Exam guide.

All 11 FIDE speaking topic areas with example questions, phone-call scenarios, and the vocabulary you need — from Wohnumgebung to Behörden. Plus exactly how the speaking test is scored.

Short answer: FIDE for Swiss permits and citizenship, Goethe if you need an internationally recognised certificate. The detailed comparison — what each tests, what they cost, how they differ at A2, and the scenarios where one beats the other.

Switzerland's official German exam, built by the State Secretariat for Migration for permits and citizenship. What FIDE tests, what it costs, how to prepare, and how it compares to Goethe and telc — in one guide.