Specialist language test –
Healthcare professions Bavaria

You have trained in a healthcare profession abroad and would like to practise it in Germany.
To do this, you must have your professional qualification recognized.
As part of the recognition procedure in Bavaria, you must usually also successfully pass a technical language test to prove your technical language skills.
This is based on CEFR level B2 (C2 for speech therapists). The specialist language examination replaces the B2 certificate.
The specialist language examination in the various healthcare professions is being introduced gradually, which means that the different professional groups do not all start at the same time.
The Bavarian State Office for Nursing (LfP) is responsible for the design, organization and implementation of the specialist language examination for healthcare professions in Bavaria.
This is a face-to-face examination that takes place at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing in Amberg.

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 information e-mail with your personal LfP process number.
Important: Only after you have personally received an e-mail with your LfP process number Once you have received the registration form from us, you can register for the language proficiency test.
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: Please make sure you enter the LfP process number that we sent you in the information e-mail in the application form. We cannot make an appointment without the transaction number.

If you are being looked after by an authorized representative, please use the following Power of attorney form.
If neither you nor your authorized representative can cover the costs of the specialist language test, please use the following Cost assumption form.

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. The examiner will explain the exam procedure to you there.
You will be examined by two examiners. The language examiner will guide you through the exam and explain the individual tasks. The specialist language examiner takes on the role of your interlocutor in parts 1 & 2. The exam is assessed by both examiners.
The exam parts do not build on each other. This means that you will be given a situation with a new patient in each part.
The exam lasts a total of 60 minutes. Each individual part of the examination lasts 20 minutes.
Depending on the date of the examination, you will either take the two oral parts first or the written part first. The written examination takes place together with other candidates in a separate room. Once you have completed all three parts, 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 specialist/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. Both the oral and written examinations must be passed. There is no equalization between the two parts of the examination. If one of the two parts of the examination is not passed, the overall examination is not passed and must therefore be repeated as a whole. Both examiners assess the examination performance using a structured assessment sheet. You can find this here.

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 the relevant conversations in everyday working life and the job-related documents.
We also recommend that you are already 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 conversations and practice 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. 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 technical assistant (ATA)
Sample examination

Dietician
Sample examination

Occupational therapist
Sample examination

Midwife/maternity nurse
Sample examination

Speech therapist
Sample examination

Masseur & medical bath attendant
Sample examination

Medical technologist for functional diagnostics (MTF)
Sample test follows

Medical technologist for laboratory analysis (MTL)
Sample test

Medical Technologist for Radiology (MTR)
Sample examination

Medical technologist for veterinary medicine (MTV)
Sample exam follows

Emergency paramedic
Sample exam

Operating theatre assistant (OTA)
Sample examination

Orthoptist
Sample examination

Pharmaceutical technical assistant (PTA)
Sample examination

Physiotherapist
Sample examination

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 specialist language examination for nursing staff (professional title: Pflegefachfrau / Pflegefachmann / Pflegefachperson/Pflegefachperson) 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
Sample examination

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.

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.