Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Language Centre

Description of the UNIcert® levels

UNIcert® I

UNIcert® I acknowledges, depending on the obtained mark, the following foreign language competences and intercultural communicative skills in private and public areas:

  • Command of general elementary vocabulary and basic structures and means of expression of the foreign language
  • The ability to understand selected cultural aspects of the language area concerned
  • Understanding the main information in simple oral statements within a familiar context
  • Understanding the main information in simple written texts
  • Brief, generally appropriate oral communication in selected private, academic and professional contact situations, concerning giving information and making enquiries; describing objects and persons; expressing and commenting on suppositions, wishes, opinions, and advice on simple matters
  • Drawing up simple written texts of a predominantly informative and descriptive nature

UNIcert® II

UNIcert® II acknowledges, depending on the obtained mark, the following foreign language competences and intercultural communicative skills in private and public areas, in selected everyday situations as well as academic and professional life:

  • Command of and ability independently to extend the general vocabulary and, if applicable, subject-specific basic vocabulary, as well as central structures and means of expression of the foreign language
  • Ability to understand the cultural variety of the language area concerned
  • Identifying the main topic as well as understanding most of the detailed information contained in longer oral statements of medium complexity
  • Comprehensive understanding of longer, written texts of medium complexity which are of a descriptive and commenting nature
  • Effective oral communication, deploying a standardised set of means of expression that are appropriate to address situations and persons for the purpose of giving information and making enquiries; describing objects and persons; expressing and commenting on suppositions, opinions, and advice on complex matters, and substantiating a point of view
  • Drawing up written texts of a predominantly informative and descriptive, partly also reporting and commenting nature by using standardised means of expression

UNIcert® III

UNIcert® III acknowledges, depending on the obtained marks, the following foreign language competences and intercultural communicative skills in numerous everyday situations as well as academic life, in particular in preparation of international degree courses at German universities and courses abroad, and for professional life in an environment in which the foreign language is used:

  • Confident command and ability independently to extend the general vocabulary and, if applicable, subject-specific terminology, as well as current structures and means of expression of the foreign language at a level that largely meets the communicative requirements connected with a longer period of study abroad
  • Ability to integrate to a large extent into the cultural variety of the language area concerned
  • Effortless understanding of the main topic as well as the detailed information contained in longer oral statements
  • Effortless understanding of the content of common types of authentic, general-communicative or academic written texts
  • Effective oral communication, deploying means of expression that are appropriate for addressing situations and persons, for the purpose of giving information and making enquiries; describing objects and persons; expressing and commenting on suppositions, opinions, and advice on more complex matters; arguing; assessing; modifying etc.
  • Drawing up written texts of an informative, descriptive, reporting and commenting nature by using a comprehensive range of linguistic tools and incorporating to a large extent the conventions for writing in the foreign language concerned

UNIcert® IV

UNIcert® IV acknowledges, depending on the obtained marks, the following foreign language competences and intercultural communicative skills in any everyday situation as well as academic life, in particular in preparation of active participation in communication within the international academic community and for professional life in an environment in which the foreign language is used:

  • Confident command and ability independently to extend the comprehensive general vocabulary and, if applicable, subject-specific terminology, as well as structures and means of expression of the foreign language similar to the language competence of an academically educated native speaker
  • Comprehensive ability to integrate in the cultural variety of the language area concerned
  • Effortless understanding of demanding oral statements on complex matters
  • Effortless understanding of the content of all types of authentic, general-communicative or academic written texts
  • Confident oral communication, deploying means of expression, including shades of meaning, that are appropriate for addressing situations and persons
  • Drawing up highly advanced written texts of an informative, descriptive, reporting and commenting nature by using a comprehensive range of linguistic tools and incorporating the conventions for writing in the foreign language