The ÖSD examiner licence: Everything about validity and renewal

The Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD) has an extensive international network of specially trained ÖSD examiners. Their in-depth expertise plays a key role in implementing the high quality standards of the ÖSD. But what does the examiner licence mean for the person concerned and, above all, how long is the ÖSD examiner licence valid for?

First qualification, then follow-up qualification

An ÖSD examiner licence issued after completing examiner training and “Erstqualifizierung” (EQ), i. e. initial qualification, is generally valid for three years. This allows examiners all over the world to take the internationally recognised ÖSD examinations in cooperation with ÖSD examination centres.

After this period, the examiner licence can be renewed again and again for three years using the so-called Folgequalifizierung (FQ), i. e. follow-up qualification. The respective period of validity is noted on the document itself: it begins on the date of issue and ends at the end of the month of issue three years later.

What should I do when my examiner licence expires?

If your ÖSD examiner authorisation has expired, you can renew it. If you do not want a time gap to arise during which you are not allowed to conduct examinations, please note the period of validity. We recommend that you register for the follow-up qualification approximately one month before your examiner licence expires and then submit the documents for the follow-up qualification to the ÖSD at least two weeks before expiry.

What exactly does “Folgequalifizierung” mean?

If you have already completed the Erstqualifizierung and obtained the ÖSD examiner licence, you will already be familiar with the procedure for the Folgequalifizierung: you must assess one authentic examination performance per level and training module (i.e. written and/or oral).

Note: Examiners who are only authorised to examine the oral part only need to assess this part. In principle, examiners who will only conduct the oral part of a language examination can limit themselves to this part in the follow-up qualification.

Procedure of the Folgequalifizierung

All practice assessments are to be solved on your own. It is helpful to look at the handouts in advance. Once you have completed the assessment, you will receive immediate feedback and thus the certainty that you are on the right track.

Of course, if you have questions about receptive evaluation or need individual advice, you can receive information by e-mail or telephone.

Otherwise, communication will be in writing. If the assessments submitted are within the discretionary scope, you will be issued authorisation promptly. A revision or reassessment may be necessary.

Positive result

When the assessment meets the ÖSD requirements, the respective examiner licence is extended for a further three years. In case the Folgequalifizierung is not submitted or not completed positively, the respective examiner licence expires. If a renewal is sought (e.g. even after a longer period without a valid examiner licence), the ÖSD decides on a case-by-case basis whether only the follow-up qualification needs to be submitted or whether the entire training process needs to be repeated.

Advantages of the examiner licence to be renewed

That ÖSD examiners have to undergo another “refresh” at the end of the Erstqualifizierung or the Folgequalifizierung has several advantages. It enables a professional and personal exchange between the licensor, the Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD), and its 4000 examiners worldwide. Secondly, it serves quality assurance in order to meet the requirements of a globally recognised language certificate.