AATG, AP exams and the
Deutsche Sprachdiplom (DSD)
In collaboration with AATG, local high schools, and the Conference of German Cultural Ministers, GASPA offers preparation for and in some cases administers the following German exams:
The AATG exams
The American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) is the official organization for German teachers in the USA. Every year they offer four tests, level 1, 2, 3, and 4. Level 3 and 4 include multiple-choice questions concerning grammar and reading and also a listening comprehension part. The tests have to be mailed in for scoring. Our students are then given a raw score and their performance is rated on a national basis. Successful completion of the level 4 test may help students to be placed in a higher level language class in high school. This test is administered in December or at the very beginning of January at the school site.
The AATG Exam was created for the German Language Programs at American High Schools. Level 3 is usually offered after three years of German and level 4 after four years.
Our students sitting the AATG 3 and AATG 4 exams at our school are predominately younger than their typical counter parts and still score better than at least 50% of the other participants nationwide:
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The methods and content used at our school make it possible that students do not need any additional preparation time or classes for the exams. Participants who score in the 75-percentile or higher are then invited to a special recognition ceremony which takes place either at the Stanford University or the UC Berkeley Campus. Official representatives of the German Consulate as well as representatives of the University, AATG and GASANC take this time to congratulate the students on their achievements.
No additional costs incur for this exam.
AP exams
The Advanced Placement (AP) test for college credit is developed by Educational Testing Services (ETS) in Princeton. This test, about three hours long, includes listening and reading comprehension, grammar, essay writing and speaking onto a tape. It is administered in early spring at a designated high school.
During the past eight years students from our school have continuously participated in AP German exam offered by the College Board. The students from our school taking the exam are between the ages of 13-15, making them significantly young than their counterparts at their local high schools. Nonetheless, they have continuously scored with high marks, mostly 4's and 5's. (Note: 5 being the highest and 1 the lowest mark, with 1 and 2 not passing.)
| Year | Result | # of students |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 5 |
| 2009 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 3 |
| 2005 | 5 | 4 |
Students prepare for the exam by participating in a 10 Saturday preparatory class offered solely for this exam at our school. Together with their German teacher the students then travel to a local high school sit the exam. (During past years the exam was administered at Gunn HS in Palo Alto.) Certain costs incur for the exam, including the cost of the preparatory classes as well as the exam fees paid to the College Board.
Passing the AP German exam, as well as three other AP exams, qualifies a student to be accepted at German Universities without having to take any additional classes or tests.
Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD)
The Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD) is a collaborative effort offered by the Conference of German Cultural Ministers, the Foreign Service, and the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA). This program consists of two major parts.
- Level I (A2/B1) qualifies a student to apply to a Studienkolleg at a German University.
- Level II (B2/C1) is normally administered to students in their final years of high school. It is, according to the Office of the Culture Ministers, the certificate and level of German required to apply at a German University.
As part of this exam four subject areas are tested:
- Listening Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Written Communication
- Verbal Communication
The execution of this exam takes two Saturdays and is graded in Germany by the DSD. The DSD evaluates each subject area separately and the student is then given a personalized language profile indicating the student's proficiency in each subject area.
Some costs may incur for this exam. The exam itself however is free of charge. For the verbal portion of the exam, students are required to travel to given exam locations to be tested by German language experts from Germany.