Specialist language test for healthcare professions in Bavaria

1. background and introduction: key points, start date of the FSP

In practice, it has been shown that the general language certificates and diplomas issued by private language institutes are not suitable or sufficient for verifying the language skills required for practicing a profession, since the specific daily work routine places other communicative demands on those practicing the profession. The 92nd Conference of Ministers of Health on June 05/06, 2019, therefore unanimously agreed on key points for reviewing the German language skills required to practice in the health professions, which are tested as part of the professional language examination. The specialist language examination was gradually introduced. The LfP now offers a specialist language test for all occupational groups in the healthcare professions (except nursing).

2 Where does the language test take place?

The LfP offers a specialized language exam in Amberg, the exam takes place here:

Address:
Bayerisches Landesamt für Pflege
Mildred-Scheel-Str. 4
92224 Amberg

3 Who takes the technical language exam?

As part of the professional recognition procedure, the competent district government to which you have submitted your application for recognition will check the equivalence of the professional training completed abroad. The responsible district government will then decide whether a specialist language examination should be taken.

If you have any questions about the status of your recognition procedure, please contact your responsible district government. The Bavarian State Office for Nursing is only responsible for the organization and implementation of the specialist language examination.

If you are ready to take the language proficiency test, please complete the application form and return it as a PDF by e-mail to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.

We recommend that you only submit the application once you are already in Germany or your date of entry is known.

If you are already aware of any absences in advance, e.g. vacation, stay abroad, etc., these must be communicated immediately by e-mail to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de. Otherwise this cannot always be taken into account when scheduling appointments.

If you wish to be represented by an authorized representative, the authorized representative must complete the application form in full with the attached power of attorney and send it by e-mail to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.

Should you in the course of further persons/institutions in the course of the subsequently you can download a power of attorney from our website. Please complete the power of attorney and send it by e-mail to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.

We are not permitted to provide information about personal data to third parties without authorization.

1. application processing:

After we have processed your application, you will receive an invoice for the examination fee. This must be transferred within the payment deadline of 4 weeks. The sooner you pay, the sooner we can allocate you an examination date.

The processing time for your application always depends on the current workload and may take some time.

2nd appointment for the language test:

As soon as the examination fee has been received by the State Office for Nursing, we will plan the next possible examination date for you. You will only be informed of this with the examination invitation.

Please note: The examination dates are binding. The date can only be postponed in exceptional cases, e.g. illness, on presentation of a medical certificate.

If you fail to appear for the examination without an excuse, we will retain the full amount of the examination fee of € 350.00. To re-register for the language exam, you must submit a new application and pay the exam fee.

The examination consists of the following parts:

Oral examination:

  • Specialist-patient interview (duration 20 minutes)
  • Specialist-specialist interview (duration 20 minutes)
    Note: The specialist-specialist interview is divided into two different interview situations of 10 minutes each.

Written exam:

  • Typical written task (duration 20 minutes)

You will arrive at the Bavarian State Office of Nursing on the day of the exam. Follow the signs and register for your exam at the registration office. Our staff will perform the reconciliation of your data and escort you to the waiting area. An examiner will then pick you up and you will go to the examination room together.
You will be examined by two examiners. The language examiner will guide you through the exam and explain the individual tasks. The language examiner will take on the roles of your interlocutors in the oral exam. The exam is assessed by both examiners.
The parts of the exam do not build on each other. This means that different examination topics are tested in the oral and written examinations.

The exam lasts a total of 60 minutes. Each individual part of the examination lasts 20 minutes.
Depending on the examination date, you will either take the oral examination first or the written examination first. Once you have passed the oral and written examinations, the examination is over and you can leave the Bavarian State Office for Nursing.
The key points paper of the 92nd Conference of Health Ministers of June 5/6, 2019 forms the basis of the specialist language examination.
The purpose of the specialist language examination is to test your professional language skills. Your expertise will not be tested in the process.

Rating

It is assessed whether the examination performance is appropriate for the professional context and for the required level according to the CEFR (B2 or C2 for speech therapy).

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.

Preparation for the technical language exam

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

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 from your healthcare profession with the comments. Try to simulate the interviews 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 specialist knowledge will not be tested.
Below you will find a sample test for your professional group. The healthcare professions are listed in alphabetical order. Please note that this sample exam is only one possible exam, the interview occasions and questions may vary.

Anästhesietechnische Assistentin/Anästhesietechnischer Assisstent (ATA)Beispielprüfung
Diätassisstentin/DiätassistentBeispielprüfung
Ergotherapeutin/ErgotherapeutBeispielprüfung
HebammeBeispielprüfung
Logopädin/LogopädeBeispielprüfung
Masseurin/Masseur & medizinische Bademeisterin/medizinischer BademeisterBeispielprüfung
Medizinische Technologin/Medizinischer Technologe für Funktionsdiagnostik (MTF)Beispielprüfung
Medizinische Technologin/Medizinischer Technologe für Laboratoriumsanalytik (MT-L)Beispielprüfung
Medizinische Technologin/Medizinischer Technologe für Radiologie (MTR)Beispielprüfung
Medizinische Technologin/Medizinischer Technologe für Veterinärmedizin (MT-V)Beispielprüfung
Notfallsanitäterin/NotfallsanitäterBeispielprüfung
Operationstechnische Assistentin/Operationstechnischer Assistent (OTA)Beispielprüfung
Orthoptistin/ OrthoptistBeispielprüfung
Pharmazeutisch-technische Assistentin/ Pharmazeutisch-technischer Assistent (PTA)Beispielprüfung
Physiotherapeutin/ PhysiotherapeutBeispielprüfung
Podologin/ PodologeBeispielprüfung
PflegefachkraftVoraussichtlich wird die Fachsprachenprüfung für Pflegefachkräfte (Berufsbezeichnung: Pflegefachfrau / Pflegefachmann / Pflegefachperson) im Jahr 2025 in Bayern starten und als Alternative zu den bisher akzeptierten B2-Sprachzertifikaten nach dem Gemeinsamen Europäischen Referenzrahmen (GER) als Nachweis der nötigen Sprachkenntnisse für die Anerkennung möglich sein.

In anderen Bundesländern anerkannte Fachsprachzertifikate werden in Bayern bereits jetzt als Sprachnachweis akzeptiert.

Sobald verbindliche Informationen zu Format und Inhalten der Fachsprachenprüfung für ausländische Pflegefachkräfte und ein konkreter Einführungstermin bekannt sind, informieren wir Sie rechtzeitig auf dieser Seite.

Become an examiner

We are looking for dedicated examiners to carry out the specialist language examination

Further information

We have answered the most frequently asked questions (financial aid, repetition etc.) for you in our FAQs.

It is not possible to contact us by telephone.
Please contact us by e-mail or post.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the FAQ document.

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

If you have any questions about the recognition procedure or whether you need to take a specialist language test, please contact your local district government.