UNIcert® III English for Academic Purposes
Students enrolled in the BA degree programmes “Anglophone Studies” and “GuK – History and Cultural Studies” have the option of taking the UNIcert® III exam English for Academic Purposes. This examination assesses and certifies language competence at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). After successfully completing the exam, students receive an official UNIcert® III certificate, which may be used, for example, when applying for a master’s programme.
The UNIcert® III exam is competence-oriented rather than knowledge-based: it does not test discrete grammar or vocabulary knowledge, but the ability to use English effectively and appropriately in academic communication. Following the UNIcert® framework, the exam is action-oriented ("handlungsorientiert") and domain-specific ("bereichstypisch"), focusing on communicative situations typical of the academic disciplines taught in this department – in particular linguistics, literary studies and cultural studies, within the broader field of Anglophone Studies.
Tasks are designed to reflect authentic communicative purposes in academic contexts such as reading and analysing scholarly or cultural texts, mediating and commenting on arguments, presenting information orally and engaging in academic discussion.
The four skills – reading, writing, listening, speaking – are assessed and graded individually.
Prerequisites:
Pass grades in the following four practical language courses:
Reading & Writing I, Reading & Writing II, Speaking & Listening I, Speaking & Listening II
Students who have completed all four courses but are still awaiting final grades may still take part in the exam; however, the certificate can only be issued once the missing grades have been submitted.
Exam structure:
Part I: Reading (Leseverstehen) – 60 minutes
Tests the ability to understand and analyse academic, cultural or literary texts typical of Anglophone Studies. Texts (approx. 800–1200 words, depending on their cognitive and linguistic complexity) may include scholarly articles, essays, reviews or literary excerpts. Tasks focus on identifying key ideas, arguments, structure, tone and stance, and on understanding both explicit and implicit meaning. Assessment is based solely on content comprehension, not on the linguistic accuracy of responses.
Part II: Writing (Schriftliche Produktion und Interaktion) – 90 minutes
Tests the ability to produce a coherent, thesis-driven analytical text based on the reading input from Part I. Tasks focus on mediating and critically engaging with ideas from the source text and on responding appropriately to a defined communicative situation and audience within an academic context. Assessment focuses on content and task fulfilment, organisation and coherence, language range and accuracy, and academic register and style.
Part III: Listening (Audiovisuelles Verstehen) – 45 minutes
Tests the ability to understand complex spoken English in academic and general contexts. Listening material may include recorded lectures, interviews or discussions featuring authentic speech and academic vocabulary. Tasks assess understanding of main ideas, supporting details, argument structure and tone. Assessment is based solely on content comprehension, not on the linguistic accuracy of responses.
Part IV: Speaking (Mündliche Produktion und Interaktion) – up to 30 minutes
Tests the ability to present and discuss complex issues orally in an academic context. This part is based on the listening input from Part III and includes a short preparation period during which candidates may organise their ideas and take notes. It consists of a brief presentation followed by an interactive discussion with another candidate. Candidates summarise and comment on key aspects of the source material, exchange views and respond spontaneously to questions or new ideas. Assessment focuses on content and communicative effectiveness, organisation and coherence, fluency and pronunciation, accuracy and range of language, and register appropriateness.
All tasks are self-explanatory and do not require any specific preparation in advance of the test.
Grading:
Each of the four parts of the exam is marked out of 15 and counts for 25% of the total mark. The examination will be considered passed if at least 5 points are scored and no part mark is below 5 points. A failed examination or failed parts of the examination can be repeated once within one year from the date of the announcement of the result. In the event of an exam being repeated, credit will be given for the scores of passed sections of the examination. Please note, however, that only one examination date is offered in each academic year - retaking a failed examination is therefore only possible one year later.
Certificate:
A bilingual (English/German) certificate is issued for the successful completion of the exam. In addition to the personal details of the candidate, the certificate contains information about the chosen foreign language (English), the chosen specialization ("for Academic Purposes"), the UNIcert® level achieved (III), and the grades of the individual parts of the examination as well as the overall grade in the form of a number and a paraphrase. It also contains general information in German and English on the form of the examination and the interpretation of the performance levels, as well as an indication of which level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages the awarded certificate is based on.
Date 2026:
Thursday, 27 August 2026, 10:00 (s.t.)–12:30: Parts I + II (Reading + Writing).
Parts III + IV (Listening + Speaking) will be administered either
(a) immediately afterwards, if there is only a small number of participants, or
(b) later in the afternoon, if there is a larger number of participants.
Registration:
To register, please email Daniel Prince, enclosing a FlexNow transcript showing that you have successfully completed Reading & Writing I, Reading & Writing II, Speaking & Listening I and Speaking & Listening II. Please note: This test is for students of this department ONLY.
Students who have completed all four courses (see "Prerequisites") but are still awaiting final grades may still take part in the exam; however, the certificate can only be issued once the missing grades have been submitted.
Further information:
Available from any member of the Language Practice team.