4-week Preparation for TestDaF

Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne

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Course description

During your language studies, you may take internationally recognized German language exams at Carl Duisberg Centren.
For over 55 years, we have been helping international students acquire the necessary language skills for studying at a German university. Students who plan to attend a German university may prepare for the TestDaF and DSH. We also offer courses for university applicants who are required to attend a preparatory course (“Studienkolleg”) before starting their studies. These students can prepare for the entry test at the “Studienkolleg” in Munich (University).
Carl Duisberg Centren is a licensed TestDaF Center and offers professional and comprehensive exam preparation courses in Berlin, Cologne, Munich and Radolfzell on Lake Constance. The four-week course is specifically designed to prepare participants for the exam format and requirements. By way of practice, model exams, participants learn a range of strategies and techniques to successfully complete the tasks and master the challenges of the exam.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
4 weeks
Start dates
15 Apr 2024, 06 May 2024, 17 Jun 2024, 08 Jul 2024, 19 Aug 2024, 16 Sep 2024 and 14 Oct 2024
Classes per week
7 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 45 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday

Class times

You can choose from the following class times:

Afternoon session
07:00 AM - 07:00 AM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

Advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Cologne.

Class size

Average 12 students
Maximum 20 students

Student age

Age range 16 years old and older
Average 24 years old
(22 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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Photos

  • City of Cologne 1/35
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  • Activities offered at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 4/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 5/35
  • Building of Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 6/35
  • Entrance to Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 7/35
  • Entrance to Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 8/35
  • Students of Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 9/35
  • Classes at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 10/35
  • Classes at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 11/35
  • Teachers and Staff at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 12/35
  • Reception of Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 13/35
  • Classes at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 14/35
  • Activities offered at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 15/35
  • Activities offered at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 16/35
  • Activities offered at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 17/35
  • City of Cologne 18/35
  • Activities offered at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 19/35
  • Classes at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 20/35
  • Classroom at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 21/35
  • Classroom at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 22/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 23/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 24/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 25/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 26/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 27/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 28/35
  • Apartments offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 29/35
  • Apartments offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 30/35
  • Homestay housing offered by Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne 31/35
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reviews

Reviews

94% recommend

based on 16 reviews
5 stars
7
4 stars
8
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Great experience of both living and learning German !"

Alain Fiset, student from Luxembourg

The location of the school was nice as well as the facilities. Both the teaching staff and administrative personnel were very friendly, always ready to provide support when required. I had to print and send several documents for my work, and their assistance was greatly appreciated.

Accommodation with the host family was ideal. The hosts were incredibly warm and offered very good lodging. It's worth noting that the location is somewhat distant for those without access to a car, necessitating the use of public transportation (cannot go walking), which can be somewhat challenging. Fortunately, I had my own vehicle, so this wasn't an issue for me.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Date of study
4 Sep 2023 - 8 Sep 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It permit me to open up to the world while leaning German"

Noémie Dudoignon, student from France

I was on B1.1.
My classe was very cool, the students have integrated me directly, so I felt very Gogol there from the first day. Miss. Stempell is an enjoyable teacher because the cours were interactives and we work all the student together almost all the time.
My hosing was only at some U-Bahn station so was convient to make the trip easily.
With the schools some activities have been organized so it allowed me to meet people who were not in my class, and on addition to that they were pleasant activities.`
My hose was very clean, and my roommate were nice.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
10 Jul 2023 - 4 Aug 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was exactly what I was looking for."

Cathal Lenaghan, student from Ireland

I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks at Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln. I got a basic understanding of the German language in those two weeks, with an ability to interact in German for everyday communications and basic personal needs. The location is great within a 15 minute walks of most places in central Cologne.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
1 Aug 2022 - 12 Aug 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Not really worth it"

Irene Lopez Campos, student from Spain

The bad: 1. extraordinarily expensive. 2. They offer one week courses not at all prepared to be "one week" course, since you will just join a normal intensive course (already started or not) for that week but the course is supposed to last one month. (I would really make it more intensive, with a clear plan of what you are going to see, and for sure not using a whole book that you will barely start, or even worst, two books because the class didn't finish with the previous ones and they still needed a couple of days to do so, forcing you to see again those last units as well). 3. Due to the fact that they didn't have enough rooms for every course and with the aim of making more money, lessons from my "morning" course took place half of the time in the afternoon instead, reason why I had to miss half of the workshops since they only took place in the afternoon. The good: good teachers, good workshops about specific topics. I would only recommend this course if you are given a grant to study there for a long time. Then is for sure a good option.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
26 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great two week course"

Mélissandre Bonnargent, student from France

I loved my stay at CDC, the teachers were really helpful and explained really clearly the German grammar.

I was in a class with students between 20 and 30 years old so it was very dynamic.

The location was good, very easy to access with the subway and close to the center.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
22 Oct 2018 - 2 Nov 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A very good experience."

Bénédicte Malaurie, student from France

This week at the Carl Duisberg Centrum of Cologne has been a very nice experience. The course was very interesting, the teacher very good and all the staff nice and friendly.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Date of study
16 Apr 2018 - 20 Apr 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Good school for learning German"

Xavier AGACHE, student from France

I have stayed for one month and two weeks at carl Duisberg Centrum in köln. For me it was a good experience, the teachers are really good and available for any questions.

The extra activities are well organized. And the accommodations provided by the school are quite fine (maybe still a little far from the school localisation).

During my stay in February took place the carnival of köln, and I think that it's a good event to assist at least one time in a life.

In school, you have too the opportunity to meet people from all around the globe too :)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
5 Feb 2018 - 16 Feb 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"That was an amazing experience for me."

Naz Saylam, student from Turkey

That was an amazing experience for me. Perfect location, perfect teacher, perfect classmates. Also housing was perfect, aparment owners were so kind and helpfull. Next year I will come again but wiht my friends:))) They should experience this lovely learn style.I was so happy there, I am looking forward to go again CDC. See you on 2018...

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
7 Aug 2017 - 25 Aug 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The German lessons very dynamic and productive"

Roser Capdevila

The German lessons I had in Carl Duisberg were very dynamic and productive. I learned in a very pleasant way and worked on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and written and oral understanding. The teachers and staff were very friendly and attentive.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Date of study
23 Feb 2015 - 27 Feb 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Very good teaching skills"

Fernando Barandiaran

The classes were very good. The professors were very skilled, although the organisation could have been better. There were too many changes of the professors from week to week. That was not very good and most of the students did not take that too well. The location was perfect. It was near the center of Cologne, so I think it was reachable for most of the students. The activities were very nice opportunities for meeting new people from other countries.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
25 weeks
Date of study
1 Oct 2014 - 31 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"I greatly improved my German understanding and speaking."

Levy Otwoma

CDC services were above average. Classes were properly scheduled to enable me to internalize daily teachings/themes. Teachers were well-prepared in almost all classes offered. The location and facilities offered at CDC are good. The extra activities offered were excellent, like attending the Cologne Carnival, Dom visitation, and others. The guest family was kind to me and the house was located at an appropriate distance from CDC.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
16 weeks
Date of study
1 Dec 2014 - 27 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"I liked the interaction and friendly encounter with the CDC community."

Jared Ombiro Gwaro

The classes were good and well organised. The teachers were well-knowledgeable and organised. The facilities were okay and comfortable for a serious education and learning environment. It was quite advanced. The school can improve more by employing smart board technology.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
16 weeks
Date of study
1 Dec 2014 - 27 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My German language skills improved"

Laurent Azonvide

The teachers and students were very kind and were especially helpful in any area, in order to emphasize the courses.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
24 weeks
Date of study
6 Oct 2014 - 27 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"I was able to learn a lot and meet some amazing people!"

Amanda Hornberger, student from USA

Everything from my host family to the teacher and curriculum was above par! I learned more German in 3 weeks than I have learned in the last 5 years. My teacher balanced the work between speaking, listening, reading and grammar perfectly, and the other students in my class were welcoming and just as eager to learn. The family I stayed with provided all I needed and more, and we even took a few family outings to go sight-seeing. Cologne is a beautiful city, and I definitely was able to take advantage of that. I had a fantastic experience and would recommend Carl Duisberg to anyone. Thanks for a wonderful 3 weeks! Wish I could have stayed longer.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
26 May 2014 - 13 Jun 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"My stay in Cologne"

Valentine Lejoly, student from Belgium

I was in Cologne for 6 weeks.
The courses were great: only in German (easier to progress), good teacher (not each but most of them were really nice)
About my stay with the family I have to say that I'm a little disappointed: if I wanted to be with a family, it was to speak in German! I was with 2 others boys and we were in a little apartment for the three of us. It was easier for us to speak in English because we were "alone" all the time without the family. We only saw the lady every morning and every night when she brought us the food and that was it. I had this feeling that we were there for them just for the money and it's not a good feeling. And I don't know if it was normal but we were the only ones who needed to pay extra to the family for the laundry.
But for the rest my stay in Germany was really nice: nice city, great school and I met some lovely people.
I don't have any regrets.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
5 weeks
Date of study
4 Nov 2013 - 13 Dec 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Learning a foreign language and traveling the world is great!"

Asiya Ishmuratova, student from Russia

The first teacher lessons were very hard for me, but also very productive. After a week, I improved to a higher level, so my lessons were already in another group (14 people out of 8). In this group, it was quite boring and not really motivating. So it very much depends on what teacher will you get.
Activities I didn't like, honestly. Mostly, they were just sports. I'm more interested in museums.
About the family. I liked them very much! Very kind and intelligent people. We talked a lot and they always answered all my questions. My house was very close to the city center and school, so most of the time, I just walked.
In general, my trip was very interesting and productive. I met a lot of nice people from different countries. And I was very glad to notice that there were not many Russians so I had to use German a lot.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
4 weeks
Date of study
3 Jun 2013 - 5 Jul 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

CDC Cologne offers the following housing types:
homestay

Private accommodation - single room without board

A$ 381
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Cologne
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: TV room and heating
Distance to school: 15 - 45 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
A$ 381
We take great care in selecting accommodation for our course participants to meet their specific needs. All of our Carl Duisberg Training Centers are conveniently located for optimal access to public transport.

Private accommodation
We offer homestay accommodation with German hosts (individuals or couples, with or without children) in a fully furnished single room, often including a television and Internet access. The bathroom and kitchen are normally shared with hosts and, in some cases, other guests. When several guests share the same host, we try to arrange the group so that the course participants do not all speak the same native language. You may choose to include breakfast or half board (breakfast and dinner).

Private accommodation - single room with breakfast

A$ 443
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Cologne
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast (7 meals per week)
Facilities: TV room and heating
Distance to school: 15 - 45 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
A$ 443
We take great care in selecting accommodation for our course participants to meet their specific needs. All of our Carl Duisberg Training Centers are conveniently located for optimal access to public transport.

Private accommodation
We offer homestay accommodation with German hosts (individuals or couples, with or without children) in a fully furnished single room, often including a television and Internet access. The bathroom and kitchen are normally shared with hosts and, in some cases, other guests. When several guests share the same host, we try to arrange the group so that the course participants do not all speak the same native language. You may choose to include breakfast or half board (breakfast and dinner).

Private accommodation - single room with half board

A$ 532
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Cologne
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, tV room, and heating
Distance to school: 15 - 45 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
A$ 532
In addition to first-rate German courses, Carl Duisberg Centren also offers students various forms of convenient accommodation. Options include a private room with a homestay family or in a shared apartment, single apartments, residence or hotel accommodation.
All of our Carl Duisberg Training Centers are conveniently located for optimal access to public transport.
Private Accommodation
Participants live with German homestay families (individuals/couples, with or without children) or in shared accommodation. Amenities include a fully furnished single room, often with television and Internet access. The bathroom and kitchen are shared spaces. We arrange accommodation so that course participants do not all speak the same native language. Homestay family residents may choose to include breakfast or half board (breakfast and dinner).
apartment

Apartment studio without board

A$ 532
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Housing type: Private apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, tV room, and heating
Distance to school: 15 - 45 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
A$ 532
Apartments
We offer fully furnished apartments for those seeking more privacy and independence. Our apartments include a living room, kitchen and bathroom which are all for your exclusive use.
Hotels
We would be happy to book a hotel room for you upon request. The prices vary according to location, category and season. Please feel free to contact us for more information!
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 70 € when you register.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Cologne based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from Carl Duisberg Centrum Koeln / Cologne staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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