In their final year of high school education, many seniors plan on getting away from home to pursue their passions. Few can say they are returning home for college and even fewer that say home is abroad, but senior Jaalanee Dugassa can say both. Dugassa took the German National Exam and passed with the grade of C1, the base grade for foreign students to be allowed to study in Germany.

“I am from Germany and it is also a lot cheaper there, that is my main reason to be honest,” Dugassa said. “I would love to go back and study there though.”

She didn’t get this opportunity without hard work, however. The test is set up on rigorous standards, which makes being eligible for study an ordeal.

“You have to take the test to see, based on the German standards, how well you speak German,” Dugassa said. “[The categories are] from A1 up to C2 and depending on how well you score, the university will tell you how good you are in German.”

In order to pass, one must hit it right on the mark to be eligible to study at a full fledged German university.

“In Germany, it is C1 that you have to meet to go to Germany and study in German,” Dugassa said.

The test itself is based upon the main pillars of language learning. Using this setup lets the schools abroad know very easily and thoroughly how a student’s understanding of the language is.

“It has three parts: a writing part, a listening part and a reading part,” Dugassa said. “Basically for the listening part you have CDs; they’re three audios that you have to listen to and answer questions about. For the writing, you’re given a prompt and you have to write an essay. For the reading you have to read and answer questions about the text.”

Not only are the questions based in German, but very few if any of them are in English which greatly increases the difficulty for those taking the exam.

“The questions are all in German and you have to write it all in German,” Dugassa said.

She already has a lineup of schools, as well, covering some of the best universities in the country.

“I am trying to get into Heidelburg, which is the best school in Germany, but the acceptance rate is only 18 percent so I’m not sure if I’m gonna make it in but that’s what I am going for,” Dugassa said. “I would also go for Munich or Berlin because they are also some of the best universities.”