What is the WiDaF exam?
The WiDaF exam is a business German exam. It assesses candidates’ German language competencies within a business context.
The WiDaF exam is aimed towards those whose mother tongue is not German and who have an intermediate or advanced level in German as a foreign language. The target audience of the WiDaF exam is essentially made up of non-German-speaking professionals who wish to work in a company where speaking German is necessary.
The Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry arranges this exam and issues a recognised and reliable certificate of German language to candidates who take the exam.
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WiDaF scores by section
In total, the WiDaF exam is marked out of 990 points. The score that the candidate obtains in their exam is thus out of 990 points.
The WiDaF exam is composed of several marked sections as noted in the following table:
| Section | Maximum score |
| Fachlexik/Grammatik | 330 points |
| Leseverstehen | 330 points |
| Hörverstehen | 330 points |
| TOTAL | 990 points |
WiDaF scores
On their certificate, the candidate receives the score that they have obtained in each section out of 330 points, and their final score out of 990 points.
Which score should I aim for in the WiDaF? How can I interpret my score?
The WiDaF is not a pass/fail exam. This German test simply supplies a score, out of 990, in the aim of assessing the German language level of non-German speaker within a business context. The score that the candidate receives allows them to define their language level in an objective and reliable way. The candidate should then interpret this result by comparing it with current standardised references.
Nowadays, we can describe someone’s foreign language level in an official and objective way, through examining the table of defined levels produced by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
For every organisation, the levels defined by the CEFR are meaningful and important. The levels are called A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. The A1 level corresponds to elementary competencies, while the C2 level is awarded to experienced users.
Here is a table which compares WiDaF results to the CEFR’s defined levels.
| WiDaF |
A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
| Vocabulary/grammar (0-330 pts) |
0-82 pts | 83-165 pts | 166-245 pts | 246-299 pts | 300-330 pts |
| Written comprehension (0-330 pts) | 0-82 pts | 83-165 pts | 166-245 pts | 246-299 pts | 300-330 pts |
| Oral comprehension (0-330 pts) |
0-82 pts | 83-165 pts | 166-245 pts | 246-299 pts | 300-330 pts |
| TOTAL | 0-246 pts | 247-495 pts | 496-735 pts | 736-897 pts | 898-990 pts |
Table of equivalencies between WiDaF scores and CEFR levels
For how long are WiDaF scores valid?
Officially, there is no expiry date for WiDaF certificates: candidates are free to use their scores as a reference for however long they wish. Nevertheless, all recruiters know that if you do not practise a language regularly, your competencies in that language can diminish rapidly.
The Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommends using a WiDaF score obtained within the last 2 years to give a good impression to potential recruiters.
If you have already taken the WiDaF exam, but your score is not as good as you had hoped, do not hesitate to practise WiDaF exercises under real exam conditions to obtain the best score possible when you resit the test! By preparing for the test you will impress recruiters: a good WiDaF score can open many doors!
