Exam Information

How dMAT fits into the APS process

dMAT and APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) are administered by the same organisation in India but serve different purposes. Understanding how they connect helps you sequence your application correctly.

APS Certificate
Verifies the authenticity of your academic qualifications and, in many cases, your admission eligibility for German higher education.
Required for most Indian applicants to German universities
dMAT
Tests cognitive aptitude — spatial, mathematical, and academic reasoning — for selected Master's applicants in specific degree fields.
Required only for applicants meeting specific field and programme criteria

Do I need both?

THE SHORT ANSWER
Most applicants need APS. Only some also need dMAT.
APS certification is the broader, more commonly required process for Indian students applying to study in Germany. dMAT is an additional, narrower requirement layered on top of APS for selected Master's applicants — specifically those whose previous degree falls within certain fields (Engineering; Commerce/Accounting/Finance/Economics; Business/Management).

Typical sequencing

1
Determine your APS requirement

Almost all Indian applicants to German universities need APS certification — confirm this first regardless of dMAT.

2
Check whether dMAT also applies

Based on your previous degree field and target programme, determine whether dMAT is an additional requirement for your case.

3
Complete dMAT (if required)

Register, prepare, and sit the exam. Your result becomes part of your documentation for the APS process where applicable.

4
Submit APS documentation

Provide your academic records — and dMAT result, if required — as part of your APS certificate application.

5
Apply to your German university

With APS certification (and dMAT result, if applicable) in hand, proceed with your university application.

Sequencing can vary

Some applicants complete dMAT before starting their APS application; others run the two processes in parallel. Confirm the currently recommended sequence directly with APS India, since exact procedural guidance can be updated between cycles.

Where dMAT does not replace APS steps

It's worth being explicit about this, since it's a common misconception: taking dMAT — even scoring well — does not substitute for APS document verification, does not confirm your degree's formal recognition in Germany (a matter handled via anabin and related recognition frameworks), and does not itself constitute a university admission decision. dMAT is one input among several, not a replacement for the rest of the process.

Check my route Eligibility criteria