UNIcert®

UNIcert Logo
© UNIcert® / Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren (AKS)

UNIcert® is a foreign language certificate offered by over 30 language centres across Germany and provides a certifiedlanguage training programme that can be completed during your studies.

 

The UNIcert® certificate is a certificate of completion, not a test to assess language proficiency. With this certificate, you receive confirmation at the end of each UNIcert® level for which you have completed a specific foreign language training programme and achieved a certain level of proficiency.

Depending on the level (Basic, I, II, III) and the language, the number of required courses varies; this is illustrated further down the page in a tabular overview.

To obtain the certificate, each course at the Language Centre must be completed with a course certificate. The requirements are at least 80% attendance, regular active participation during lessons, and successful completion of the required coursework (exam and/or presentation and/or written assignment, etc.). Upon request, certain requirements may be waived or substituted – please contact the programme coordinators of the respective language in such cases.

UNIcert® certificates can currently be obtained at the Language Centre in the following eight languages:

  • Chinese
  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish

You can download the application form, complete it, and submit it at the Service Point (Building C5 4, Room 3.01) or send a scanned copy to the relevant department.

 

Course structure

UNIcert Basis and UNIcert I
Übersicht UNIcert Basis und I
© Sprachenzentrum der UdS

The first level of the UNIcert system leads to level B1 and is divided into two parts:

  • Part 1: UNIcert Basic (level A2)
  • Part 2: UNIcert I (level B1)

Notes on Basic and UNIcert I
It is possible to waive some required courses if you have prior knowledge of the language in question. For some languages, an initial placement test must be taken. If you wish to obtain a certificate, we recommend consulting us early on to ensure you attend the appropriate courses.
 

Further information is available on the language pages for English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

 
UNIcert II
Übersicht UNIcert II
© Sprachenzentrum der UdS

The second level of the UNIcert system leads to level B2 and is structured as follows:

UNIcert II Certificate
(awarded upon successful completion of the courses shown in the chart)

Notes on Basic and UNIcert II

  1. Further information about the course sequence (in which order courses should be taken) can be found on the language pages for English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
  2. It is possible to waive some required courses if you have prior knowledge of the language in question. For some languages, an initial placement test must be taken. If you wish to obtain a certificate, we recommend consulting us early on to ensure you attend the appropriate courses.
 
UNIcert III
Übersicht UNIcert III
© Sprachenzentrum der UdS

The third level of the UNIcert system is structured as follows:

Notes on Basic and UNIcert III

  1. Further information about the course sequence (in which order courses should be taken) can be found on the language pages for English, French and Spanish.
  2. It is possible to waive some required courses if you have prior knowledge of the language in question. For some languages, an initial placement test must be taken. If you wish to obtain a certificate, we recommend consulting us early on to ensure you attend the appropriate courses.

Specialised Language Certificate in English

In addition to the general language certificate UNIcert III General English, we also offer a specialised language certificate for Business: UNIcert III Business English. If you wish to obtain this certificate, please visit our English (Link EN) language page (see UNIcert and other certificates).

The UNIcert III certificate is awarded upon passing a final examination.

The registration deadline for UNIcert examinations each semester is always 4 to 5 weeks before the end of courses. It is possible to register for the exam even if the final relevant course(s) have not yet been completed. Exam registration is done online – further details will be published here shortly.

Information about the required courses can be found under English, French, and Spanish. Alternatively, you can apply for recognition of external courses (e.g. school grades) or non-academic qualifications. Please make sure to check with the respective programme coordinators in good time whether what you wish to submit is considered equivalent to one of the courses offered at the Language Centre. In this case, you must submit copies of the relevant documents (please contact the examination coordinators for the respective languages – see below). Submit the completed application form directly to your examiner.

The examiner will inform you about preliminary meetings and the next steps. The examination period usually takes place immediately after the end of the semester, and the certificate is issued within 8–10 weeks. We charge an administrative fee for the certificate – further information will be published here soon.

The final grade is calculated as the weighted average of the examination marks. The certificate also lists the courses attended with their respective grades, but these do not count towards the UNIcert grade.

For further information please contact: