Do universities in Germany require GRE for admission, and which universities have easier admission criteria regarding GRE for a Master's?
No, the vast majority of public German universities do not require the GRE for a master's. They weigh your bachelor's CGPA, ECTS credit match, APS certificate, and language proficiency instead. Applied Sciences universities and schools like RWTH Aachen or TU Berlin admit based on grades, not test scores.
No, you will not need a GRE score at most public German universities, since they place far more weight on your undergraduate record than on any standardized test. Your bachelor's CGPA, ECTS credit match, and language proficiency scores typically matter much more to the admissions committee than a GRE.
What German Universities Actually Check Instead of GRE
| Requirement | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's CGPA or percentage | Compared against the ECTS credit prerequisites of your target program |
| APS certificate | Mandatory for applicants from certain countries, including India and China |
| Language proficiency | IELTS or TOEFL for English medium programs, TestDaF or DSH for German medium |
| GRE | Rarely required; occasionally recommended for a few competitive technical programs |
Universities With No-GRE Pathways
- Universities of Applied Sciences, such as Hochschule Esslingen, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, or Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, admit based on ECTS match and GPA alone.
- RWTH Aachen University does not require a GRE for most engineering programs, though it enforces strict subject specific ECTS prerequisites.
- Technical University of Berlin, Universitat Hamburg, and University of Stuttgart generally evaluate you on your bachelor's grades, coursework, and language proficiency rather than test scores.
My Advice
Map your bachelor's coursework against your target program's ECTS credit prerequisites before you apply, since a credit mismatch can hurt you far more than skipping the GRE, and apply through Uni-Assist or the university's own portal where your transcript does the real talking.
Low percentage, study gap or no work experience?
Find out which German universities you still qualify for.
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