B2 and C1 Language Certificates European Students Need Before University
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Nov 28, 2024 • Education Planning, Study in Europe
Non-English-taught bachelor's programs in Europe usually ask for a B2 certificate in the teaching language, and master's or selective programs often ask for C1. Each language has its own official exam body, and most of these certificates never expire.
🎓 French: DELF (A1-B2) and DALF (C1-C2), run by France Education International.
🎓 German: Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, and DSH are the main options universities accept.
🎓 Spanish: DELE, issued by the Instituto Cervantes, covers every CEFR level.
🎓 Italian: CILS and CELI, issued by the Universities for Foreigners of Siena and Perugia.
⏱️ DELF, DALF, Goethe, and DELE certificates do not officially expire once issued.
Why you need a certificate, not just classroom years
If you apply to a bachelor's or master's program taught in the local language, most European universities ask for proof of your level through a recognized external exam rather than trusting years of classroom study alone. This applies whether the local language is your second language or a language you are learning specifically for the program.
The general pattern across countries is a B2 minimum for bachelor's entry and a B2 to C1 minimum for master's or highly selective programs, though the exact requirement is always set by the individual university and program, not by a single europe-wide rule.
French: DELF and DALF
DELF covers levels A1 through B2, and DALF covers C1 and C2. Both are administered by France Education International and its network of accredited test centers. DELF B2 is the standard minimum most French universities ask for at bachelor's level, and DALF C1 is common for master's programs or highly selective courses.
Neither DELF nor DALF expires once you pass it, so a certificate from several years ago is still valid, though some university admissions offices prefer to see a result from within the last few years.
German: Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, and DSH
The Goethe-Zertifikat is available at every CEFR level from A1 to C2 and does not expire. For university admission specifically, many German universities instead ask for TestDaF or the DSH exam, both designed around academic language rather than general conversation, with DSH-2 commonly treated as roughly equivalent to CEFR C1 for admission purposes.
Check your target university's own language requirements page, since some accept the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 directly, while others specifically require TestDaF or DSH regardless of any other German certificate you already hold.
Spanish: DELE
DELE diplomas, issued by the Instituto Cervantes , cover all CEFR levels and do not expire. DELE B2 is the standard threshold used by Spanish universities for bachelor's-level admission in Spanish-taught programs, with C1 requested more often for master's programs or fields with heavy reading and writing demands, such as law.
Italian: CILS and CELI
CILS, issued by the University for Foreigners of Siena, and CELI, issued by the University for Foreigners of Perugia, are the two main Italian language certificates recognized for university admission. Both follow the standard CEFR levels, and Italian universities generally look for a B2 result for bachelor's entry into an Italian-taught program.
Choosing a level and booking a test
| Program type | Typical minimum level |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's, general programs | B2 |
| Bachelor's, selective or professional (medicine, law) | C1 |
| Master's, general programs | B2 to C1 |
| Master's, humanities and law | C1 |
Book your test through the official awarding body's website for your country, not a third-party agency, and register early. Test dates fill up months in advance in popular cities, and results can take several weeks to arrive, so plan the exam around your application deadline rather than the other way around.