Specialized language exam –
Health professions Bavaria
You have learned a health profession abroad and would like to practice it in Germany.
To do this, you must have your professional qualification recognized.
As part of the recognition process in Bavaria, you will usually also have to successfully pass a technical language exam to prove your technical language skills.
This is based on the CEFR level B2 (C2 for speech therapists). The technical language exam replaces the B2 certificate.
The specialty language exam in the different health professions will be phased in, meaning that the different professions will not all start at the same time.
The Bavarian State Office for Nursing (LfP) is responsible for the conception, organization and implementation of the technical language examination for health care professions in Bavaria.
This is a face-to-face examination that takes place at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing in Amberg.
Registration
The government to which you submitted the application for recognition will send us your data if you have to take the specialized language exam. We will then send you an informational email with your personal LfP process number.
Important: Only after you have personally sent an email with your LfP process number received from us, it is possible to register for the professional language exam.
The following graphic illustrates the registration process:
The examination is subject to a fee. The corresponding Examination fee is 350,00 €. The examination takes place at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing in Amberg.
Important: Be sure to enter the LfP process number we sent you in the information email in the application form. We cannot make an appointment without the transaction number.
If the costs of the technical language examination cannot be covered by you or your authorized representative, please use the following
Cost absorption form
.
Structure and procedure of the test
The exam consists of the following three parts:
- Part 1: Professional-patient interview (duration 20 minutes)
- Part 2: Expert-professional interview ( duration 20 minutes)
Note: Part 2 is divided into part 2a (10 minutes) and part 2b (10 minutes) - Part 3: Written task typical for the profession (duration 20 minutes)
You will arrive at the Bavarian State Office of Nursing on the day of the exam. 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 exam room together. There the examiner will explain to you the procedure of the exam.
They are examined by two examiners. The language examiner will guide you through the exam and explain the individual tasks. The technical language examiner will assume the role of your interlocutor in Parts 1 & 2. No interlocutor is necessary in Part 3. The evaluation of the exam is done by both examiners.
The parts of the exam do not build on each other. That means in each part you get a situation with a new patient.
The exam lasts a total of 60 minutes. Each individual part of the exam lasts 20 minutes. After you have taken the first two oral parts, you will leave the exam room and go to a writing room. There you will put the 3rd part, the written task. Afterwards, the examination is finished and you can leave the Bavarian State Office for Nursing.
The key points paper of the 92nd Conference of Ministers of Health of 05/06 June 2019 forms the basis of the technical language examination.
The professional language exam is designed to test your professional language skills. Your expertise will not be tested in the process.
Preparation and sample test
The development and provision of preparatory material for preparatory courses is not within our remit.
Before taking the exam, we recommend that you gain practical experience in the form of internships and/or job shadowing in your professional field in Germany. This will familiarize you with appropriate day-to-day professional conversations and job-related writing.
In addition, we recommend that you are already able to communicate at B2 level before the exam.
Read through the sample exam from your health profession with the comments. Try to simulate the conversations and practice the written task. Repeat technical terms and job-related expressions from your everyday work.
The professional language exam is designed to test your professional language skills. Your expertise will not be tested in the process.
Below you will find a sample exam for your professional group. Health professions are listed in alphabetical order. Please note that this sample exam is only one possible exam, the interview prompts and questions may vary.
Anesthesia Technician Assistant (ATA)
From application date: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Dietician
From application date: 01.10.2022
Occupational therapist
From application date: 01.05.2022
Midwife/Delivery nurse
From receipt of application: 01.03.2023
Speech therapist
From receipt of application: 01.10.2022
Masseur & medical bath attendant
From application date: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Medical Technologist for Functional Diagnostics (MTF)
From receipt of application: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Medical Technologist for Laboratory Analysis (MTL)
Starting date of application: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Medical Technologist for Radiology (MTR)
Starting date of application: 01.03.2023
Emergency Paramedic
Starting date of application: 01.07.2023
Example test follows
Operating Room Technical Assistant (OTA)
From application date: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Orthoptist
From receipt of application: 01.10.2022
Pharmaceutical Technical Assistant (PTA)
From application date: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Physiotherapist
From receipt of application: 01.05.2022
Nursing Specialist
Please note:
The Free State of Bavaria is in consultation with the other federal states on a uniform introduction date for the specialist language examination in nursing in order to prevent application tourism within Germany and not to counteract current optimization and acceleration processes.
The introduction of the specialized language examination for nurses (professional title: nurse specialist) is not planned in the near future.
Note: This does not affect the introduction of the technical language examinations for the other health care professions!
Therefore, B2 certificates according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) will continue to be accepted until the introduction of the professional language examination for foreign nursing professionals. As soon as binding information on the format and content of the specialist language examination for foreign nursing professionals and a concrete introduction date are known, we will inform you in good time on this page.
Podiatrist
From application date: 01.10.2022
Example test follows
Medical Technologist for Veterinary Medicine (MTV)
Starting date of application: 01.03.2023
Example test follows
Background and introduction
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 technical language examination will be introduced successively. If your application for recognition is received by your competent government in the Free State of Bavaria after the stated deadline for your occupational group, you will usually have to take a technical language examination.
Example: dietary assistance starts from 01.10.2022. You are a dietitian and submit your application on 08/01/2022. In this case, the “old rule” applies and you can submit a general language B2 certificate as proof of your language skills to your relevant government. If you submit your application on 01.10.2022 or later, the “new rule” will apply and you will have to take the specialized language exam. A general language B2 certificate is no longer accepted as proof of your language proficiency.
Auditor activity
You would like to support us in the implementation of the technical language examination? See “more information” in the box for more details on becoming an auditor. We look forward to hearing from you.
