Houstonfest - Written Testing Rules

News and Updates

Contest promo video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

Contest promo video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

Contest promo video #3 (hilarious 2024 State-winning submission from our own Klein Oak High School!)

Important Dates

Mon., Jan. 12, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens (if grants are approved for 2026); link will be sent to teachers.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund closes (if grants are approved for 2026).

Wed., Jan. 21, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/28).

Wed., Jan. 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $20/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Sat., Jan. 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

Tue., Feb. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 4, 2026, 10:00 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 7, 2026: Houstonfest, Kingwood High School, Houston.

Fri., Feb. 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for "early bird" price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Wed., Feb. 18, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $20/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Sat., Feb. 21, 2026, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get the link to a Google Form from your teacher). Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship and Sandra Dieckman GTHS Memorial Scholarship applications due (to submit the application, get the link to a Google Form from your teacher). Deadline to postmark your State payment.

Mon., Feb. 23, 2026, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director.

Tue., Feb. 24, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

Sat., Feb. 28, 2026: Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

Sat., Mar. 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

xxx., Mar. xx, 2026: Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

between Sat., Mar. 1 and Thu., Apr. 30, 2026: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Rules: Written Testing Events

Notes for all contestants in written testing:

You are responsible for bringing as many No. 2 pencils as you may need to take these tests. Scantron answer sheets will be used for all tests except Spelling and Timed Writing.
New in 2026: All contestants will place their belongings (other than a pencil), especially any phones and smart watches, at the front of the room, as is also customary for standardized tests in school. Students found in possession of an electronic device during a test, whether they are actively using it or not, will be disqualified immediately.
The written tests (except Advantaged Speaker Test and Timed Writing) will all be given during 9 testing windows: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00. Thus, the written tests start one hour after the rest of the competition and continue after all other events have finished. Students who are signed up for a lot of events can get their non-testing events done in the morning and take advantage of the five post-noon testing sessions to wrap up their testing events.
Tips on preparing for the written tests (revised on January 26, 2015)

Advantaged Speaker Test:

3 entries per school (Advantaged Speakers only). Multiple-choice, scantron test (100 questions, 20 each in the areas of culture, grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary) plus spelling test (20 questions). The test will be given ONE time on the day of contest and will take approximately 90 minutes. It must be completed in one sitting.

Culture:

3 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The level 3 and 4 tests will be in German.

Culture: Sample Questions

Grammar:

3 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test.

Grammar: Sample Questions

Listening Comprehension:

3 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. Listen to recorded items in German and answer questions about the information you heard. Levels 1 and 2 take the same test and Levels 3 and 4 take the same test, but they are ranked separately for each level.

Reading Comprehension:

3 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The test will consist of questions about a series of short readings. Questions will generally be in German.

Spelling:

2 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). A series of words will be called out in German (the speaker will say the word, its part of speech, a sentence using the word, and the word again). The words will probably be recorded, not called live. Contestants write the called words on their answer sheets. Spelling (including umlauts) and capitalization (nouns capitalized, other parts of speech not capitalized) must be perfect in order to receive credit for a given item. Levels 1 and 2 take the same test and Levels 3 and 4 take the same test, but they are ranked separately for each level.

Timed Writing:

2 entries per school per level (Levels 1 and 2 only). The contestants will have 25 minutes to write a response to a prompt that is appropriate for their level of German. All contestants in each level will have the same prompt, but the prompts will change from year to year. The contestants may not use any print or electronic aids (phones, dictionaries, etc.). Either one or two writing sessions will be offered early in the day to allow sufficient time for judging.

Download critique sheet.

Vocabulary:

3 entries per school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The test will consist of items in which you choose the English equivalent for a given German word, choose the German equivalent for a given English word, choose the German opposite of a given German word, choose the German synonym of a given German word, determine which item does not belong in a group, determine which item fits into a given category, and choose the word that best completes a sentence. Other formats are possible as well.