What do I need to be particularly good at to study my chosen subject?
As well as the institutions' central student advice services, self-tests can also help to provide an answer to this question. Many institutions offer these special advisory tools for choosing a course (for example self-tests, aptitude tests, known as self-assessment), particularly for mathematical and scientific subjects. Self-tests are voluntary and are intended to help you to gain a realistic assessment of your abilities and provide an initial impression of the demands of your future studies.
Attention:
Voluntary self-tests or aptitude tests (self-assessment) should not be confused with compulsory tests of ability to study or aptitude tests, which you must pass to be eligible for admission to higher education. Find out about any compulsory aptitude tests in plenty of time (content, dates and venues) from the institutions.
A small selection of self-tests: what to study?
"Borakel" developed by the University of Bochum advises on choosing a course and career. Borakel is a free self-test and is made up of three components: a test, a questionnaire and video films. The self-test lasts 90 to 120 minutes in total and provides information about which careers would suit you best. The questionnaire advises you about the range of courses at the University of Bochum and a series of short film clips show everyday university life. Borakel is only available in German.
www.was-studiere-ich.de is a free self-test from the University of Hohenheim. It takes 20 minutes and identifies which course and career would suit you best. The self-test is in German and is made up of two sections: In the first section, a general profile of interests is created, while the second section looks at those interests that are relevant to courses at the University of Hohenheim. You can complete just the first general section, which has 49 questions.
The Expert test, provided by the magazine "Der Spiegel" on its "Schulspiegel" website, is a self-test intended to help identify suitable courses to study. The test is free, contains 19 questions and is in German.
Studying in Germany, ability to study and learn:
Many prospective international students ask themselves questions like "What is it actually like to live in Germany? How much money will I need? What is the best way to start studying?" Answers to these and similar questions are provided by the Self assessment for prospective international students from the University of Freiburg, which is an entertaining mix of information and short self-tests. You need a good knowledge of German for this test.
The Chair in industrial and organisational psychology at the RWTH Aachen in conjunction with the departments of computer science, electrical engineering and computer engineering have developed the web-based student advice tool SelfAssessment. The self-test is voluntary, anonymous and free of charge. At present, it is only available in German and lasts around 90 minutes. At the end, you receive a comprehensive evaluation intended to help you to better understand your own suitability and aptitude profile. Although the self-test was developed with a focus on computer science, electrical engineering and computer engineering, it can be useful for anyone who is interested in studying.
Lerno - is a portal for all aspects of "learning and teaching". The Learning style test tells you which type of learner you are and which learning strategies could be particularly useful to you.
Bionics
Chemistry
- University of Lüneburg chemistry test with 10 questions and solution section (in German). The page provides literature recommendations and links to other chemistry self-tests, some of which are also in English.
Computer science
- Self assessment from RWTH Aachen (see above)
- Free University of Berlin - Computer science self-test in German. Does not classify the scores achieved but relies on the person taking the test to know how to evaluate their results.
- www.tu-chemnitz.de - Short self-test in German with 7 questions and answers, refers to the longer computer science self-test by the University of Munich.
- The University of Freiburg offers a self-test that provides a realistic preview of the content, working methods and requirements of studying computer science at the university. It also allows you to test your own abilities and gives immediate individual feedback to assess whether this course would be the right choice for you. The self-test lasts approx. 60 minutes.
- The Institute for Computer Science at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich has developed a self-test that requires excellent knowledge of German.
Teaching
- Career Counselling for teachers provides a self-test for aspiring teachers in English and German. It gives you an impression of whether you are equipped to meet the requirements of a career as a teacher.
Mathematics
- "Maths workshop for beginners" self-test by the Institute for Combined Studies run by universities of applied sciences in North Rhineland Westphalia. The self-test includes exercises on the basic principles of mathematics that are essential and required to study management and commercial law (as PDF).
- Physics, digital technology, electrical and measurement engineering, English, procedural programming:
- Thematic PDF self-tests in various subjects are available from the Zürcher Hochschule Winterthur. These self-tests allow you to check whether or not attending a fee-paying introductory course is advisable.
- Sociology, Political Sciences, Psychology:
- The University of Mannheim offers a self-test which allows students to check their own expectations of these three subjects. In addition, there is detailed information regarding the content and characteristics of the subjects in general, as well as specifically about the University of Mannheim. The information also contains a section on "common misconceptions".
Languages
- German
- onDaF is an Internet-based online evaluation test, where in return for a fee you can test your language skills in test centres represented worldwide. In other words, you cannot complete this self-test on your own computer.
- English
- The University of Freiburg offers a self-assessment in English that provides a realistic preview of the content, working methods and requirements of studying English at the university. It also allows you to test your own abilities and gives immediate individual feedback to assess whether this course would be the right choice for you. The self-test lasts approx. 60 minutes.
- German, French, English, Italian and Spanish
- The Language Centre at the University of Münster offers demo versions of cloze tests in various languages. These self-tests provide an impression of the entrance examinations for studying languages at the University of Münster.
Technical courses
- The SelfAssessment international is a free self-test from nine technical universities (TU9) and is aimed at prospective international students who are interested in studying a technical subject in Germany. The self-test lasts 90 to 120 minutes and includes exercises to test mathematical skills and technical understanding, as well as questions on motivation to study and a German test. The SelfAssessment international is available in German and English.
