Frequently asked questions

Please complete our enquiry form. We (DIAS) or one of our cooperating, authorised BIK test centres will contact you shortly. The responsible test centre will prepare an individual offer for you. The offer is usually based on a representative page (or view) sample. Once the order has been placed, the test takes approx. 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the order situation and the test centre. You can find detailed information on the procedure in our section on the BIK BITV / WCAG test (web).

We calculate the costs for a BIK BITV test individually on the basis of a representative page sample and an assessment of the technical complexity of the pages to be tested. Our aim is to include all different types of pages and thus identify as many remaining barriers as possible and use the results to provide you with the best possible support for optimisation. The total price is the sum of the page prices. A basic amount is usually added for administrative expenses.

Example calculation: Seven pages were selected for a BIK BITV test. One page is categorised as Complexity Level III, four pages as Complexity Level II and two pages as Complexity Level I. This results in a total net price of 4,200 euros. In addition, there is a basic fee of 250 euros to cover administrative and communication effort.

In order to create the page sample and thus the offer, we need access to the website. Please provide us with the necessary access when making your enquiry. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will use a representative page sample as the basis for calculation.

Are you interested in having a web-based service tested? When choosing the BIK BITV test variant (web), we recommend that you take your decision based on the norm or standard that you as an organisation are bound to conform to.

• The BIK BITV / EN 301 549 Test (Web) tests the web requirements of the  European norm EN 301 549, which currently defines the requirements of WCAG 2.1 and 38 other EN requirements. Public bodies and, from 2025, private web providers in certain sectors obliged to comply with the European Accessibility Act (or one of its national implementations, like the German BFSG) usually choose to conform the this European norm.

• The BIK BITV / EN 301 549 test + WCAG 2.2 (Web) is an extended version of the BIK BITV test (Web) and also tests the six new requirements of WCAG 2.2 (conformance level AA). These will most likely be included in the next version of EN 301 549 (from 2025/26). If you intend to be future-proof, we recommend this test variant.

• The WCAG test (web) is limited to the requirements of WCAG 2.2, which means that the additional requirements of the EN are not tested here. The WCAG test (web) is therefore an option for providers in an international context that are not obliged to comply with BITV 2.0 or the corresponding state laws or the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG).

For testing native apps, we offer the BIK BITV / EN 301 549 test (app) or the WCAG2ICT Test (app). We recommend the BIK Usability Test if you want to test the usability of your digital product or service in task-based tests with people with disabilities.

You can either specify a page sample yourself, agree it with us or have us select an independent representative page sample . The situation is similar for tests of native apps with the selection of views.

• The BIK test centre selects an independent, representative page (or view) sample: Once the sampling is done, you will know the number of pages / views to be tested, but not which specific pages are included. The test result can be published, for example, you can link to the online report from your accessibility statement. Depending on the result, one of our BIK test marks can be included on the website (it must then link to the online report). The representative page sample is suitable for tests that aim to document conformance or partial conformance.

• You define the pages / views to be tested: This is also possible, but then the test result is for internal purposes only and must not be published. This can make sense if the project is complex, in an early state, or you need results faster based on a smaller sample. If a given page sample is to be representative in order to identify all potential issues, we recommend discussing the best option  the test centre.

BIK test marks are only awarded to websites or apps for which an independent, representative sample of pages or views has been tested based on BIK test procedure, including quality assurance by an qualified BIK centre. Using the BIK test steps outside our test procedure is not a BIK Test and cannot lead to the issuing of a BIK test mark.

• The well-known test mark BIK BITV-Test conform confirms the conformance of the tested pages or views. It has become established over the last 20 years and shows that the provider of a website or application has achieved conformance to the standard.

• Even if conformance is not fully achieved: As long as the test sample was representative, you can document the result externally with the seal BIK BITV-Test test report.

When the test mark is used, in must link to the respective online test report published on bitvtest.de.

Information on the BIK test marks and instructions for integrating them in your product or service can be found on the pages BIK Mark (web) and BIK Mark (app).

The conformance requirements of WCAG and EN 301 549 stipulate that all requirements of the desired conformance level must be met in order to declare conformance.

The process is therefore usually carried out in two steps: An initial, preparatory test systematically identifies any remaining issues and documents them in the test report, along with related improvement and best practice tips. On this basis, the development team can identify and resolve the issues. Once this is done, a second test that documents full conformance is then carried out.

The basic conformance model is the same in the EN 301 549 and in  WCAG.

A page conforms when it passes all applicable requirements ("success criteria" in the parlance of WCAG). If it does niot pass all of them, it fails to conform.

A BIK BITV / EN 301 549 Test or a WCAG Test is considered to document full conformance if all pages or views in the representative sample have been tested as conforming against all applicable requirements of EN 301 549 or WCAG, respectively. An individual BIK test step is considered a PASS when the result is rated as "pass" or "near pass".

When a test is carried out and only few issues remain that resuilt in a failure to conform, it is possible to remedy the site. The BIK centre in charge will then carry out a selective retest to check if the remdial action was successful and no new issues have been introduced. If that is the case, the report is then updated, comments are adapted or deleted, and ratings changed. In our experience, when a preparatory BIK BITV test has taken place, there is a good chance that the result of a subsequent test will be very good and that only few issues remain that need to be rectified.

The list "Sites & Agenturen" presents accessible websites and the web agencies that have developed them. The list was created in 2005 and is continuously updated to showcase accessible websites and competent agencies.

Providers whose websites have achieved conformance in a BIK BITV / EN 301 549 test or a BIK WCAG test, and agencies that have developed such websites, can be added to the list free of charge. Please contact your BIK test centre after completing a BIK test.

No, but the embedded BIK test mark must link to the online HTML test report. This makes it clear what was tested, and how old the test is. Websites change all the time: a website may look different the day after it has been tested. Test results can therefore only ever reflect the state of accessibility at the time of testing. If a test was carried out a long time ago, it can be assumed that the test result is no longer valid.

BIK is a registered trademark of DIAS GmbH. The BIK tests are based on a promise of quality that includes a transparent process, thorough quality assurance (dual control principle), constant exchange of information between the BIK test centres and, last but not least, a detailed and fully accessible test report in a flexible and attractive design (HTML and PDF). There is also an export function for the test results to the issue trackers JIRA and GitLab.

Trademark protection exists for services developed and registered under BIK, such as the BIK BITV test. A BITV test in accordance with the BIK test procedure can only be carried out by qualified BIK testers at BIK test centres. The procedures defined in the test procedures are essential. Any use of the BIK test steps outside the processes defined in the BIK test procedures is therefore not a BIK BITV test.

We offer the BITV Self-Assessment, a free, web-based testing tool for those who develop accessible websites and wish to familiarise themselves with the test steps of the BITV test (web). However, the self-assessment is not the same as an independent expert test by one of the BIK test centres, as the correct assessment requires expertise and regular testing experience. In addition, unlike the expert test, the BITV self-assessment can only be used to assess a single page (not a representative sample of pages). Click here for the BITV self-assessment tool.

When a service is not yet accessible, expert testing is usually more useful than testing with non-expert users. Especially for people with visual impairments and keyboard users, there are often critical barriers in such services that make it difficult to get to and uncover all issues. And some issues are not easy or even possible to detect for users with particular disabilities.

We conduct usability tests with non-expert users with disabilities usually after basic accessibility has been implemented. These tests can then reveal shortcomings in efficient and satisfying use and, in the best case, confirm the accessibility of a website or application in practice. The knowledge and experience of experts helps here to analyse the test results.