Specialist language test (FSP) Nursing Bavaria

Background and introduction: key points, start date of FSP care

The specific day-to-day work in the care sector places particular communicative demands on those practising the profession. The 92nd Conference of Health Ministers on June 5 and 6, 2019 therefore unanimously adopted key points for testing the German language skills required to practice the profession in the healthcare professions, which are tested as part of the specialist language examination.

As part of the recognition process, you must provide proof of the required language skills. It will be possible to take a nursing language test in parallel to the previously accepted B2 language certificates according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as proof of the necessary language skills for recognition.

The start date for the nursing language test is 01.12.2025.

The nursing language proficiency test is carried out by institutions that have been approved by the Bavarian State Office for Nursing (LfP).
The implementation of the nursing language proficiency test may vary depending on the institution.

Please contact the respective institutions directly for further information on the implementation and registration for the nursing language proficiency test.

The exam consists of the following 3 parts:

  • Oral examination: Specialist-patient interview (duration 20 minutes)
    and
    Specialist-patient interview (duration 20 minutes)
  • Written examination: Typical written task (duration 20 minutes)

You will be examined by two examiners. The language examiner will guide you through the exam and explain the individual tasks. The language examiner/actor will take on the roles of your interlocutors in the oral examination. The examination is assessed by both examiners.
The examination parts do not build on each other. This means that different examination topics are tested in the oral and written examinations.

The examination lasts a total of 60 minutes. Each individual part of the exam lasts 20 minutes.
Depending on the date of the exam, you will either take the oral exam first or the written exam first.
The key points paper of the 92nd Conference of Ministers of Health of 05/06 June 2019 forms the basis of the specialist language exam.
The purpose of the specialist language exam is to test your professional language skills. Your specialist knowledge will not be tested.

There are various ways to take the nursing language test:

Option A: Digital concept with actresses/actors
Trained actors/actresses act as interlocutors and examiners evaluate the audio and/or video recording afterwards. The examiners/actors are not present in the examination room during the examination. The examinee takes part in the examination in the examination room of the institution.
Option B: Digital concept without actors/actresses
The examiners act as discussion partners in the various oral examination parts and evaluate the examination performance afterwards. The examiners are present in a digital examination room during the examination. The examinee takes part in the examination in the examination room of the institution.
Option C: Presence concept with actors/actresses
Trained actors/actresses act as interlocutors and examiners evaluate the examination performance afterwards. The examiners, the actors/actresses and the examinee are located at the examination venue and room (in Germany).
Option D: Presence concept without actors/actresses
The examiners act as interlocutors in the various oral parts of the examination and evaluate the examination performance afterwards. Both examiners and the examinee are located at the examination venue and room assigned to them (in Germany).

Please contact the respective institutions directly for further information on how to implement the nursing language test.

It is assessed whether the examination performance corresponds to level B2 CEFR with a corresponding focus on nursing language.

The oral examination is passed if at least 36 points (60%) are achieved.
The written examination is passed if at least 30 points (60%) are achieved.

You must pass both the oral and written examinations. There is no compensation between the two parts of the examination. If you fail one of the two parts of the exam (written or oral), you will fail the overall exam. You will have to retake the language exam as a whole (including the parts you have already passed).

Both examiners assess the examination performance using a structured assessment sheet. You can find an overview of the assessment criteria here.

If you would like to offer the nursing language proficiency test in Bavaria as an institution, you need to be approved by the LfP. You can find all information on approval and implementation options in our “Guidelines for the implementation of the nursing language proficiency test (FSP-Pflege) for nursing professionals by approved institutions in the Free State of Bavaria”. You can find this under the “Documents and forms” tab.

The LfP offers you the opportunity to be placed on a list of all institutions offering FSP care if you are already an approved institution.

If you would like to be added to the list as an institution already approved by the LfP, please send us an e-mail to FSP-Pflege@lfp.bayern.de.

The development and provision of preparation material for preparation courses is not within the remit of the LfP.

Before you take the exam, we recommend that you gain practical experience in the form of internships and/or work shadowing in your professional field in Germany. This will familiarize you with the relevant conversations in everyday working life and the job-related documents.
We also recommend that you are able to communicate at language level B2 before the exam. Read through the sample exam with the comments. Try to simulate the conversations and practise the written task. Repeat technical terms and job-related expressions from your everyday working life.
The purpose of the technical language test is to test your job-related language skills. Your technical knowledge will not be tested.

Below you will find a sample check for the care sector.

Please note that this sample test is only one possible test; the reasons for the interview and the questions may vary.

Further information will follow.

It is not possible to contact us by telephone.
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the FAQ document under the “Frequently asked questions” tab.

Please contact us by e-mail or post:

Bavarian State Office for Nursing
Specialist language test for nursing
Mildred-Scheel-Straße 4
92224 Amberg
FSP-Pflege@lfp.bayern.de

If you have any questions about the recognition procedure, you will find information on our website https://www.lfp.bayern.de/anerkennung/ .

*For better readability, the generic masculine is used in the text.