dMAT for Indian Students 2026: New APS Test Requirement

Starting with the summer semester 2027 intake, some Indian Master's applicants must now take a brand-new test — the dMAT (digital Master Assessment Test) — as an extra part of their APS documentation. It does not replace APS. If your bachelor's is in engineering, commerce, finance, economics, business, or management, this almost certainly affects you.

This guide explains exactly what the dMAT is, who must take it (and who is exempt), the new APS submission sequence, the 2026 registration timeline, the €150 fee, the General Academic Module format, scoring, and how it slots into your APS document checklist — written for the 500+ Indian students Ankit has guided through the Germany application process.

💡 Not sure if the dMAT applies to your profile? Ask Ankit on WhatsApp for a 2-minute eligibility check — or read our Complete APS Guide first if you haven't started APS yet.

Last reviewed: 1 August 2026. APS India last updated its dMAT page on 13 July 2026, adding important clarifications on transitional exemptions and APS document submission. Always confirm against the official sources: aps-india.de/dmat and d-mat.de/en.

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dMAT Quick Reference (2026)

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What Is the dMAT and What Changed in 2026?

The dMAT (digital Master Assessment Test) is a new, standardised academic aptitude test for international students applying to Master's degree programmes in Germany. It was developed by g.a.s.t. — the same organisation behind the TestDaF German-language exam — in close collaboration with German universities, and is evaluated centrally at the TestDaF Institute in Bochum.

Its purpose is to allow a fair comparison of applicants across different national education systems. Because grading scales and curricula differ so much between countries, German universities wanted an objective, standardised signal of study aptitude. The test format is based on internationally recognised standards for psychodiagnostic tests, so it is designed to be reliable and objective.

What's new for Indian students

Until now, Indian Master's applicants needed only the APS certificate (academic document verification) before applying for a visa. From the summer semester 2027 intake, APS India has added the dMAT as an additional required element of the APS documentation for selected Master's applicants.

The key facts to internalise:

• APS India does not conduct the dMAT and does not issue the dMAT certificate. You register separately with g.a.s.t.
• If the dMAT certificate is already available, submit it with your APS packet. If it is not available yet, APS India now says affected applicants may submit their APS documents first and send the dMAT certificate later.
• This later-submission option applies only to the dMAT certificate. All other APS documents, especially academic qualification documents, must be complete in the first submission.
• APS India can begin checking the other documents in advance, but it can issue the APS certificate only after the required dMAT certificate has been submitted and checked against g.a.s.t. records.
• The dMAT result will appear on your APS certificate as part of the documentation.

⚠️ The dMAT does NOT guarantee admission and does NOT replace anything. It does not replace APS document verification, formal degree recognition (anabin), university admission requirements, or the German university's final admission decision. A low score also does not automatically deny your APS certificate — German universities independently decide how to weigh it.

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Who Needs the dMAT? (And Who Is Exempt)

This is the single most important question, because the requirement is narrow and specific. Two conditions must both be true.

You need the dMAT if BOTH apply:

1. Your previous degree (the bachelor's you're applying with) falls in one of these fields:
   • Engineering
   • Commerce / Accounting / Finance / Economics
   • Business / Management
2. Your application is for the summer semester 2027 intake or a subsequent intake.

APS India publishes the authoritative list of affected fields — always check it before assuming: dMAT Affected Fields List (PDF).

Transitional exemptions added by APS India

Even if your field and intake normally require the dMAT, you are exempt for that APS procedure if either of these happened before 29 June 2026:

• You completed your APS online registration before 29 June 2026.
• You shipped your complete hardcopy APS application documents before 29 June 2026.

You are also exempt if you already completed the APS procedure and received your APS certificate for that completed procedure. If you submit a new APS application later, the rules in force at that time apply.

You are EXEMPT from the dMAT if:

💡 Winter 2026/27 applicants: you are NOT affected. The first certificates are only issued on 12 October 2026, so the dMAT requirement begins with summer 2027. If you're targeting winter 2026/27, focus on your APS certificate and university deadlines instead.

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dMAT 2026 Timeline and Deadlines

The first dMAT cycle for India follows this schedule. Because the test is offered on fixed dates (not on demand), missing the registration window means waiting for the next cycle — which can push your entire APS-then-visa timeline back by months.

Plan backwards from your university deadline. Summer semester 2027 application deadlines mostly fall between December 2026 and January 2027. If your APS documents are otherwise complete, APS India says you may submit them before the dMAT certificate is available so the document verification can begin where possible. But the APS certificate itself can be issued only after your dMAT certificate is submitted and checked. With first dMAT certificates landing on 12 October 2026, this cycle is still tight — register early and do not wait until October to assemble the rest of your APS packet.

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How Much Does the dMAT Cost?

The dMAT fee is €150, paid to g.a.s.t. during online registration. This is separate from and in addition to the APS processing fee of ₹18,000 (which is non-refundable once paid).

So if the dMAT applies to you, budget for both — roughly ₹18,000 + €150 before any courier, notarisation, or translation costs.

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How to Register for the dMAT

Registration is handled entirely through the official g.a.s.t. portal — not through APS India.

1. Check your institution's recognition first. Before paying anything, verify your university's status in the anabin database: anabin.kmk.org/db/institutionen. The dMAT cannot compensate for a non-recognised institution.
2. Go to the registration portal: www.d-mat.de/en/registration.
3. Choose your test centre from the available centres shown in the registration portal for the 26 September 2026 test date. g.a.s.t. lists 10 Indian cities and Kathmandu on the dMAT India page, but the final available centre list is confirmed during booking.
4. Pay the €150 fee to g.a.s.t. during registration.
5. Complete the booking before the 15 September 2026 deadline.
6. Sit the test, then download your certificate from 12 October 2026. Submit it with your APS packet if you have not dispatched it yet; if you already submitted a complete APS packet under the July clarification, send the dMAT certificate later as APS instructs.

💡 Registering for the dMAT and APS in the same window is a lot to coordinate. Ankit helps Mentor Pack students sequence APS, dMAT, uni-assist, and visa so nothing slips. Book a consultation on WhatsApp →

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dMAT Exam Format: Complete Breakdown

The dMAT is taken digitally at a g.a.s.t.-appointed test centre. Every answer is single-choice, the test language is English, and you may not take any notes during the exam — no scratch paper, no calculator. The whole examination appointment lasts approximately 3.5 hours, including both modules, the break, instructions, transitions and test administration.

The test has two parts:

Core Module — 3 subtests

The Core Module measures general cognitive abilities relevant to a German Master's. It has three subtests, and in the exam each one gives you 20 items in 25 minutes. That is 75 minutes of stated question-working time in total. Speed and accuracy both matter — if you don't know an answer, the official instructions advise you to guess.

1. Figure Sequences (20 series / 25 minutes) You see a series of square grids (matrices). A figure changes its position, colour, and/or orientation from one matrix to the next according to fixed rules. Your job is to continue the logic and pick the next two matrices.

The rules a figure can follow include:

• Change colour
• Rotate around its own axis
• Move vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
• Accelerate by x + 1 — e.g. move 1 step from matrix 1→2, then 2 steps from 2→3, then 3 steps, and so on
• Figures cannot disappear, overlap, or leave the grid — at a boundary they either bounce off or travel along the edge

2. Mathematical Equations (20 systems / 25 minutes) You solve a small system of equations so that every equation holds. Each letter is an integer between 1 and 20, and there is exactly one valid solution per letter.

Worked example (from the official prep materials): A + 2 = B B = 6 From the second equation, B = 6. Substitute into the first: A + 2 = 6, so A = 6 − 2 = 4. Answer: A = 4.

Sample task (low difficulty): 7 + A = 14 and B − 3 = A → A = 7, B = 10 Sample task (high difficulty): A − B + C − D = 2, 10 × B = C, 5 × B = A, 11 + B = D

3. Latin Squares (20 tasks / 25 minutes) You see a 5×5 grid. Each of the five letters (A–E) may appear only once in each row and each column (like a letter-based Sudoku). Some cells are filled; you must decide which letter belongs in the cell marked with a "?". Sometimes you need to mentally fill other cells first.

Worked example: if a column already contains D, A, C, and E, then the "?" in that column must be B — it's the only letter missing.

Subject Module: General Academic Module — 90 minutes

For the APS India procedure, affected applicants take the Core Module plus the subject module called the General Academic Module. This is important: do not assume you will get a branch-specific Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Finance, or Management module just because your bachelor's falls in that field.

The General Academic Module tests whether you can apply academic reasoning to unfamiliar problems. g.a.s.t.'s official preparatory PDF says possible exam topics may cover a range of areas including mathematics, computational sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business administration, economics, social sciences, and humanities. Each task gives you an input such as a text, formula, table, diagram, or case-style explanation, followed by single-choice questions. The point is application and transfer, not memorised trivia.

Separate dMAT subject modules still exist for specific university programmes, including Battery Science and Technology in Engineering at RWTH Aachen University and Data Science at Georg-August University Göttingen. But for the APS verification process in India, the official dMAT India page names the General Academic Module.

The official General Academic Module sample includes four cross-disciplinary exercises: Vector Calculations, Hydrostatics, Optimal Order Quantity, and Research Strategies in Social Sciences. We explain these in detail in the new dMAT General Academic Module guide.

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How the dMAT Is Scored

Your result shows two numbers:

• dMAT Score — on a 0 to 200 scale, where the mean is 100. This is comparable across all modules.
• Percentile Rank — how you performed relative to other test takers.

Scores are valid indefinitely — they never expire, just like the APS certificate. Importantly, there is no fixed pass/fail line: a low dMAT score does not automatically cause APS denial or university rejection. Each German university independently decides how to assess your dMAT certificate alongside your grades, SOP, and the rest of your application.

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Free Official dMAT Preparation Resources

g.a.s.t. publishes free preparatory materials with sample tasks, full solutions, and solving strategies, plus short instructional videos showing how the digital test works. The detailed instructions for each task type are only in these prep materials — in the exam itself you'll see just brief reminders, so prepare thoroughly beforehand.

How to prepare efficiently:

• Work through the Figure Sequences, Mathematical Equations, and Latin Squares exercises without taking notes, because you can't take notes in the real exam.
• The core-module subtests reward pattern speed — practise until you can solve a 5×5 Latin Square or a 2–3 equation system in under a minute.
• For APS India, start with the General Academic Module PDF. It now gives the most relevant official sample tasks for affected Indian Master's applicants.
• If your target university separately requires a programme-specific dMAT module, also download the prep PDF that matches that programme.
• Watch the official videos once to get familiar with the digital interface before test day.

💡 Want a full study plan, not just the resource links? Our dMAT Exam Preparation Guide breaks down each Core Module subtest, explains how to use the official General Academic Module PDF, and includes a week-by-week timeline.

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How the dMAT Fits Into Your APS Document Packet

If the dMAT applies to you, the dMAT certificate becomes part of your APS documentation. Here's the current APS document checklist for Bachelor's/Master's applicants, with the dMAT highlighted:

⚠️ Important APS submission clarification: If the dMAT certificate is available, send it with the packet. If it is not available yet, APS India's July clarification says affected Summer 2027-or-later Master's applicants may send the APS packet first and submit the dMAT certificate later. This can help APS start checking the other documents, but it does not complete the APS procedure. The APS certificate is issued only after the dMAT certificate is submitted and checked.

Do not use this as a way to send an incomplete academic file. APS India says the later-submission option applies only to the dMAT certificate; additional or updated academic qualification documents cannot be added later together with the dMAT certificate for the same APS procedure.

The full APS process — registration, the ₹18,000 fee, document dispatch, verification, and the interview (if requested) — is otherwise unchanged. For the complete walkthrough, see our Complete APS Guide for Indian Students.

💡 Mentor Pack includes a full APS document review before you dispatch — now covering whether the dMAT applies to you and how to sequence it. 200+ APS packets reviewed. Book on WhatsApp → — ₹29,999. Package validity: One target intake or up to one year from the joining date, whichever comes first, 7-day money-back guarantee.

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Common dMAT Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming it applies to you when it doesn't (or vice versa). The requirement is narrow — only specific bachelor's fields + summer 2027 or later. Check the affected fields list before paying €150.
2. Missing the transitional exemption. If you completed APS online registration before 29 June 2026 or shipped your complete APS documents before that date, you may be exempt for that APS procedure even if your field is affected.
3. Missing the registration window. The test runs on fixed dates. Miss the 15 September 2026 deadline and you wait for the next cycle, which can derail your APS-then-visa timeline.
4. Waiting for the dMAT certificate before preparing APS. If your other APS documents are complete, APS India now allows the dMAT certificate to follow later. Use that only for the dMAT certificate, not for missing academic documents.
5. Treating it as a pass/fail gate. There's no fixed cut-off — but a stronger score still helps competitive programmes, so prepare properly.
6. Taking the test before checking anabin. If your institution isn't recognised, the dMAT can't fix that. Verify recognition first.
7. Ignoring the free official prep. The detailed task instructions exist only in the prep materials — don't walk in cold to a no-notes, timed test.
8. Forgetting it's a separate fee and separate body. dMAT (€150, g.a.s.t.) is independent of APS (₹18,000). Budget and register for both.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is the dMAT mandatory for all Indian students? No. It applies only to Master's applicants whose bachelor's is in Engineering, Commerce/Accounting/Finance/Economics, or Business/Management, and who are applying for the summer 2027 intake or later. Bachelor's and PhD applicants, unaffected fields, and exchange/double-degree participants are exempt.

2. Does the dMAT replace the APS certificate? No. The dMAT is an additional element in APS documentation. APS still does its normal document verification, and the dMAT result appears on your APS certificate if the requirement applies to you.

3. How much does the dMAT cost? €150, paid to g.a.s.t. at registration. This is separate from the ₹18,000 APS processing fee.

4. When can I take the dMAT in 2026? The first cycle's test date is 26 September 2026. Registration opens 29 June 2026 and closes 15 September 2026; certificates are available from 12 October 2026.

5. Where can I take the dMAT in India? g.a.s.t. lists Indian test centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mananthavady, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Pune. The dMAT India page also lists Kathmandu; use the registration portal as the final source for available seats and centres.

6. What does the dMAT test, and in what language? Two modules in English: a Core Module (Figure Sequences, Mathematical Equations, Latin Squares — general aptitude) and the General Academic Module for the APS India procedure. All questions are single-choice; no notes allowed; ~3.5 hours total.

7. Is there a passing score? There is no fixed pass/fail line. You receive a dMAT score (0–200, mean 100) and a percentile. German universities decide independently how to weigh it — a low score doesn't automatically deny your APS or admission.

8. How long is the dMAT certificate valid? Indefinitely. Like the APS certificate, dMAT scores never expire.

9. Can I retake the dMAT? The test is offered on fixed cycles. If you want to improve your score, you would register for a later test date. Check d-mat.de/en for upcoming dates and any retake rules.

10. I'm applying for winter 2026/27 — do I need the dMAT? No. Certificates aren't issued until 12 October 2026, so winter 2026/27 is not affected. The requirement starts with summer semester 2027.

11. Can I submit my APS documents before receiving the dMAT certificate? Yes, if the dMAT requirement applies to you and your other APS documents are complete. APS India may begin checking the other documents, but the APS certificate can be issued only after you submit the dMAT certificate and APS checks it against g.a.s.t. information. This later-submission option applies only to the dMAT certificate.

12. I registered for APS before 29 June 2026. Do I still need dMAT? No, not for that APS procedure. APS India says applicants who completed APS online registration before 29 June 2026 are exempt for that procedure, even if they ship hardcopies after 29 June. If you make a new APS application later, the then-current rules apply.

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Why Work With Think Mile on Your APS + dMAT?

The dMAT is brand new, and getting the sequencing right — anabin check → dMAT registration → complete APS packet → dMAT certificate submission → uni-assist → visa — is exactly where timelines slip. After guiding 500+ Indian students through the Germany process, Ankit has seen every bottleneck and knows how to keep your application on schedule.

Mentor Pack — ₹29,999. Package validity: One target intake or up to one year from the joining date, whichever comes first includes:

• Personal APS document review (including whether the dMAT applies to you)
• dMAT and APS timeline sequencing for your target intake
• SOP and LOR review (2 rounds each)
• University shortlist review
• Unlimited visa Q&A throughout your process
• 7-day money-back guarantee — full refund if you request within 7 days, no questions asked

Premium Package — ₹80,000 covers everything end-to-end, including application submission and visa support. Full refund if no admission is received.

Next steps after sorting your dMAT and APS:

• AI University Finder — build a shortlist based on your CGPA and background
• Complete APS Guide for Indian Students — the full APS walkthrough
• dMAT Structure Explained — Core Module, General Academic Module, timing, and no-note rules
• dMAT Scores and APS Impact — how percentile, dMAT score, APS and universities fit together
• dMAT General Academic Module guide — what Part 2 asks and how to read the official sample
• Vectors for dMAT, Hydrostatics for dMAT, EOQ for dMAT, and Research Methods for dMAT — focused Part 2 concept guides
• Complete Uni-Assist Guide — how applications are processed
• German University Application Deadlines 2026–27 — plan your timeline

💡 500+ Indian students have navigated APS with Ankit's guidance — and the dMAT is the newest piece of that puzzle. The Mentor Pack (₹29,999. Package validity: One target intake or up to one year from the joining date, whichever comes first) includes personal document review, timeline planning, SOP feedback, and unlimited visa Q&A. 7-day money-back guarantee. Book on WhatsApp →

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Source note: This article was reviewed against the official APS India dMAT page last updated 13 July 2026, the dMAT India page (g.a.s.t.), the dMAT certificate page, the official General Academic Module preparatory materials dated July 2026, and the dMAT terms and conditions. Key official facts reflected here: the dMAT is administered by g.a.s.t. (not APS India), the fee is €150, the first 2026 cycle runs 29 June–26 September with certificates on 12 October, the APS India procedure uses the General Academic Module, affected applicants may submit APS documents before the dMAT certificate is available, APS can issue the certificate only after the dMAT certificate is submitted and checked, and final test-centre availability is confirmed during registration.