Professional Language Examination (FSP) Nursing Bavaria

Background and Introduction: Key Aspects, Start Date of the FSP Nursing

The specific daily work in nursing places particular communicative demands on professionals. The 92nd Health Ministers’ Conference on June 5/6, 2019, therefore unanimously adopted key principles for verifying the German language skills required for professional practice in healthcare professions, which are assessed as part of the professional language examination.

As part of the recognition process, you must demonstrate the required language skills. Taking a Professional Language Examination for Nursing will be possible as proof of the necessary language skills for recognition, parallel to the previously accepted B2 language certificates according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

The start date for the Professional Language Examination for Nursing is December 1, 2025.

The Professional Language Examination for Nursing is conducted by institutions approved by the Bavarian State Office for Care (LfP).
The implementation of the Professional Language Examination for Nursing may vary depending on the institution.

For specific information on implementation and registration for the examination, please contact the institutions approved by the LfP directly.

An overview of institutions can be viewed and/or downloaded here (PDF).
Please also read the “Frequently Asked Questions / FAQs” (PDF).

The examination consists of the following three parts:

  • Oral examination: Professional-patient conversation (duration 20 minutes) and
  • Professional-professional conversation (duration 20 minutes)
  • Written examination: Profession-specific written task (duration 20 minutes)

You will be examined by two examiners, each consisting of a language examiner and a specialized language examiner. The language examiner will guide you through the examination and explain the individual tasks. The specialized language examiner / actor will take on the roles of your conversation partners in the oral examination. The examination will be assessed by both examiners.
The examination parts are not sequential. This means that different examination topics are tested in both the oral and written examinations.

The examination lasts a total of 60 minutes. Each individual examination part lasts 20 minutes.
Depending on the examination date, you will first take the oral examination or first the written examination.
The key principles paper of the 92nd Health Ministers’ Conference on June 5/6, 2019, forms the basis of the Professional Language Examination.
The Professional Language Examination serves to assess your profession-related language skills. Your professional knowledge is not tested.

There are various ways to take the Professional Language Examination for Nursing:

Option A: Digital Concept with Actors
Trained actors act as conversation partners, and examiners subsequently evaluate the audio and/or video recording. The examiners / actors are not present in the examination room during the examination. The candidate takes the examination in the institution’s examination room.
Option B: Digital Concept without Actors
The examiners act as conversation partners in the various oral examination parts and subsequently evaluate the examination performance. The examiners are present in a digital examination room during the examination. The candidate takes the examination in the institution’s examination room.
Option C: On-site Concept with Actors
Trained actors act as conversation partners, and examiners subsequently evaluate the examination performance. The examiners, actors, and the candidate are located at the examination venue and room (in Germany).
Option D: On-site Concept without Actors
The examiners act as conversation partners in the various oral examination parts and subsequently evaluate the examination performance. Both examiners and the candidate are located at their assigned examination venue and room (in Germany).

The assessment determines whether the examination performance corresponds to the B2 CEFR level with appropriate nursing-specific language focus.

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 examination parts. If you fail one of the two examination parts (written or oral), the overall examination is considered failed. You must repeat the Professional Language Examination as a whole (including already passed examination parts).

Both examiners assess the examination performance using a structured evaluation form. An overview of the evaluation criteria can be found here (PDF).

If you wish to offer the Professional Language Examination for Nursing in Bavaria as an institution, you require approval from the LfP. All information on approval and implementation options can be found in our “Guideline for the Implementation of the Professional Language Examination for Nursing (FSP-Nursing) for Nursing Professionals by Approved Institutions in the Free State of Bavaria”. You can find this under the tab “Documents and Forms”.

Frequently asked questions are also answered in our FAQs (PDF).

To apply for approval to conduct the Professional Language Examination for Nursing, please complete the following application form (PDF) and send it together with the required documents to fsp-pflege@lfp.bayern.de.

The LfP offers the possibility for already approved institutions to be included in a list of all institutions offering the FSP-Nursing. This list will be published on the LfP homepage.

If you are an institution already approved by the LfP and wish to be included in the list, please send us an email to fsp-pflege@lfp.bayern.de.

The Professional Language Examination for Nursing takes place in institutions approved by the LfP.

If you are interested in working as an examiner for the FSP Nursing, you can apply directly to the institutions. An overview will soon be available on the LfP homepage.

The requirements and qualifications you must meet as an examiner can be found in the guideline. This can be found under Documents and Forms. Please also refer to our FAQs.

The development and provision of preparation materials for preparatory courses is not within the scope of the LfP’s responsibilities.

Before taking the examination, we recommend gaining practical experience in the form of internships and/or observations in your professional field in Germany. This will familiarize you with the relevant conversations in daily professional life and profession-related written documents.
Furthermore, we recommend that you are able to communicate at language level B2 before the examination. Read through the sample examination with the comments. Try to simulate the conversations and practice the written task. Review technical terms and profession-related expressions from your daily professional life.
The Professional Language Examination serves to assess your profession-related language skills. Your professional knowledge is not tested.

Here you will find a sample examination for the nursing sector (PDF).

Please note that this sample examination represents only one possible examination; conversation scenarios and questions may vary.

Bavarian State Office for Care
Professional Language Examination for Nursing
Mildred-Scheel-Str. 4
92224 Amberg
Email: fsp-pflege@lfp.bayern.de

If you have questions about the recognition process, you can find information on our website.

Telephone contact is not possible.
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the FAQ document under the tab “Frequently Asked Questions”.