Preparing for the APS Exam: Insights from My Experience Studying in Germany

Different master’s degrees in Germany will require varying documentation; some will necessitate your high school certification, while others may not. However, there is one document that every university will require for a Vietnamese student who has studied or obtained a degree in Vietnam, and that is the APS. APS stands for Akademische Prüfstelle.

In Vietnam, the APS is organized twice a year, in May and November. Before being invited to the exam, candidates need to submit a bunch of documentation to the Embassy in Hanoi. The APS exam is divided into different groups; you can find more information about the different groups and the related required documents in the link below:

Bộ phận kiểm tra học vấn (APS) tại Hà Nội – Bộ Ngoại giao CHLB Đức (diplo.de)

Since I underwent the APS process to study for my Master’s degree in Germany, this post will mainly focus on my experience with it.

My APS exam took place in mid-November 2018. I was first invited to a room for the writing test. Though I cannot recall the exact number of questions, one of them required me to identify which projects to invest in. For that, I listed measures such as Return on Investment (ROI), Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period, and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). I utilized the figures provided in the question to calculate NPV.

After completing the writing part, I proceeded to another room for the interview. There, I encountered two young German interviewers. I emphasize “young” because it becomes relevant shortly. One interviewer posed questions while the other took notes.

He asked me about an abbreviation I had used in my CV that he couldn’t understand. I explained it to him, and everything proceeded smoothly. However, if given another chance, I would avoid using abbreviations and provide clearer explanations in the CV to anticipate such inquiries.

Next, he asked general questions such as why I wanted to study in Germany and which major and university I planned to pursue. Following that, he asked specific questions about my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management.

“Define waste and what are the different wastes in production” – Easy peasy, I responded within five musical notes (which means I answered really quickly).

Then he presented a scenario: a company wishing to conduct business in Vietnam and locals inviting them to dinner. He asked whether this could be considered waste. This question caught me off guard. I was like 😂😯, this is not a textbook question! What a tricky question! But I responded confidently, stating, “That depends.”

Both interviewers showed a curious look. I elaborated – “It depends on the culture; for example, in Germany, it may be considered as waste or even not allowed because people want to go straight to business or because of compliance laws. In Vietnam, it is slightly different; people are hospitable (which does not mean there is no hospitality in Germany – just want to make it clear 😁). If inviting for dinner does not violate any compliance law or code of conduct, why not? At the end, we want to show our partner all the delicious food here, right?” 😉

After hearing my answer, the curious look changed to some kind of ‘interesting look’. At one moment, the interviewer who took the note started smiling. It was just a two-second smile, but I spotted it. I turned to him, and with my friendly manner, I asked “Why are you smiling, do you not agree with my answer?” This surprised him, perhaps because candidates rarely engage that ‘boldly’ with interviewers. He assured me my answer was interesting.

Returning to the young part. Had I not perceived their openness, I might not have ‘interrogated’ my interviewer so directly 😂. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach, but I did, it is what it is.

Approximately one week after the exam, I received the certification with the result being “Sehr gut” (very good). 😊

I still have all the questions prepared for the APS exam. If you have any questions or need advice regarding this process, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to share my insights! 😊