Organisational procedures

Licensed ÖSD exam centres

Only ÖSD licensed institutions and language schools are authorised to offer ÖSD exams. For further information regarding the prerequisites to become an ÖSD partner, click here.
Every exam centre must nominate a chair and deputy chair/exam supervisor. These two will be the primary contact for the ÖSD head office.

Standardised conduct of exams

Exams are usually conducted at a licensed ÖSD exam centre, and are carried out exclusively by licensed ÖSD examiners.
The exams themselves are compiled by the ÖSD head office (in Austria), and are repeatedly tested, statistically analysed and revised accordingly prior to their first-time use.

Shortly before the exam date, the requested number of exams is sealed and shipped to the exam centre under utmost secrecy.

The exam centres commit themselves to complying with the Exam Guidelines (regarding exam administration and rating), as well as the licence agreement as concluded with the ÖSD.

Fee per exam

For each exam conducted, the licensee pays a fee, the amount of which is agreed upon in the license agreement.

Exam fees

The exam fee is determined by the exam centre. Examinees pay the fee directly to the centre.

Exam dates

The exam dates are set in consultation with the ÖSD head office. Exams are ordered and registered via the database management system, for which all licensed exam centres receive a username and password.

ÖSD examiner licence

Only examiners holding a valid ÖSD examiner licence are authorised to conduct and mark an exam. To obtain an examiner licence, examiners are obliged to participate in the training for ÖSD examiners and to succesfully complete the initial qualification. Each exam / level has a requalification that must be completed on a regular basis.

Every exam centre must have at least 2 ÖSD examiners at its disposal, as marking the written exam as well as conducting and rating the oral exam requires a minimum of two examiners. If required, an external ÖSD examiner holding a valid licence may be called in.

Exam preparation: sample tests and materials for exam preparation

One sample test per ÖSD exam can be downloaded for free, in preparation for the exam. Additional materials for exam preparation can be purchased here.

ÖSD certificates

Details on how marks are awarded, as well as the pass/fail score are laid out in the ÖSD evaluation guidelines. The awarded points are translated into grades, by means of a standardised table per exam.

The candidate will be issued a certificate for each module completed successfully. If a candidate successfully completes all modules* of an exam in one sitting, he/she will be issued a certificate listing all successfully passed modules.

Candidates who successfully complete all modules of an exam, at the same exam centre within one year, will also receive a certificate listing all successfully completed modules.

* The exams ÖSD Zertifikat B1 and ÖSD Zertifikat C2 comprise 4 modules (Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking). All other ÖSD exams (except the Integration exams) comprise 2 modules (written exam, oral exam).

ÖSD Exam Guidelines

The ÖSD Exam Guidelines contain valuable information on exam admission, retaking an exam, an examinee‘s right to inspect and appeal, plus many more. Detailed regulations regarding exam administration and ratings can be found in the respective Terms and Conditions for Exam Administration. The most important exam information can be found in the examiners handbook.

Information for candidates with special needs

ÖSD exam centres (depending on local conditions) will do their best to meet the requirements of candidates with special needs. These include, but are not limited to reading and/or writing difficulties, visual or hearing impairments, etc. At registration, candidates are asked to provide the details of their special needs and submit relevant medical certificates (as required). The exam centre and ÖSD head office are obliged to maintain confidentiality (according to the GDPR).

Further information can be obtained here. If you have any further questions, please contact your preferred exam centre, or the ÖSD head office.