Digital TestDaF Scoring: How Points Become TDN 3, 4 or 5
Last updated: 25 July 2026 · Current official score scale
Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking are assessed separately. Each section result is transformed to a 0–20 scale and assigned a TestDaF level. The certificate reports four skill results; there is no single overall TDN average that replaces them.
Official points-to-TDN table
| Section score | Result | Broad meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Below TDN 3 | TestDaF level not reached |
| 5–9 | TDN 3 | Lower/middle part of the B2 range |
| 10–15 | TDN 4 | Standard threshold for unrestricted university admission |
| 16–20 | TDN 5 | Upper part of the B2–C1 range |
How are Reading and Listening calculated?
Correct answers in Reading and Listening are evaluated and transformed to the 0–20 scale so performance remains comparable across test forms. Trained raters review the short answers in three Listening tasks.
Because of this transformation, a raw correct-answer count alone cannot reliably produce an official section score. TestDaF does not publish one fixed raw-score-to-TDN table for every sitting.
Online exact-score calculators are not official predictions. They may support practice tracking but cannot guarantee a certificate result.
How are Writing and Speaking scored?
Trained raters assess two Writing tasks and seven Speaking tasks against official criteria. Writing considers task fulfilment, accurate source use in the candidate's own words, expression, grammar, vocabulary and comprehensibility. Speaking also considers fluency, pronunciation and intonation.
The assessment is then transferred to the 0–20 section scale. The public participant page does not assign a fixed point value or percentage to each criterion.
What score is needed for university?
The general rule is at least TDN 4 in each of the four sections—at least 10 points per section on the digital scale. A strong section does not automatically compensate for a weaker one.
Some universities or programmes accept TDN 3 or use their own 14–16 TDN-sum model. The target university and programme make the final decision.
Reading example profiles
| Profile | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12 / TDN 4 | 10 / TDN 4 | 15 / TDN 4 | 11 / TDN 4 | Meets the general four-TDN-4 rule |
| B | 17 / TDN 5 | 9 / TDN 3 | 13 / TDN 4 | 12 / TDN 4 | Does not meet the standard rule because of Listening; ask the university |
| C | 8 / TDN 3 | 8 / TDN 3 | 8 / TDN 3 | 8 / TDN 3 | TDN 3 in all four skills |
These profiles are illustrative, not real candidate records.
Official sources
Thresholds and assessment methods come from current TestDaF evaluation and certificate pages.
Related guides
Measure every skill separately
Focus on the weakest of the four sections, not only on overall performance.