Professional Language Examination for Healthcare Professions in Bavaria

1. Background and Introduction: Key Points, Start Date of the FSP

In practice, it has been shown that general language certificates and diplomas issued by private language institutes are not suitable or sufficient for verifying the language skills required for professional practice, as the specific work environment places different communicative demands on professionals. The 92nd Health Ministers’ Conference of June 5/6, 2019, therefore unanimously adopted key points for verifying the German language skills required for professional practice in healthcare professions, which are tested in the professional language examination. The professional language examination was introduced gradually. The LfP now offers a professional language examination for all healthcare professional groups (except nursing).

2. Where Does the Professional Language Examination Take Place?

The LfP offers a professional language examination in Amberg; the examination takes place here:

Bavarian State Office for Care
Mildred-Scheel-Str. 4
92224 Amberg

3. Who Takes the Professional Language Examination?

As part of the professional recognition procedure, the competent authority to which you submitted your application for recognition verifies the equivalence of the professional training completed abroad. The competent authority then decides whether a professional language examination must be taken.

If you have questions about the status of your recognition procedure, please contact your competent authority.

When you are ready to take the professional language examination, send the application form fully completed as a PDF by email to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.
We recommend submitting the application only when you are already in Germany or a date of entry is known.
If you are already aware of absences in advance, such as vacation, stays abroad, etc., these must be communicated immediately by email to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de. Otherwise, this cannot always be taken into account in scheduling.
If you wish to be represented by an authorized representative, the authorized representative must complete the application form with the attached power of attorney in full and send it by email to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.
If you authorize additional persons/institutions subsequently during the procedure, a power of attorney is available for download on our website.
Please send the power of attorney fully completed by email to kontakt-fsp@lfp.bayern.de.

Without a power of attorney, we are not permitted to provide information about personal data to third parties.

1. Application Processing
After we have processed the application, you will receive an invoice for the examination fee. This must be transferred within the payment deadline of 4 weeks. The earlier you pay, the sooner we can assign you an examination date. The processing time for your application always depends on the current workload and may take some time.

2. Scheduling the Professional Language Examination:
As soon as the examination fee has been received by the State Office for Care, we will schedule the next available examination date for you. This will be communicated to you exclusively with the examination invitation. Please note: The examination dates are binding. A postponement of the date can only occur in exceptional cases, e.g., illness with submission of a medical certificate.

If you fail to appear for the examination without excuse, we will retain the full amount of the examination fee of €350.00. For a new registration for the professional language examination, you must submit a new application and pay the examination fee.

The examination consists of the following parts:

Oral Examination:

  • Professional-Patient Conversation (Duration 20 minutes)
  • Professional-Professional Conversation (Duration 20 minutes)
    Note: The professional-professional conversation is divided into two different conversation situations of 10 minutes each.

Written Examination:

  • Profession-Specific Written Task (Duration 20 minutes)

On the examination day, you will come to the Bavarian State Office for Care. Follow the signage and register at the registration office for your examination. Our staff will verify your data and accompany you to the waiting area. An examiner will then collect you and you will go together to the examination room.
You will be examined by two examiners. The language examiner will guide you through the examination and explain the individual tasks. The professional language examiner will assume the roles of your conversation partners in the oral examination. The evaluation of the examination is conducted 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 take either the oral examination or the written examination first. After you have completed the oral and written examinations, the examination is concluded and you may leave the Bavarian State Office for Care.
The key points paper of the 92nd Health Ministers’ Conference of June 5/6, 2019, forms the basis of the professional language examination.
The professional language examination serves to test your profession-related language skills. Your professional knowledge is not tested.

Evaluation

The evaluation assesses 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. Compensation between the two examination parts does not take place. If you do not pass one of the two examination parts (written or oral), the overall examination is not passed. You must repeat the professional language examination as a whole (including examination parts already passed).

Both examiners evaluate the examination performance using a structured evaluation form. Here you will find an overview of the evaluation criteria (PDF).

The development and provision of preparation materials for preparatory courses is not part of our responsibilities.

Before taking the examination, we recommend that you gain 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 everyday professional practice and profession-related documents.
In addition, we recommend that you are already able to communicate at language level B2 before the examination. Read through the sample examination from your healthcare profession with the comments. Try to simulate the conversations and practice the written task. Review technical terms and profession-related expressions from your everyday professional practice.
The professional language examination serves to test your profession-related language skills. Your professional knowledge is not tested.
Below you will find a sample examination for your professional group. The healthcare professions are listed in alphabetical order. Please note that this sample examination represents only one possible examination; the conversation topics and questions may vary.

The Bavarian State Office for Care (LfP) in Amberg is seeking dedicated staff on a fee basis (m/f/d) for the professional language examination for healthcare professions in Bavaria.

The Bavarian State Office for Care has been entrusted by the State Ministry of Health and Care with the conception, organization, and implementation of the professional language examination for healthcare professions in Bavaria. Motivated individuals are sought for the following activities:

1. Become an Examiner
2. Support Us in the Development/Evaluation of Examination Materials

You are welcome to contribute to multiple activities simultaneously.

We are seeking individuals (m/f/d) with the following professional qualifications:

  • Dietitian
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Midwife
  • Speech Therapist
  • Masseur and Medical Bath Attendant
  • Podiatrist
  • Medical Technologist (ATA, MTF, MT-L, MTR, MT-V, OTA, PTA)
  • Orthoptist
  • Paramedic
  • Physiotherapist
  • with German language skills at native speaker level
  • with experience in teaching and conducting examinations (not a requirement)

Further information on the professional language examination for healthcare professions can be found on our website: www.fachsprachenpruefung.bayern.de

If interested, please send a brief CV and relevant certificates preferably by email in a PDF document to pruefer-fsp@lfp.bayern.de or by mail to the following address:

Bavarian State Office for Care
Professional Language Examination
Mildred-Scheel-Str. 4
92224 Amberg

If you submit your documents by mail, please submit only copies, as they cannot be returned for administrative reasons.

Information on examiner activity can be downloaded here as a PDF.

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

Telephone contact is not possible.
Please contact us by email or mail.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found under “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)”

If you have questions about the recognition procedure or whether you must take a professional language examination, please contact your competent authority.