Thanks to the high standards of education and good international reputation held by many German universities, studying medicine in Germany has become a very popular choice. Lena*, a 19-year-old student from Kosovo, decided to take the TestAS to do just that: gain admission into a high quality German university to receive the education needed to one day work in the field of medicine.

Image by Flynt via Bigstock

“Thanks to the result [of the TestAS] now I get a 0.8 Mark bonus on my application, which is a huge difference when it comes to medical schools.”

The TestAS can indeed make a huge difference, by allowing German universities to see what subject areas you excel in, and what your academic abilities are. The TestAS comprises of a Core Test, as well as one of four modules from the following:

• Humanities, Cultural Studies and Social Sciences

• Engineering

• Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences

• Economics

If you are a foreign student who has completed high school education and has good German or English language skills, the TestAS is one of the only readily available ways to gain university admission in Germany. For those, like Lena*, who want to study medicine in Germany, completion of the Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences Module is required. This module specifically contains questions relating to the analysis of scientific relationships and understanding formal depictions, testing you in the skills necessary to comprehend complex medical theory and practice. An example of a sample TestAS question can be found below.

Image source: Bauschmid 2017, Practice Exam for the TestAS: Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences Module, 2^nd Edition, edulink GmbH, Munich, Germany (adapted from: http://www.zo.utexas.edu/courses/bio301/chapters/Chapter5/Chapter5.html (accessed 13 February 2017))

And just how difficult is the TestAS? Lena* clearly didn’t find it too difficult, given that she scored 98% in the Core Test and 96% in the Module. But if you ask her how she did it, she’ll answer that preparation and training is the key.

“Start preparing in time, at least 2 months before the exam… having time to work [through the books] is a huge advantage.”

The books Lena* refers to are the Bauschmid TestAS preparation books, which she says “really inform about every single detail of the exam” and are “absolutely necessary to be prepared for the exam.” Lena* used three of the available books: Solving Quantitative Problems – Review & Practice; Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences Module; and the Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences Module Complete Practice Exam. Apart from going into detail about the subject area content relevant to the TestAS modules and core test, as well as simulating the exam through practice questions, the books offer advice on time management and preparing oneself for the actual exam day.

Image source: edulink GmbH 2017, ‘Bauschmid TestAS books example-Blog 20170329’, Our Study Guides for TestAS, https://testasprep.com/preparation-books-for-TestAS (accessed 29 March 2017)

Lena* systematically worked through the exercises and information given in the Bauschmid TestAS preparation books. In addition, she also found it useful to talk to other students who had taken the TestAS. This added to her supply of tricks and advice about taking the exam, something she attributed to helping her achieve her excellent result. However, Lena* was pleasantly surprised by how well-prepared she was in comparison to many other students who had not taken the time to practice the TestAS exercises beforehand. She thanks edulink for helping her to adequately prepare, saying that “they were very helpful.”

edulink helped Lena* choose the right study books and assisted her with the preparation process as she worked through the books’ exercises. Now, Lena* has a good chance of getting into one of the esteemed German medicine courses. She has a good range to choose from, too. Amongst the German universities offering medicine courses, and which consider the results of the TestAS in determining admissions, include:

• University of Cologne
• Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden)
• University of Freiburg
• University of Göttingen
• University of Greifswald
• University of Hamburg
• University of Heidelberg
• University of Leipzig
• Johannes Guttenberg University of Mainz
• Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg
• RWTH Aachen University
• University of Ulm

Further information about how these universities consider the TestAS results can be found here. Generally speaking, however, the TestAS results either improve the “bonus points” needed, or are a mandatory requirement, for students to gain admission into these universities. This could be enough to push yourself ahead of many other students who also wish to study medicine in Germany. Like Lena*, taking the TestAS with plenty of pre-preparation could make a huge difference for your university application.

edulink thanks Lena* for her participation in the interview. The interiew was conducted in March 2017 and can be read in full here.

Since 2014, edulink has been providing support services for helping international students embark on a successful life studying and living in Germany. In addition to providing advice and services to help international students relocate to Germany, they also offer important information about gaining entrance into certain German universities, in particular through taking the Test for Academic Studies (TestAS). For more information, visit the edulink or TestAS Preparation websites.

* Lena is not the interviewee’s real name.