The dMAT, or Digital Master Test, is a new test that many Indian graduates will have to take for a German Master’s. From the summer 2027 intake, it becomes part of the APS process. It is an aptitude test that APS India runs with the testing body g.a.s.t., and your result is added to your APS certificate.
The most important thing to get right is who actually has to take it, because many people get this wrong. Whether you take the dMAT is decided by your current degree, not the Master’s you want to do, and only if that degree is in one of three subject areas on APS India’s official list. So a B.Tech in an engineering branch, a commerce or finance degree, or a business and management degree will likely need it, while a plain computer science degree, a BCA, or anyone still early in a bachelor’s will not. Because the test is brand new, this guide only uses what APS India and the official d-mat.de website confirm, and tells you plainly what they have not said yet.
What is the dMAT, and why did APS add it?
The dMAT is a standardised aptitude test for Master’s applicants, built by German universities with g.a.s.t. and added to the APS India process from 2026. It does not replace the APS document check. It is an extra step, and the certificate you get is sent with your APS application and shown on your APS certificate. In simple terms, it is a second thing APS now asks some Master’s applicants to do, on top of proving their documents are real. It gives universities one common way to compare students who come from very different Indian degrees.
Do you have to take the dMAT?
You take the dMAT only if your current degree is in one of three subject areas, and APS decides this from the exact name on your degree, not from the Master’s you plan to do. The three areas, per APS India, are engineering, commerce with accounting, finance and economics, and business and management. APS checks your degree against an official published list, so that list decides it, not your own guess.
The thing people get wrong is the exact title of their degree. Just having the word engineering, technology, management or finance in the name is not enough on its own. This matters most for computing degrees, where it comes down to whether your degree is an engineering degree or a science one. The official field list gives the common cases.
| ✓ You need the dMAT | ✕ You may not need it |
|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Science and Engineering, Information Technology and Engineering | Standalone Computer Science, BCA, B.Sc Computer Science, B.Sc IT, B.Sc Data Science, and standalone AI, Data Science or Cyber Security |
| B.Tech or B.E. in a clear engineering branch (mechanical, civil, electronics and the rest) | A B.Tech with an unclear or non-engineering branch, or a standalone Technology degree |
| Biotechnology Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering | B.Sc Biotechnology, Microbiology, Life Sciences |
| B.Com and its specialisations, accounting, finance, banking, taxation, and Economics (B.A. and B.Sc Economics included) | Pure sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences other than Economics |
| BBA, BBM, business administration, management studies, business analytics | Sector-specific management such as hotel, tourism or hospital management, unless formally awarded as a business degree |
Many subjects are left out completely, including architecture, pharmacy, law, education, library science, agriculture unless it is titled as agricultural engineering, and all medical, nursing and physiotherapy degrees. Economics is the only pure or social science that is included, because the finance area covers economics too. If your degree is borderline, APS decides from your official documents, so read the full field list instead of guessing.
Who does not need to take it?
More people are exempt than you might think. You do not take the dMAT if you are applying for a bachelor’s instead of a Master’s, if your current degree is outside the three subject areas, or if you are a PhD applicant. You are also exempt if you are still partway through your bachelor’s, with fewer than five completed semesters of a three-year course or seven of a four-year one, or if you are on a confirmed exchange, double-degree, or university-partnership programme. And anyone who finished their APS registration or sent their documents before 29 June 2026, or who already has an APS certificate, does not need it either.
Which intake does it apply to, and what are the dates?
The dMAT starts with the summer 2027 Master’s intake and applies to every intake after that. Master’s applications for the winter 2026/27 intake are not covered, so if you are applying for that one you do not need it. The first round runs on a fixed schedule. Registration opens on 29 June 2026, the last date to register is 15 September 2026, the test is on 26 September 2026, and results come out from 12 October 2026. These are the dates for the first round, so check the official website for the next round’s dates before you plan.
What the test looks like, and how it is scored
The dMAT is a computer-based test taken at an approved test centre, and it has two parts. The first is a core module that tests your general thinking and reasoning, through three smaller tests. The second is a subject module, which tests how well you use those skills on problems in your own field. Together they are meant to show whether you can handle Master’s-level study, rather than test facts you have memorised.
Your result is a certificate with two numbers. One is a percentile rank, which shows how you did compared with other test-takers. The other is a dMAT score from 0 to 200, which is your number of correct answers put onto that scale, adding your core and subject scores together. There is no pass or fail mark, so each university decides how much your score matters, and the certificate never expires, unlike a language test. The full syllabus and official practice material are still being released, so check the d-mat.de website before you register, and do not trust score claims or mock papers from other sites.
How to register, what it costs, and where you take it
You register on the g.a.s.t. dMAT website, not through APS directly, and the test costs 150 EUR. In India it is offered in ten cities, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mananthavady, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, with the final list of centres confirmed when you register. Seats and centres are fixed when you book, and registration closes well before the test date, so book early rather than close to the deadline. Your dMAT certificate then goes with your APS documents, so you have to finish it in time to fit your overall APS and application plan.
How the dMAT fits with APS, TestAS and the GRE or GMAT
The dMAT is part of APS, not a replacement for it. APS still checks that your documents are real, and the dMAT is an extra test on top of that for the applicants it applies to. It is also different from TestAS, which is for bachelor’s applicants and is currently optional in APS India, so they are not the same test for the same people. And it does not remove any GRE or GMAT that a university asks for in its own rules, because the university sets those and APS sets the dMAT. It is not a language test either, so you still need your IELTS, TOEFL or TestDaF separately. So treat the dMAT as one more required step in APS, and then check each university on its own for the tests it asks for.
- The dMAT is an aptitude test APS adds for some Master’s applicants, from the summer 2027 intake onward. The winter 2026/27 intake is not covered.
- Whether you take it is decided by the exact name of your current degree, in engineering, in commerce and finance, or in business and management.
- Computing is where people get it wrong most. Computer Science and Engineering needs it, but standalone Computer Science, BCA, B.Sc CS, B.Sc IT, and standalone Data Science, AI or Cyber Security do not.
- Many people are exempt, including bachelor’s and PhD applicants, degrees outside the three areas, students still early in a bachelor’s, exchange students, and anyone who registered APS before 29 June 2026.
- It is a computer-based test (a core module plus a subject module) at ten Indian centres, costs 150 EUR, and gives a percentile and a 0 to 200 score, with no pass mark and no expiry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the dMAT?
The dMAT, or Digital Master Test, is a standardised aptitude test built by German universities with g.a.s.t. and added to the APS India process from 2026. It does not replace the APS document check. It is an extra step for some Master’s applicants, and your result is shown on your APS certificate.
Do I have to take the dMAT?
Only if your current degree is in one of three subject areas, engineering, commerce with accounting, finance and economics, or business and management, and you are applying for a Master’s from the summer 2027 intake. APS decides this from your degree’s exact name against an official list, so the list decides it, not the Master’s you want to do.
Is my B.Tech or computer science degree affected?
A B.Tech counts only if its branch is clearly engineering, such as Computer Science and Engineering or Electronics and Communication Engineering. Standalone Computer Science, BCA, B.Sc Computer Science, B.Sc IT, and standalone Data Science, AI or Cyber Security are not automatically covered. APS decides from your degree’s official title, so check the published field list.
Who does not need to take the dMAT?
Bachelor’s applicants, PhD applicants, and anyone whose current degree is outside the three subject areas are exempt. So are bachelor’s students with fewer than five completed semesters of a three-year course or seven of a four-year one, exchange and double-degree students, and anyone who registered APS or sent documents before 29 June 2026.
When does the dMAT apply from?
It applies from the summer 2027 Master’s intake and later intakes. Master’s applications for the winter 2026/27 intake are not covered, so you do not need it for that one. The first round opens for registration on 29 June 2026, closes on 15 September, tests on 26 September, and gives results from 12 October 2026.
How much does the dMAT cost, and where do I take it?
The dMAT costs 150 EUR and is run by g.a.s.t., who handle registration on their own website. In India it is offered in ten cities, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mananthavady, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, with the final list of centres confirmed when you register.
What is on the dMAT, and how is it scored?
The dMAT has two parts, a core module that tests general thinking and reasoning across three smaller tests, and a subject module for your field, taken on a computer at a test centre. The result is a percentile rank and a score from 0 to 200, adding the two parts together, with no pass mark and no expiry.
Does the dMAT replace APS or the GRE and GMAT?
No. The dMAT is part of APS, not a replacement for the document check. It is also separate from any GRE or GMAT a university asks for in its own rules, because the university sets those and APS sets the dMAT, so you may still need both.
Sources
- APS India, the dMAT for Master’s applicants (fields, exemptions, fee, centres), aps-india.de
- APS India, official list of affected previous-degree fields, aps-india.de (PDF)
- dMAT official portal, test structure and India dates, d-mat.de
- dMAT official portal, the certificate, score and validity, d-mat.de
- g.a.s.t., dMAT registration and test-centre search, gast.de
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