German Language Diploma (ÖSD)

Do you want to test your German skills? And set this down for posterity in your curriculum vitae or résumé? Or perhaps include an internationally recognised language diploma in your application? Then the German Language Diploma (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom – ÖSD) is just the right thing for you! Since 2005, more than 500 students and external candidates have used the opportunity to take an internationally recognised German language exam at FH JOANNEUM.

The ÖSD is a state-approved examination and assessment system for German as a Foreign or Second Language. ÖSD exams meet international requirements and are internationally recognised as proof of German proficiency. As a successful and trend-setting language project, the ÖSD has been awarded the “European Label for Innovative Projects in Language Teaching and Learning”.

All ÖSD exams are communicatively oriented. First and foremost, they assess the candidates’ linguistic and communicative competence of German in everyday, real-life situations. ÖSD exams are not linked with any specific language courses and are conducted and assessed along the same lines all over the world. The ÖSD supports a pluricentric view of languages: all standard varieties of German as spoken in Austria, Germany and Switzerland are taken into account.

PLEASE NOTE: Since June 2025, all ÖSD exams at the FH JOANNEUM exam centre are held digitally. For more information, please visit www.osd.at. At our exam centre, the minimum age for taking examinations is 18 years! 

FH JOANNEUM offers following exams:

• ÖSD Zertifikat A1 (ZA1)
• ÖSD Zertifikat A2 (ZA2)
• ÖSD Zertifikat Deutsch Österreich B1 (ZDÖ B1)
• ÖSD Zertifikat B2 (ZB2)
• ÖSD Zertifikat Pflege und medizinische Berufe B2 (PMB)
• ÖSD Zertifikat C1 (ZC1)
• ÖSD Zertifikat C2 / Wirtschaftssprache Deutsch (ZC2)

ÖSD preparation workshops (on two afternoons à 90 minutes) take place at FH JOANNEUM. More info in the course programme. The learning materials published by the ÖSD central office include exercise sentences and a CD and provide an ideal preparation for the ÖSD (Austrian German Diploma) examination. At FH JOANNEUM, preparation for the ÖSD exam is included in the examination fee.

Examination dates at FH JOANNEUM 2026

• summer term: 11 June 2026, registration by 15 May 2026!
• winter term: 26 November 2026, registrations by 30 October 2026!

Examination fees at FH JOANNEUM:

Prices for internal / external candidats for the exam date on 11 June and 26 November 2026:

• ÖSD Zertifikat A1 (ZA1): € 130,- / 140,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat A2 (ZA2): € 150,- / 160,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat Deutsch Österreich B1 (ZDÖ B1): € 160,- / 170,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat B2 (ZB2): € 180,- / 190,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat Pflege und medizinische Berufe B2 (PMB): € 180,- / 190,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat C1 (ZC1): € 190,- / 200,-
• ÖSD Zertifikat C2 / Wirtschaftssprache Deutsch (ZC2): € 210,- / 220,-

Workshop (two preparation workshops à 90 minutes): € 40,-
You will learn the types of questions that will come up in the examination and prepare yourself for the digital examination using sample tests. It will be held in presence at FH JOANNEUM in Graz.

Participants with specific needs:

We are of course happy to assist candidates with specific needs (e.g. reading and/or writing difficulties, impaired vision or hearing, etc.). Candidates must inform us about the nature and degree of their specific needs when registering for the examination and provide a relevant certificate (e-mail to daf@fh-joanneum.at). The information provided is treated as confidential according to the GDPR guidelines.