TestAS Preparation for the Digital and Paper-Based Core Test

Also available in German: Go to German version

Our TestAS preparation helps you train effectively for the digital or paper-based Core Test. Online, realistic and flexible.

The TestAS is an aptitude test for international students applying to universities in Germany. It consists of a general Core Test and subject-specific modules. On this page, you’ll find all the details about the test structure, requirements, and the right online preparation.

Try typical questions from the digital and paper-based TestAS – for free in your browser

Want to see what real TestAS questions look like?
Try our free sample tasks for the digital or paper-based Core Test – directly in your browser.

Try digital questions now
Try paper-based questions now

Inhaltsverzeichnis
TestAS Core Test 2025: Online Practice for Both Formats


Only at JobTestPrep
The only realistic TestAS Core Test practice. Online, exam-style and suitable for both formats.

  • Practice tests for all official question types
  • Full-length simulations under real exam conditions
  • Authentic number of questions and time limits
  • Step-by-step solutions and targeted tips
Geld-zurück-Garantie

Any questions about the TestAS or the right prep for you?

You can find answers to common questions in our FAQ at the bottom of this page. If you need personal support, feel free to send us an email.

Why the TestAS matters

The TestAS is one of the most important exams for international students applying to universities in Germany. See the list of German universities that require the TestAS.

Note: Not all universities require the TestAS. However, a good result can significantly increase your chances of admission.

A strong TestAS score can especially improve your chances in competitive degree programmes. Some universities even award bonus points for excellent scores, positively influencing your overall evaluation.

You can choose between two test formats:

Both formats are designed to assess your academic aptitude but differ in format and flexibility. You can take the TestAS in either German or English – you choose the language when you register.

Important: To succeed in the TestAS, you should have at least B1/B2 language proficiency in German or English.

Each format is offered several times a year at certified test centres worldwide.

Focused preparation. The only programme of its kind.

Our TestAS Core Test training is modelled precisely on the official exam formats. Whether digital or paper-based, you’ll practise exactly what to expect on test day.

TestAS 2025 & 2026: Test Dates, Formats and Registration Deadlines

Test Date Test Number Registration Period Format
25 October 2025 TestAS 057 06/01/2025 – 09/15/2025 TestAS paper-based
20 November 2025   06/01/2025 – 11/10/2025 TestAS digital
24 February 2026 TestAS 058 09/01/2025 – 01/19/2026 TestAS paper-based
19 March 2026   11/02/2025 – 03/07/2026 TestAS digital
25 April 2026 TestAS 059 01/05/2026 – 03/13/2026 TestAS paper-based
9 June 2026   01/05/2026 – 05/29/2026 TestAS digital

You can retake the TestAS as many times as you wish, for example if you want to improve your score.

Register now and find available test centres.

The only realistic prep for the TestAS Core Test

Practise with question types, time limits and structure just like in the official exam. Suitable for both the digital and paper-based format.

Start your prep now and take the TestAS with confidence.

Let’s take a closer look at the two TestAS formats.

Digital TestAS: How the test works and what is assessed

The digital TestAS (also referred to as »TestAS online«) is conducted entirely on a computer at a certified test centre and lasts approximately 3.5 hours.

1. Core Module (90 minutes)

The first part assesses your general cognitive abilities – regardless of your intended field of study. It includes the following task types:

  • Figure Sequences:
    Identify rules and complete graphical patterns.
  • Mathematical Equations:
    Solve equations with multiple unknowns.
  • Latin Squares:
    Insert letters into logical arrangements, similar to Sudoku.

After the core module, you will have a 30-minute break.

2. Subject Module (90 minutes)

The second part assesses skills that are specific to your chosen academic field. You can choose from the following subject modules:

  • Humanities, Cultural Studies, and Social Sciences
  • Life Sciences
  • Mathematics, Computer Science, and Natural Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Economics
  • Medicine

You will answer multiple-choice questions based on texts and tasks relevant to your selected field.

Note: Taking notes is not allowed during the digital TestAS.

The test is supervised at licensed test centres, entirely computer-based, and your results will be available online about 2 to 3 weeks after the test.

To help you understand what to expect in the digital core module, here is one sample task for each task type.

Digital TestAS: Sample Questions from the Core Module

Figure Sequences (Level 2 of 4: Medium)

Continue the sequence of figures correctly.

Grid with shapes from a TestAS figure sequence sample question

Which of the three options should be chosen for A and B?

Richtig

Falsch

Falsch

Falsch

Richtig

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

The correct answers are A1 and B2.

This task can only be solved correctly by identifying the rules that govern the movements of the shapes across the grid sequence.

  • The blue square moves counterclockwise in a circular path around the center of the grid.
  • The triangle moves along the outer edge of the grid, also counterclockwise. It skips one cell with each move and alternates its color between black and white at every step.

Based on these two rules, we can predict how the shapes continue from the last given grid:

The blue square moves one step downward (A), then one step to the right (B).
The triangle moves two steps to the right, changing from white to black (A), then two steps upward, changing back to white (B).

Duration: 25 minutes
Scope: 20 tasks

You will see a sequence of six matrices. The first four are given, and you must logically complete the last two by selecting the correct figures.

Each matrix contains up to four figures. Their position, colour, or orientation changes according to specific rules.

Your task is to identify these rule(s) and choose the correct continuations.

Possible movements of the figures include vertical, horizontal, or diagonal shifts. Figures that reach the edge either move along the border or bounce off it.


Mathematical Equations

What is the correct value of C if all three equations are valid? (Each unknown has a value from 1 to 20.)

B = A + 2
C = B + 5
A + B + C = 24

Falsch

Falsch

Richtig

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

Step 1:
The first equation already defines B in terms of A:
  B = A + 2

Step 2:
Substitute the expression for B into the second equation:
  C = (A + 2) + 5 = A + 7

Step 3:
Now substitute the expressions for B and C into the third equation:
  A + (A + 2) + (A + 7) = 24

Step 4:
Simplify the equation:
  3A + 9 = 24

Step 5:
Solve the equation for A:
  3A = 24 − 9 = 15
  A = 15 / 3 = 5

Step 6:
Calculate the missing unknowns: 
  B = A + 2 = 5 + 2 = 7
  C = A + 7 = 5 + 7 = 12

Solutions:
A = 5, B = 7, C = 12

Correct answer: 12

Duration: 25 minutes
Scope: 20 tasks

You will be given two to four equations with two to four unknowns. Your task is to calculate the correct values. All values range from 1 to 20.

By rearranging and strategically combining the equations, you can work out all the unknowns.


Latin Squares

Five letters are to be arranged in a 5×5 grid so that each letter appears only once in each row and each column.

TestAS sample: 5×5 Latin square with missing letter marked by a question mark.

Which letter should replace the question mark?

Falsch

Falsch

Falsch

Falsch

Richtig

Lösung anzeigen

The letters B, D and E are missing in the second row.

B and D are missing in the second column.

As there is already a B in the first row, the B in the second row belongs in the second column.

Latin square explanation showing step-by-step solution with eliminated letters.
Latin square explanation showing step-by-step solution with eliminated letters.

Now only the letters D and E are missing in the second row.

As there is already an E in the last column, the E in the second row must be placed in the penultimate column.

Latin square explanation showing step-by-step solution with eliminated letters.
Latin square explanation showing step-by-step solution with eliminated letters.

So the correct answer is: E.

Duration: 25 minutes
Scope: 20 tasks

Your task is to complete a 5×5 grid. Each of the five letters (A to E) may appear only once in each row and each column – similar to Sudoku.

Some cells are already filled in, while one cell contains a question mark (»?«). You must identify the correct letter for that cell.


Paper-based TestAS: Duration, Structure and Content

The paper-based TestAS takes approximately 4.5 hours and consists of two main parts:

1. Core Test (110 minutes)

This section assesses general cognitive abilities. You will complete four types of tasks:

  • Solving Quantitative Problems:
    Tackle practical arithmetic problems based on short text descriptions.
  • Inferring Relations:
    Complete verbal analogies by identifying logical word relationships.
  • Completing Patterns:
    Identify and complete geometric patterns arranged in a 3×3 grid.
  • Continuing Numerical Series:
    Recognise mathematical rules in number sequences and fill in missing elements.
Answers and permitted materials: All answers are recorded on a separate answer sheet provided at the beginning of the test. You may take notes on the scratch paper provided. Dictionaries and calculators are not allowed.

2. Subject Module (~145–150 minutes)

This part focuses on subject-specific knowledge related to your intended field of study. You will take one of the following modules:

  • Humanities, Cultural Studies and Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences
  • Economics

All tasks are subject-specific multiple-choice questions.

Note: Your university decides which subject module you must take. You cannot choose it yourself.

Below you’ll find one sample task from each of the four task types in the paper-based core module:

Sample Tasks for the Paper-based TestAS Core Module

Solving Quantitative Problems

The tank of a car contains 60 litres of petrol. After one hour of driving, 15 per cent of this has been used up.

How many litres of petrol are consumed in 4 hours at a constant driving speed?

Falsch

Richtig

Falsch

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

First, calculate how many litres of petrol were used in the first hour:
60 × 0.15 = 9 litres

Then, calculate the consumption for four hours of driving:
9 × 4 = 36 litres

So the correct answer is: 36 litres.

Duration: 45 minutes
Number of tasks: 22

You will solve short word problems based on everyday situations using simple calculations. Each task offers four answer options. Choose the correct one and mark it on the answer sheet.


Inferring Relations

Which two words complete the analogy pair in a logical way?

? : dusk = doctor : ?

Richtig

Falsch

Falsch

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

In this task, you are asked to complete analogies. That means the two words to the left of the »=« sign must have the same relationship to each other as the two words to the right of the »=« sign.

The correct answer is: »night – assistant doctor«. If you place these two words in the analogy, both pairs follow the same pattern: the first word describes a final state, and the second word describes a state that comes directly before it. Just as night follows dusk, a doctor was likely an assistant doctor before.

The option »day – student« may also seem plausible at first glance, since dusk follows day and doctor follows student. However, these two word pairs are not logically equivalent. In the first pair (day : dusk), there is a chronological sequence where the second word comes after the first. In the second pair (doctor : student), it is the other way around: the second word (student) comes before the first (doctor).

Duration: 10 minutes
Number of tasks: 22

This task type focuses on verbal analogies. You will be given two word pairs that share the same logical relationship. In both pairs, two words are missing. Your task is to choose the correct words from four answer options to complete the analogy logically.


Completing Patterns

Which answer option completes the grid in place of the ? sign?

3×3 matrix pattern with visual logic, one field marked with question mark to complete the sequence

Falsch

Falsch

Richtig

Falsch

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

The correct answer is the third option.

There are 1 to 3 rules per task in this test section that guide the change between the elements of the 3×3 grid. In this example, there are actually 3 rules, all of which are only applied to the rows of the grid (i.e. only operate from left to right):

  • The position of the black »L« (the L-shaped figure): The black L-shape moves between the corners of the object, step by step anti-clockwise. Therefore, in the missing frame, the black »L« should be in the bottom left corner of the object.
  • The rotation of the black »L«: The black »L« rotates 90° in the first step and 90° in the second step in the opposite direction, i.e. the position of the »L« in the right-hand frame of the row should be the same as the position of the »L« in the left-hand frame of the row.
  • The position of the white »L«: There are 3 grey »L«s and one white »L« in each frame. The white »L« changes its position clockwise, one step at a time. Therefore, it should be in the top right corner of the missing frame.

Duration: 20 minutes
Number of tasks: 22

In this task type, you will see a 3×3 grid filled with geometric shapes. The bottom-right field is empty and marked with a question mark (?). Your task is to identify the underlying rule that determines the arrangement of the shapes and choose the correct shape from six options.

Tip: The pattern may follow a horizontal, vertical or combined logic.


Continuing Numerical Series

0     1     1     3     6     9     27     ?

Which number continues the number sequence correctly?

Richtig

Falsch

Falsch

Falsch

Lösung anzeigen

The correct answer is: »31«.

In this number series, addition and multiplication alternate. With each step, the value used in the operation increases by 1.

The rule is therefore: +1, ×1, +2, ×2, +3, …

To calculate the next number: 27 + 4 = 31.

Duration: 25 minutes
Number of tasks: 22

You will see a sequence of seven numbers. The eighth number is missing and replaced by a question mark (?). Your task is to identify the rule behind the sequence and enter the correct number on the answer sheet by marking the boxes that represent the correct digits.

Tip: Each digit may appear only once. Repetitions such as "55" or "99" are not allowed.


Why This PrepPack™ Is Different

Most available materials for the TestAS offer only general practice tasks with no clear structure.

Our Core Test training is the only resource specifically designed to match the official exam. The task types, format and testing conditions reflect the real test – helping you prepare in a focused and effective way.

Key Questions and Answers About the TestAS

Which German Universities Use TestAS for Admission?

The following table shows a selection of German universities that use the TestAS as part of their admission process.

Please note: This list is not exhaustive and is provided without guarantee. Always refer to the official university websites for up-to-date and reliable information.

University TestAS Requirement
University of Cologne Mandatory for all bachelor applicants (non-EU) – TestAS certificate (Core Test and subject-specific module) required. Minimum scores vary by faculty.
RWTH Aachen Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry (TestAS must be taken in German; score required in the top 20%).
Conditionally required for other bachelor programmes: required if Abitur score is lower than 2.5 (German scale).
University of Hamburg Optional – accepted for bonus points in all programmes. High TestAS scores provide additional admission points.
Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – digital TestAS with the medical subject module in German. TestAS results make up around 49% of the selection process.
University of Bielefeld Optional – accepted as an alternative entrance qualification for applicants with an indirect HZB (Studienkolleg required). A standard score ≥90 in both Core and subject module can replace the Studienkolleg.
University of Greifswald Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – minimum score of 100 in the Core Test required. The result is included in the admission formula alongside the Abitur.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Optional – accepted as a bonus in all programmes. Core and module scores can improve the converted Abitur grade by up to 1.0 point (0.5 each).
Heidelberg University Mandatory for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy – TestAS scores contribute to the selection ranking with additional points.
University of Ulm Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – TestAS subject module Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences in German required. Score counts for 50% of the selection ranking.
Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg Optional – considered for bonus points in Medicine and Dentistry. High TestAS scores increase admission chances.
Georg August University of Göttingen Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – Core Test and one subject module (STEM, Medicine or Life Sciences) required. Only the module score is used for the bonus.
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Optional – TestAS scores can improve admission chances. A percentile rank above 80 in both parts increases the Abitur grade by 0.2 points.
University of Leipzig Optional for restricted-admission programmes – TestAS can improve the HZB grade by up to 0.4 points. A 90th percentile score in either part gives 0.2 points; in both parts gives 0.4.
Westphalian Wilhelms University Münster Optional – used to support admissions in Medicine and Dentistry. A tiered bonus system applies based on the STEM module score.
Goethe University Frankfurt Mandatory for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Biochemistry – non-EU applicants must take the Core Test and Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences module in German. TestAS scores count for 49% of the selection score.
Justus Liebig University Giessen Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – Core and Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences module required (German or English). A bonus is applied for scores over 80; maximum bonus for scores ≥123.
Hannover Medical School (MHH) Mandatory for Medicine and Dentistry – only the Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences module is required (Core Test not used). The score is weighted equally with the Abitur. A score above 126 is treated as equivalent to a 1.0 Abitur grade.
Note: Some universities only accept your first TestAS result. It’s best to check directly with your chosen university.

How Does the TestAS Work?

The TestAS consists of two parts: a core test and a subject-specific module.

The core test assesses general cognitive abilities relevant to all fields of study.

The subject module evaluates skills related to your intended field of study.

Both parts are taken consecutively. You can choose to take the test in German or English. It is conducted under supervision at certified test centres and follows a multiple-choice format.

How Difficult Is the TestAS?

The TestAS is intentionally designed to be challenging. It measures cognitive abilities such as analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

There is considerable time pressure, and it may be difficult to complete all tasks. Thorough preparation and an effective test-taking strategy can help you cope with this pressure and achieve a strong result.

Important: You cannot pass or fail the TestAS. Instead, you receive a score that is relevant for university applications.

What Is a Good TestAS Score?

A good score is typically above average, usually in the 70–80 percentile range or a standard score above 100.

Top scores (around 125+ in the paper-based test or 150+ in the digital test) can significantly improve your chances of university admission.

How Can I Prepare for the TestAS?

Focused preparation can significantly improve your TestAS performance. Start with the official sample tasks from the TestAS website to get familiar with the test structure and question types.

In addition, our TestAS Core Test 2025 PrepPack™ offers realistic test simulations and step-by-step explanations. You will practise exactly the types of tasks, time limits and requirements you’ll face in the real exam.

More Frequently Asked Questions About the TestAS

TestAS stands for Test für ausländische Studierende (“Test for Foreign Students”). It is an academic aptitude test designed for international applicants who wish to study at German universities.


Both versions, digital and paper-based, consist of a Core Test, which assesses general cognitive abilities, and a subject-specific module, which evaluates skills relevant to your chosen field of study.


  • Digital TestAS: Approx. 3.5 hours (including a short break)
  • Paper-based TestAS: Around 4.5 to 5 hours, including breaks

The digital TestAS, also called TestAS online, is the computer-based version of the TestAS (Test für ausländische Studierende). It assesses the academic aptitude of international applicants and is conducted fully digitally at certified test centres. Learn more about how the digital TestAS works.


TestAS scores are given in standardised values: 70–130 for the paper-based test, and 0–200 for the digital version.

A score of 100 represents the average performance.


  • Digital TestAS: Results are available after approx. 2–3 weeks.
  • Paper-based TestAS: Results are published online after about 4 weeks.

The TestAS fee varies by country and test centre. It usually ranges between €130 and €160.

The exact fee will be provided by the test centre during registration.


You can take the TestAS as many times as you like. However, it is advisable to allow enough time between attempts for focused preparation and improvement.


No, aids such as dictionaries or calculators are not allowed in the TestAS.

  • Paper-based TestAS: You may take notes, but only on the scratch paper provided.
  • Digital TestAS: Taking notes is not permitted.