About the exam
The dMAT, in plain words.
Everything below is a plain-words summary. For anything that matters to your registration or application, go to the official sources: d-mat.de and aps-india.de/dmat. Where they and this page differ, they are right.
What it is
The dMAT — the digital Master (Assessment) Test — is a study-aptitude test developed by German universities with g.a.s.t., the organisation behind TestDaF and TestAS. It lets universities compare Master’s applicants from different education systems. It is marked centrally at the TestDaF Institute in Bochum.
Who sits it
- Indian graduates applying to a German Master’s programme for the Summer Semester 2027 intake or later, through APS India.
- Whose bachelor’s degree is in engineering (including computer science and IT), commerce, accounting, finance or economics, or business or management.
- Not required for bachelor’s or PhD applicants, other fields, confirmed exchange or double-degree programmes, or anyone whose APS documents were complete before 29 June 2026.
What it looks like
- Computer-based, in English, at an appointed test centre. Every question is single-choice: one answer is right.
- Two parts with a 30-minute break between them: the Core Module, then the General Academic Module. About three hours of testing in all.
Core Module — 75 minutes
- Figure Sequences — 20 series, 25 minutes. Four matrices are shown; figures move, rotate or change colour by a rule. Pick the option that gives both the fifth and the sixth matrix.
- Mathematical Equations — 20 systems, 25 minutes. Find the whole numbers (1 to 20) that make every equation true; there is exactly one answer.
- Latin Squares — 20 grids, 25 minutes. A 5×5 grid; each letter A to E appears once per row and once per column. Work out the letter at the question mark, filling other cells in your head if you must.
General Academic Module — 90 minutes
Short academic texts, which may include figures, tables and formulas, each followed by questions with four options and one correct answer. Topics range across mathematics, computational sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business administration, economics, social sciences and humanities. It tests whether you can apply what you know, not whether you have memorised facts.
Rules on the day
- No notes. No pen, no scratch paper, no calculator, at any point. Everything is worked out in your head — so practise that way.
- If you do not know, guess. That is the organisers’ own instruction. Never leave an answer blank.
- A figure item counts only if both matrices are right; an equation item only if every letter is right.
- The detailed instructions for each task type are only in the official preparation materials; in the exam you see a short reminder. Learn the rules before the day.
How it is scored
- A total score from 0 to 200, with 100 as the average, plus a percentile rank.
- No pass mark and no cut-off. APS India has said a low score does not by itself stop your APS certificate.
- The result is printed on your APS certificate. Each university decides for itself how much weight it gives the score.
- The dMAT does not replace APS document verification, degree recognition, or your transcripts.
Registering, fee, validity
- Register with g.a.s.t. at d-mat.de. Test centres are first come, first served.
- Fee €150, paid to g.a.s.t. — separate from the APS fee.
- The certificate does not expire. You sit it once.
- The first sitting was scheduled for 26 September 2026 (registration closed 15 September); later dates are announced by g.a.s.t.
How our practice relates to it
dMAT.practice is an independent study aid, designed with the official sample tasks in mind and not copied from the dMAT. Our Core blocks use the exam’s own timing — 25 minutes for 20 items — and our full papers give 90 minutes to the General Academic Module, as the exam does. The proportions of our papers are still our own design, and no practice material can promise a score. See the Disclaimer.