FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I register?
Choose your course and the start date directly on your course page. Press BOOK and you will be guided through your booking process. Please note that once a booking is made payment is due. Please book the course only if you are sure that you will attend your chosen course.
Use it only if you want to book a course – for any questions please use our CONTACT form, call us or come by.
If you don’t know your level of German, take the placement test on our website or in the school (appointment is not necessary) and book your course after.
After registration, you will receive an email with a link to guide you through the payment process. Please do not book again, if you will, you will book the course twice.
After successful payment, you will receive an email with the course registration and the invoice as a PDF which confirm your booking.
How can I pay?
The full course fee must be paid together with the registration fee before the course starts:
at our office: only in cash (please note that we don’t accept cards)
online- booking: credit card (VISA, MASTER CARD, American Express) or invoice (the booking can not be guaranteed, as the course/exam spot can get booked out in the meantime. The spot is secured once we have received the payment, it can last 3-7 working days)
visa course booking: bank transfer or cash
OUR BANK DETAILS:
SPRACHART BERLIN
POSTBANK
SWIFT/BIC: PBNKDEFF
IBAN: DE57 1001 0010 0862 9511 02
Bank address:
Postbank Hamburg
Überseering 26
22297 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 228 55 00 44 00
Fax : +49 228 55 00 44 99
PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept vouchers from Job Center/ Employment Agency/BAMF
What is included in the price, what is not?
Included are:
personal consultation
placement test
confirmation of your course or exam registration as PDF-document with invoice
free change of course level after course has started (only in the same month & on availability of course spots)
copies and other additional teaching materials
final test at the last day of course
excursions to various places in Berlin (entry fees may apply)
Not included are:
registration fee: 10€
(This fee is due at your first registration at our school and is valid 2 months after your last course) DISCOUNT THIS MONTH: There is no registration fee!
course book – approx. 15-26€ (depends on a course)
course certificate (at 80% attendance & passed final test)
issuance of archive documents (older than 3 months)
invoice correction or cancellation
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DON’T KNOW WHICH COURSE LEVEL I SHOULD ATTEND?
You can take our placement test here and we will send you the results via email. You can also come and write it at our school to our opening hours, you don’t need an appointment for that. The test consists of 49 questions and takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.
WHAT IF THE COURSE LEVEL IS NOT RIGHT FOR ME AND I WANT TO TRY ANOTHER ONE?
If you have chosen a course level by yourself and it turns out to be a wrong one, you can change it free of charge. The condition for a change of level is that we have the level you wish to switch to on offer in the same month you have registered for, that there is an available spot and it’s within the same course format. That means, if you registered for an intensive course, you can change the course, but only to a different level of intensive course. If you registered for an evening course, you can change the level of your evening course free of charge. A change from an intensive to an evening course is not possible. A change from an intensive to a superintensive course is possible if the difference in price is paid.
CAN I TAKE A TRIAL LESSON?
Yes, you can and it’s free of charge. Please register for it in our office. A trial lesson is recommended if you are not sure of your level, have learned German in intervals or have not completely finished a certain level. It’s also advisable to take our placement test before registering for a course.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOUR TEACHERS HAVE?
Each of our teachers is a university graduate in German as a Foreign Language (DaF), German studies or similar (German literature, Translation Studies..). They also have experience in teaching German as a Foreign Language. Our team is young, dynamic and very creative.
HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE THERE IN A GROUP?
In the super- and intensive courses there can be between 6 and 14 participants. In the evening courses usually between 5 and 12. The number of participants varies in every course and also from month to month. We can inform you how many students have registered so far for your course.
HOW LONG IS A TEACHING UNIT/ HOUR?
One teaching unit lasts 45 minutes.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INTENSIVE AND SUPERINTENSIVE COURSE?
The difference between the intensive- and superintensive course is that the intensive one lasts 3 teaching units per day (48 units per month) and the superintensive 4 teaching units per day (64 units per month). The superintensive course has 16 teaching units more per month. The same program is done in both courses whereas in the superintensive mode there is more time for practicing.
WHICH LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN CLASS?
Only German is spoken during classes . If you want to ask the teacher a question in English or any other language, you can do it during the break or after the lesson.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE EACH LEVEL?
It takes 8 weeks to complete each of the levels: A1, A2, B1 and C1. Each level is divided into 2 parts, for example A1 → A1.1 (4 weeks) and A1.2 (4 weeks). Level B2 is longer, it takes 12 weeks to complete – 8 weeks for B2.1 and 4 weeks for B2.2. Please note, that in order to receive a certificate of level completion, the whole level duration has to be attended with at least 80% of participation in class and the final test has to be passed.
CAN I BOOK A COURSE JUST FOR ONE, TWO OR THREE WEEKS?
Yes, it is also possible. Please inquire about the prices by email, telephone or come by to our office. To get a reduced weekly price, please send us an email before making a booking describing which course and for how long you’d like to attend it. You will then receive a discount code from us for your desired amount of weeks, which you can enter in the booking form and get a reduced price.
CAN I JOIN A COURSE WHICH HAS ALREADY STARTED?
Yes, you can provided that we still have available spots in the course. If the course started recently, the teacher will tell you what has already been taught in the course and if you devote time in self-study to look through the material that you’ve missed, you can catch up the missed time. Please note that issuance of a certificate is only possible at 80% attendance of entire course.
If you have no previous knowledge of German language, we advise to start a beginners course A1.1 from the first week.
Evening courses are divided into 2 parts each one lasting one month. You can join from part/month 2 if you would like to refresh the level.
IS THERE AN EXAM AT THE END OF MY COURSE?
At the end of each course there is a final test, which is included in the course price. At times teachers also carry out short tests during the course in order to check students’ progress.
ARE COURSE BOOKS INCLUDED IN THE COURSE PRICE?
All materials are included in the price for the conversation & vocabulary training course DEUTSCH DIREKT. For the super-, intensive and evening courses you have to buy the book yourself. After you have booked a course, you will find information in your booking confirmation which book you need for your course.
CAN I BUY BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL?
No, but you can easily find course books in any bigger bookstore.
DO I GET A CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE AT THE END OF MY COURSE?
Yes, each student can get a signed certificate, where course level, number of teaching units, start and end date of the course are listed. To receive a certificate of attendance you must participate in at least 80% of the course time. To receive a certificate of level completion, additionally to 80% attendance in class, you need to pass the final test on the last day of your course. The certificate of attendance/ level completion costs 7€ (archive: older than 3 months 10€) and can be picked up on request at our office after the course completion.
I ALREADY AM A sprachart BERLIN STUDENT. DO I AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE A SPOT IN THE FOLLOWING COURSE AFTER I HAVE FINISHED THIS MONTH’S COURSE?
No. Additionally to students that are currently enrolled at our school, we also receive bookings from new students. If there’s more bookings and everyone from the group wants to continue, there will be not enough spots for everyone. If you’d like to continue with the next level, register in the office or online.
ARE THERE ANY DISCOUNTS FOR COURSE PRICES?
Yes, there are discounts for booking of an intensive or superintensive course for 2 months or longer. You can find the exact discounts at the particular course description. We also have an offer “BOOK WITH FRIEND” which is valid when two people book an intensive- or a superintensive course together in the same month. Each will get a discount of 20€ (in total 40€) on the course price. The course levels can however be different.
I WANT TO BOOK A COURSE WITH A FRIEND. HOW DO I DO THAT?
If you would like to book an intensive or superintensive course together with a friend in the same month, you and your friend will each receive a €20 discount on the course price (€40 in total). To get the discount, please send us an email before booking and you will each receive a discount code from us, which you can then enter in the booking form when booking so that the discount can be deducted from the price. This offer is only valid for the first registration.
I AM NEW IN BERLIN AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO START FROM?
As a student of sprachart BERLIN you will be advised by our friendly team about all the aspects of life in Berlin. We will provide or help you find necessary information about the formalities that may be important while taking your first steps in Berlin.
I NEED ACCOMMODATION FOR THE PERIOD I ATTEND THE COURSES. COULD YOU HELP ME WITH IT?
We will assist you by sending available accommodation offers so that you can decide which one you prefer. This service is free of charge after you have enrolled and made payment for the selected German course at our school.
I NEED A LANGUAGE VISA TO COME TO GERMANY. WHAT DO I DO?
One of the requirements to get a German visa is to submit a contract from a language school, proving that you attend language courses, to a German Embassy in your homeland. The course must consist of at least 18 teaching hours a week. The contract and other documents must be shown at a German Embassy in your homeland. To receive such a course contract from our school, you are required to pay the course fee for at least three months in advance (please note that the contract will state how many months have been paid for). After we have received your payment, we will send you the course contract which you can file for a visa application in your country.
HERE you can read about and book a VISA course.
Here you can find information about study visa in Germany regulations: Auswärtiges Amt VISA INFO ENGLISH
I CAN’T ATTEND MY COURSE ANYMORE. CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK?
7 days prior to course start and after a course has begun, there are no refunds of the course fees. If you withdraw from attendance in your course at least 7 days before the course start, our terms and conditions apply (AGB).
I BOOKED ONE-TO-ONE CLASSES AT sprachart BERLIN. HOW FLEXIBLY CAN I CHANGE MY APPOINTMENTS?
Scheduled appointments for One-To-One classes can be changed free of charge up to 24 hours before. Should an appointment be canceled later that 24 hours before, the fee for this session will not be refunded and cannot be used for the next class.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO A UNIVERSITY IN GERMANY. WHERE CAN I GET INFORMATION?
Here you will find information about studies at universities in Berlin.
TELC EXAMINATIONS
CAN I TAKE A TELC EXAM DIRECTLY AT sprachart BERLIN?
Yes. We are an official telc examination center. The exams take place at our school on Saturdays.
HOW CAN I REGISTER FOR THE EXAM?
You can come by at our office or register online HERE next to the exam date and pay for the exam directly after making the booking. After a successful booking and payment, you will receive a booking confirmation for the exam to your email.
CAN I REPEAT THE EXAM?
Yes, the entire exam or parts of it (written or oral) can be repeated. A new registration and payment are due in this case. If you’d only like to repeat one part of the exam, you can do it until the end of the next year after the exam. To register for only one part, please send us an email so we can give you a code for a reduced price which you can use in the booking process on our website. Just choose your desired exam date and put the code during the booking process in the VOUCHER space. Also, if you’re repeating only one exam part, we will need a copy of your last exam result – please send it via email or bring it to our office after the booking.
HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE EXAM?
You can prepare yourself in advance for the telc examination with our experienced teachers. Our course system and course content are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which means that you will also be prepared for the telc exams naturally in an intensive or a superintensive course at our school. Additional telc preparation courses can also be attended at sprachart BERLIN, in which exam simulations are practiced in order to get to know the structure of individual examination parts and modules by means of model tests. In addition, they provide useful tips and strategies for mastering each part of the telc exam. In addition, we offer private German lessons to focus on areas of the language that you individually need more time for.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO TAKE WITH ME FOR THE EXAM?
You have to take your ID or passport with you, because without it you will not be admitted to the exam. Please note, that the picture must be recognisable. You must take pencils, sharpeners and erasers with you because using a pen during the exam is not allowed.
WHAT TIME DOES THE EXAM START?
The exam starts at 9.30am. You have to arrive at the school at the latest half an hour before the start of your exam so at 9am (at this time we open the school). At first the written exam takes place, after that you’ll have a break following the oral examination. We will inform you about the time for your oral examination on the day of the exam. Please note that for organizational reasons, the time for the oral exam can not be changed on the exam day, so please reserve the entire day for your exam (at least until the hour stated on your booking confirmation).
HOW DO I RECEIVE MY EXAM RESULT?
The results will be available within 3-5 weeks for a pick up at our school. To check if your result is already available, click on this link: https://www.sprachartberlin.de/de/telc-pruefung-ergebnis-telc-exam-result/ and look for your exam date. If the result is available, you can come to our school’s office with your ID or passport to pick it up. Please note that we cannot tell you the result on the phone or via email. If you cannot come to pick up your evaluation sheet or certificate, we can send it to you by post. If you wish to have this option, you can order it on the day of the exam at our office.
CAN I ALSO GET MY RESULTS FASTER?
No, the option of express evaluation is no longer offered by telc from the beginning of 2021.
I MISSED THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE. CAN I REGISTER LATER?
Yes. The regular registration period ends 17 days before the date of the exam, but it is possible to register later between the 18th and 14th day prior to the exam. This costs an additional 20€. From 13 days before the exam a registration is no longer possible. You can check all the deadlines HERE.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO DURING THE EXAM?
It is very important that you fill out your personal data (both at registering for the exam and on the exam form) exactly like in your identity document you will present to us on the exam day. If there will be mistakes/contradicting data and your exam certificate needs to be corrected, there will be a fee of 40€ and a waiting time of about 2 weeks for the correction.
You are not allowed to use a dictionary during the exam. Mobile phones and other electronic devices (i.e. smart watches) must be switched off/put in a flight mode and left in the cloakroom provided by us. If unauthorized aids are used or the exam is disturbed in any way, you will be excluded from the exam and the exam will not be evaluated. Eating during the exam is not allowed, but you can take a drink with you (bottles without any etiquettes).
WHAT DO I HAVE TO CONSIDER IF I ONLY WANT TO TAKE ONE PART OF THE EXAM (ORAL OR WRITTEN)?
You can register for only one part of the exam. In this case, we need a copy of the result sheet of your last telc exam from you when you register. If only one part is repeated, it must happen by the end of the following calendar year after the first examination. To get a code for a reduced price which you can use in the booking process, send us an email before making the booking describing which exam and which part of the exam you wish to take.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM SICK ON THE DAY OF EXAM?
In case of illness on the day of the examination, you need to inform us in a written form until 9am on the exam day at the latest and submit a medical certificate to the examination centre within one week of the examination date. If accepted by telc gGmbH, the examination fee can be refunded after deduction of a cancellation fee of 65€.
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