaF German Exam
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- Are you studying for the TestDaF exam? Then this video will help you in making the first steps towards getting the score you want. More in-depth videos on how to train each part will come soon like:
- How to use flashcards to learn grammar
- How to study for the speaking part
- How to study for the writing part
- etc.
It took me about 3 months to get to TDN 4 (an overall score of 16)
And 6 months to get to TDN 5 (a perfect score of 20)
Now bare in mind that I had German in school, so that this might take longer for you.
Have a great day!
Books I used:
- "Fit für den TestDaF" (tips for the test, useful sentences, great exercises, listening + speaking tests)
- "Musterprüfung TestDaF 1-5" (example tests: highly recommended doing at least three of these)
- "Einfach Grammatik: Übungsgrammatik Deutsch A1 bis B1" (the only grammar book you'll need.)
Intro: (0:00)
Step 1: Todo-List (0:23)
The Writing Part
The Speaking Part (2:26)
The Reading Part (3:09)
The Listening Part (3:30)
Step 2: Materials & Books (4:14)
Step 3: Practice! (5:30)
How to learn the Grammar (7:02)
Should you do a course? (9:02)
What to do after the todo-list (10:24)
Outro (11:02)
Thanks so much!
That was very useful 👌
Thank you sir
Finally new video. 🥺
Hey, i really liked your organized mindset to get to that perfect point.
Congrats for the effort! I hope you would make more videos (hoffentlich auf Deutsch!). Viel Glück dir;) Ich schreib dir mal, wenn ich die Prüfung abgelegt würde:)
Thank you! I hope you did well on the test 😄
Hi! Thank you very much for the video. I am definitely going to try out this method as I've been stuck at B1 level for quite a long time. One question though: considering the Todo-List, what would a study day look like for you? How would you exactly split your study time throughout the day?
This is a good idea for a video! I think it depends on the time available during the day. During lockdown I was basically free to spend my time however I wanted, and there is good research that shows that we are most effective from about 10-14, with a dip in our happiness and motivation reaching it's troth around 17:00 (source: "when" from Daniel H. Pink). So I would work intensely (vocab practice, grammar practice) from about 10-14, and that would be the most productive part of the day. After that I would engage in more relaxed language learning such as going for a walk with a podcast. I think it's important to get into the habit of having intense sprints that you schedule, and fitting more laid-back style learning (podcasts/audiobooks/reading/watching) anywhere you can.
In the intense sessions, I would focus on using Active Recall (see Karpicke & Roediger, 2008 for a study) either with Anki or another method. This is proven to be the most effective study technique for retaining information, but it's intense and requires energy and focus, so you wouldn't do this in the metro or on the bike. I don't focus too much on grammar unless it's something that I don't understand. If I do understand the grammar but simply forget the rule, I start practicing the conjugations/rules using Active Recall ;)
I hope that helps out
This video is really helpful to me and I want to know how you make grammar Flasch cards. It would be a great help to me.
That's great! This video is coming soon :)
@@devonrd Thank you, I am desperately waiting for the video. I hope it will come soon.
Hi there,
First of all your video was really helpful, thanks for that
My question is, did you took the dr.deutsch. Private vorbereitungskurs ?
If it is so , how was it ?
Thanks..
I did take it and can recommend it! It helped me a lot and gave me more confidence going into the test.
Congratulations!! Had you prepared c1 or b2 before attemping the exam? how long did it take for you to prepare for testdaf after b1 ?
Thanks! Yes I had definitely prepared to get the C1. It took me about 2 months to go from A2/B1 to B2 and 4 more months to go from B2 to C1 :).
Since I had German in school, I only had to rehearse the basics.
hey, is soft copy available for "Fit fur den TestDaF"? If yes!! can you please share the link!!
Hey, the video was super useful. My questions is the following: I'm currently somewhere around B1 level and i have time from the beginning of June this year to around April or May next year to go from B1 to C1 and prepare myself for the TestDaf. In your opinion is it doable?
Thanks! :D
About your question: This gives you about 11 months. That is definitely doable in my opinion :). B2 is around the corner for you. You'll know that you've reached B2 and are ready for the push towards C1 once you start exploring C1 material (see my video on favourite podcasts for C1 for examples of this) with reasonable comfort (50-80% comprehension).
You gradually want to push the difficulty of the material you consume as to stay in the 50-80% comprehension area. Your brain will adapt and find the patterns. Playing C1 podcasts/videos at a slower speed (0.8) is a great way to ease into this level, but don't go there if you're not ready yet :)
The final push towards C1 requires dedication, and an affinity with more advanced vocabulary, as well as using advanced grammatical structures. On the test you really want to show off.
IMO, if you know in advance that C1 is the goal, you can already start incorporating some 'fancy' vocab and grammar in your language use now, so that it'll feel more natural later on, even if this only represent 10% of your expression.
For a great course on how to prepare for each part of the test specifically to get the most points, head over to Dr. Deutsch's youtube channel. I took his course and it was great.
Good luck :)
@@devonrddecided to rewatch some of the videos I used when I first started. I passed the exam with a 4 on reading and writing and a 5 on the listening and speaking 😃
@@kokobeliq WOW congrats man, Im also B1 level rn and I want to get TDN 4 in around 6 months. Can you tell me what helped you to get to C1 Level?
@@Ibra.shalaby using the language every single day. I started working in a call center,where I spoke to German clients,I also went to lessons for the language twice a week and a preparation course for the DAF exam once a week for around 4 months. You have to really be eating,breathing and living German. I don't want to scare you,but it's tough and you have to be persistent. Set a goal for yourself. My motivation was university,i took a gap year and I told myself " i have exactly 12 months,it's do or die" and lastly,and that's my personal opinion,but I'm not sure if you have enough time to get to c1. 6 months are a very limited time period,if you've at the beginning of b1. I needed almost 4 months to just clear b2.1 and b2.2, c1.1 and c1.2 took another couple of months. If possible give yourself more time,because it's not just about knowing the language,you also need to learn the exam structure.
In any case I'm wishing you all the luck in the world,I'm sure you'll pull through 😃
Hey,sorry for the late reply,I thought I wrote a comment but I guess I didn't. I basically immersed myself in the language as much as I could,without actually being in Germany. I started from b1.2 in February of 2022,took classes at the Goethe Institute twice a week and then attended intensive classes from May until September,which brought me to b2.2. From September until March of 23 I was attending c1.1 classes twice a week and also going over the exam structure with a private tutor once a week. I was also working at a german speaking call center,which also helped a lot. All in all id say passing the exam with a 4 in 6 months is doable,but you NEED to be very very consistent. Exercise everyday,write,read and listen as much as you can in German. Also,start talking I'm German to yourself about topics that can be on the exam and start recording that. Time all the exercises you do as if you're taking the exam (for example allow yourself only the time that's allowed on the exam for the writing). Persistency and consistency are key,you've got it :)
Es ist sehr schön, ein neues Video von Ihnen zu sehen. Ich bin immer noch, und noch mehr neugierig, wo und wie Sie so vollkommenes nordamerikanisches Englisch gelernt haben? Würden Sie bitte erklären? Es würde mich auch sehr interessieren, Sie Deutsch sprechen zu hören. Wenn Sie neben Englisch auch Deutsch so gut sprechen, fühlen Sie sich von mir außerordentlich bewundert. In Ihrem gesamten letzten Video habe ich nur einen Grammatikfehler gehört, und zwar einer, den viele Leute machen, die Englisch als Muttersprache haben. Herzliche Glückwünsche.
Danke! Ich bin auch froh, wieder videos hochzuladen. Was die Aussprache angeht, bin ich mir nicht sicher, wie es dazu gekommen ist. Ich glaube das es immer mein größtes Ziel gewesen ist, als Native Speaker erkannt zu werden in eine Sprache. In Deutsch habe ich es auf jeden Fall noch nicht hin, aber vielleicht in ein pahr Jahren :). Vielleicht werde ich mal ein Video machen auf Deutsch!
It's very funny, but actually I'm in the level A1 of German language, and I plan how to study for testdaf because I want to enter directly to the university in Germany. I don't want wast time and money to go study DSH to prepare my self to prepare my self for the university, and since in morocco we have now the possibility to pass the testdaf, I was so glad, because that will help me in my VISA. Please, my question is do you think I can study for testdaf by myself, I mean without a intensive course (btw I study now A1 in intensive course until the B1).and, please do you have any tips for the correction of my writing, because I don't know any deutsch speaker, Do you think is possible by myself and how much it will take.Thank you, and sorry for my English.
I greatly respect your effort to go from A1 to B2, and it's definitely possible. The two things you really need are #1 a Tandem partner, this you can find on the apps "Hellotalk" and "Tandem". I highly recommend you go find a native german speaker on there who is willing to help you in exchange for language help for their targets (maybe arabic?).
The second thing you need is a good grammar book. If you can find them second-hand even better, but this might be the only investment you really have to make. This book you practice over and over again until the most important parts are done. Depending on what level of TestDAF you need, you'll learn more simple or complex structures.
The third thing I would do, is to make a checklist like I did in the video for every 3 month-period, so that you have clear goals for every 3 months. When the 3 months are over, you create new goals and work on them. This gives your learning focus and makes you more motivated.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I wish you the best of luck with your studies!
@@devonrd I actually speak French too, it's my second language. I guess it will help german people.I need testdaf 4
oh hey other moroccan here that has the same goal, since when has the TestDaF been available here in Morocco? specifically which institution is it in? Goethe perhaps? also did you end up self studying german?
Would you be able to share the to-do list you used? I haven't been able to find any exhaustive list of grammar concepts to review for TestDaF. Thanks 😊
I mostly made my own list based on a grammar book. It's hard to make a comprehensive checklist, because the list would be very long. Overall, I'd recommend to look at the TestDaf Test, take the speaking exam & writing exam (if you have to) and write your answer in English or your native language. Then look at what grammar concepts you need to improve to express yourself in that same way, but in German. Hope that helps!
@@devonrd That totally makes sense. Thanks so much!
Hi, how many hours of listening, reading and producing (writing+speaking) did it take for you to reach TestDaF 4x5 level? Any guess from your side? 800 hours +? or less?
Hi Dheeman! It's hard to guess personally, as I had German in school. When I started learning towards the test, I was about A2/B1. I would guess that I did about 300-400 hours to get myself from B1 to C1, but my mother-tongue is very similar to German. I think for most people to get from A2 (basics) to C1 would take 600-800h. :)
Hi
What are the differences & difficulties between paper based and digital TestDaF Exam?
Are you deciding to give testdaf in india? Which centre? do mention that as I am trying to give the same.
How Did you learn so many sentences? Gold list? Do you have system space repetition?
I learned the vocabulary mostly with the goldlist method. For memorizing specific sentences for the test I used physical flashcards, but you could also use Anki :)
@@devonrd how many sentences or vocab every day? You have writen: 3 months and next 3 months.
what's the difference between testdef and delf?
Can you please upload more video weekly...? 🥺🥺
I will try to do weekly uploads now!
@@devonrd 😊 😊
hey! 1) How many hours did you learn everyday? 2)How many gold list did you do everyday? 3)How many expresions for exemple 20-80 everyday?
I think I studied for atleast 1 hour a day for 6 months, with the last 2 months before the test ramping it up to 2-3 hours per day. I generally did about 2-3 gold lists per day consistently (around 40-60 expressions).
This is with a background in German already though, I had German up to B1 in school, and although that was 4 years ago, it helped :)
Hi! How did you correct your writing yourself?
Hey! I didn't, I had tandem partners which were native german speakers that would correct my writing :). I highly recommend the app 'Tandem' for this.
Can you pass it right after completing B2?
I'm sorry, I don't think I understand your question. What do you mean by 'completing B2'?
@@devonrd right after studying B2.2
do I need B2 certificate to appear for TestDaF exam.. or B1 to appear for B2 exam...
Hey, I don't understand your question :). The TestDAF exam is the same for every for every level. You get scored for each category individually with TDN 1-5. The max score is 20 points, which is C1. B2 means you have 16 points, so TDN 4 in each category for example.
You can take the TestDAF regardless of your level. You do not need any certificate to do the TestDAF, you simply register and take the test :)
Adjectives are not conjugated....
Hey José, what I meant is that the ending of adjectives will depend on the article used, For example: ein kleiner Mann, ein kleines Haus, etc. This is of course not conjugation, but while shooting the video I didn't realize this mistake 😁. Thanks for pointing it out.