Questions people ask in exam groups: Fachsprachprüfung and Kenntnisprüfung

In Baden-Württemberg: with the application. You send the registration for the Kenntnisprüfung (form “Anlage 4”) together with your application for the Approbation to the Regierungspräsidium (RP) Stuttgart; if you choose the document-based assessment (Gutachten) instead, you do not need it. As soon as your documents are complete and you have passed the FSP, the RP registers you with the State Chamber of Physicians (Landesärztekammer) automatically – no separate application is needed. The exam cannot be postponed, so the RP advises you to apply only once you feel ready for it.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026) · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment

Read more: Baden-Württemberg: how to apply (in German)

According to the RP Stuttgart, if you already live in Germany, the responsible authority is generally the one in the state where you are habitually resident – usually your main residence. In Baden-Württemberg: the RP requires a current registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) showing your main residence in Baden-Württemberg; a secondary residence or a job offer is no longer enough. You may only submit one application for the Approbation in the whole of Germany, so to switch you must withdraw your current application. If you move your case to Baden-Württemberg, the RP FAQ says you must submit all your documents again (Anlage 1 says “if necessary”), decisions by other states (including a temporary licence, Berufserlaubnis) are not carried over automatically, and according to the RP this can cause considerable delays.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP FAQ general · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026)

Read more: FSP and KP by federal state: authorities and fees (in German)

In Baden-Württemberg: if you still live abroad, you show that you intend to work there with one of three documents – an advice certificate (Beratungsnachweis/Standortvermerk, issued after counselling by the Federal Employment Agency or the IQ Network, also online), family ties, or a job offer. No official source states how long it takes to issue the advice certificate; only the counselling service can tell you. Since 29 October 2026 the RP accepts simple copies and asks you not to send originals – so a printout is usually enough, although in justified individual cases the RP may ask for originals. The application form itself must be sent by post as an original, not by email.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP Stuttgart: medicine from abroad · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026) · RP FAQ documents · ZSBA of the Federal Employment Agency

Read more: Documents: free counselling

In Baden-Württemberg: Anlage 2 is the RP Stuttgart's form for the medical certificate of fitness to practise (ärztliche Bescheinigung); the RP does not accept any other form. Any doctor working in Germany may issue it, for example a GP, an occupational physician or a hospital doctor – with date, stamp and signature. When it reaches the RP it must not be more than three months old; you can send it with your application or submit it later. The Approbation or temporary licence is only granted once the certificate has been received.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP Stuttgart, Anlage 2 (form) · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026)

Read more: Documents: medical certificate

There are no official exam groups; chat groups are private, and what is posted there has not been checked. You can get reliable information for every federal state free of charge from the recognition counselling services, for example those of the IQ Network, which you can find via the counselling search of the government portal “Anerkennung in Deutschland” (Recognition in Germany). If you still live abroad, you can contact the Central Service Centre for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) of the Federal Employment Agency.

Sources: Counselling search, “Anerkennung in Deutschland” (in German) · IQ Network Baden-Württemberg: recognition counselling · ZSBA of the Federal Employment Agency

Read more: Documents: free counselling

In Baden-Württemberg: the RP requires a B2 certificate from an exam provider that is a full member of ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) and names telc, among others, as an example; it does not mention the DTB itself. The DTB certificate is issued by telc, and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) lists the “Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) B2” among its accepted B2 certificates (as of July 2023). There is no explicit confirmation from the RP – ask the RP in writing before you apply. In Baden-Württemberg you submit the B2 certificate with your application; in addition you need the Fachsprachprüfung (medical German at C1).

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP FAQ language skills · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026) · BAMF: list of B2 certificates (as of 07/2023)

Read more: Documents: language certificates

The chamber does not publish exam cases; what circulates in groups are unofficial reports written from memory. In Baden-Württemberg: the official description covers the structure – three parts of about 20 minutes each: a doctor–patient conversation with a simulated patient, a written doctor's report in a separate room, and a doctor–doctor conversation presenting the patient; at the end you give the German terms for a short list of common medical terms. For exactly this format we offer 30 free practice cases in the style of the FSP – explicitly not exam reports.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg

Read more: 30 FSP practice cases, free (in German)

In Baden-Württemberg: yes – once the RP has registered you with the State Chamber of Physicians, you are on its waiting list; the office responsible is the central office at the Bezirksärztekammer Südbaden in Freiburg. That office will later send you the date, the fee notice and, at least five calendar days before the exam, the formal invitation (Ladung). The sources differ on the waiting time: the RP currently expects about 8–10 months (Anlage 1 and 6, as of 29 October 2026), while the chamber says a date is “usually” offered “within four to five months”. For applications under the new law (from 1 November 2026) the states must ensure that the exam can be taken within six months of the application (§ 37(9) ÄApprO).

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment · State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 6 (as of 29 Oct 2026) · § 37 ÄApprO

Read more: Baden-Württemberg: dates and waiting times (in German)

In Baden-Württemberg: after registration you receive a fee notice stating the amount (currently €1,100 per attempt) and the payment deadline. The RP's own information differs on the order: according to the registration form (Anlage 4) you receive your exam date after payment, while the RP FAQ says the State Chamber of Physicians informs you of the date and sends the fee notice. What is certain is that the formal invitation must be delivered at least five calendar days before the exam (§ 37(9) ÄApprO); exactly when the fee notice arrives is not published – if in doubt, ask the central office in Freiburg.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: RP Stuttgart, Anlage 4 (KP registration) · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment · § 37 ÄApprO

Read more: Baden-Württemberg: fees and resits (in German)

In Baden-Württemberg: the RP passes your details to the State Chamber of Physicians, which forwards them to the responsible district chamber (Bezirksärztekammer); from there you receive an acknowledgement and a fee notice for €420. Only after your payment has arrived do you receive the invitation with the date and place – the exams take place at the district chambers. No official source states a fixed period between payment and exam date; the RP currently expects a waiting time of about 4–6 months for the FSP. Very short or very long times reported in groups are individual cases and not official.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 1 (as of 29 Oct 2026)

Read more: Baden-Württemberg: dates and waiting times (in German)

For applications from 1 November 2026, § 37(4) and (5) ÄApprO in the new version apply: history-taking and examination (20 minutes at most) take place under the supervision of an examiner, while the written report (30 minutes at most) may also be supervised by someone else; you then present the case to the examination board, and the patient may be present. For applications up to 31 October 2026 the old version still applies (§ 42(2) ÄApprO): the examination takes place under the supervision of a member of the examination board, and a board member countersigns the report; the old version sets no fixed time limits. No official source says whether you may use your own form – do not bring anything without asking first. In Baden-Württemberg: the contact is the central Kenntnisprüfung office of the State Chamber of Physicians (kenntnispruefung@baek-sb.de), and according to the RP further information on the exam comes with the invitation. For comparison: in the FSP in Baden-Württemberg, your own notes from the patient conversation are expressly allowed – no source says this for the KP.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: § 37 ÄApprO · § 42 ÄApprO (transitional provisions) · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 4 (KP registration) · State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg

Read more: Guide: preparing for the Kenntnisprüfung (in German)

The Kenntnisprüfung can be repeated twice, so there are three attempts (§ 37(12) ÄApprO); if you do not attend without good reason, the attempt counts as failed (§ 19 ÄApprO). In Baden-Württemberg: the registration form expressly asks about failed attempts in other federal states as well; if you are ill you must withdraw without delay and provide a medical certificate, and the State Chamber of Physicians decides whether the withdrawal is approved. If, after a failed attempt, the board considers that because of serious deficits even supervised practice is not advisable, the RP examines whether to revoke a temporary licence already granted. We have not found any official source on what happens after a final fail – ask the RP and a recognition counselling service before you take your third attempt.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: § 37 ÄApprO · § 19 ÄApprO · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 4 (KP registration) · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment

Read more: Baden-Württemberg: fees and resits (in German)

For applications from 1 November 2026 the Kenntnisprüfung is the standard route; the document-based assessment (Gutachten) is only available if you expressly choose it when you apply or within four weeks afterwards, and the choice is binding (§ 9d BÄO). In Baden-Württemberg: the RP commissions the Gutachtenstelle für Gesundheitsberufe (GfG) or an independent assessor; according to the RP FAQ this currently takes 12–15 months (Anlage 6: up to 15 months) and usually costs up to €2,500, with an advance payment of up to €2,000. Substantial differences can be made up for by professional practice or lifelong learning, but training courses only count if a competent body has formally recognised them as valid (§ 9c(6) BÄO), and the decision must explain why they could not be made up for (§ 38 ÄApprO). If a substantial difference remains in even one subject, you must also pass the Kenntnisprüfung. For applications up to 31 October 2026 the previous law still applies (§ 3(3) BÄO, old version, continuing under § 15 BÄO): there the document-based assessment was the standard route; the Kenntnisprüfung followed if substantial differences could not be made up for or if assessing the documents was only possible with unreasonable effort. Whether you could waive the assessment under the old law is disputed: some authorities allowed it, while the Higher Administrative Court Bautzen (judgment 2 A 370/22) considers a waiver inadmissible.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: § 9d BÄO · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment · RP Stuttgart, Anlage 6 (as of 29 Oct 2026) · § 9c BÄO · § 38 ÄApprO · § 15 BÄO (transitional provisions) · Higher Administrative Court Bautzen, judgment 2 A 370/22

Read more: Recognition reform 2026: Kenntnisprüfung or assessment · Documents: the assessment centre (GfG)

§ 37 ÄApprO is binding: first come history-taking and examination and a written report (for applications from 1 November 2026 on the same day and at most 20 and 30 minutes), then an oral and practical exam of at least 60 and at most 90 minutes before a board of three members. The subjects are internal medicine and surgery, plus emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, imaging, radiation protection and the legal framework of medical practice, and – based on the case – medical communication; for applications up to 31 October 2026 the decision may add one further subject (§ 37(1) sentence 3 old version in conjunction with § 42(2) ÄApprO). Official information for your state is published by the responsible authority and the chamber – in Baden-Württemberg by the RP Stuttgart (FAQ) and the State Chamber of Physicians. To get started, we have a guide with a study plan and a list of the most frequently reported exam topics.

Sources: § 37 ÄApprO · § 42 ÄApprO (transitional provisions) · RP FAQ Kenntnisprüfung/assessment · State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg

Read more: Guide: preparing for the Kenntnisprüfung (in German) · Kenntnisprüfung: most frequently reported topics

Neither authorities nor chambers publish exam reports; for each exam only a record for the responsible authority is made (§ 37(12) ÄApprO). Reports from groups written from memory are unofficial, unchecked and may be out of date. Only the exam content set out in § 37(3) ÄApprO is binding. We have counted which topics candidates mention most often in 1,575 reports written from memory (collection as of 2021).

Sources: § 37 ÄApprO

Read more: Kenntnisprüfung: most frequently reported topics

There is no official reading list for either the FSP or the KP, and we do not recommend individual titles. What belongs in the Kenntnisprüfung report is laid down: history, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plan and a summary of the case (Epikrise) (§ 37(4) ÄApprO). In Baden-Württemberg: you write the FSP doctor's report in a separate room, with a history form, your notes from the patient conversation and a medical dictionary that is provided. Our guide to the doctor's letter explains structure, tenses and the subjunctive, and there are 30 sample letters.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: § 37 ÄApprO · State Chamber of Physicians Baden-Württemberg

Read more: Guide: the doctor's letter in the FSP (in German) · 30 sample doctor's letters (in German)

There is no official deck, and German FSP and KP content is hardly covered by the large English-language decks. The principle behind it is well supported: actively recall terms and review them at increasing intervals. Check decks shared in groups for errors before you study with them. Our medical terms page sets patient language against medical terminology, with translations into 12 languages; the Anki guide covers strengths, limits and alternatives.

Sources: There is no official rule on this.

Read more: Medical terms German–English · Guide: Anki and alternatives (in German)

There is no official service that matches study partners. Practising in pairs as a role play works well: one person plays the patient and later the examiner, the other takes the history, writes the report and presents the case – by video call too. Our free practice cases are built for this: each case has a patient role to read out, a model history, a completed history form, a sample doctor's letter and a case presentation.

Sources: There is no official rule on this.

Read more: How to practise in pairs with the cases (in German)

There is no official recommendation on this, and we do not name providers. Whether the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or the Jobcenter pays for a course with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) depends, among other things, on whether the course is approved under AZAV, and is decided case by case; you can find courses in the Federal Employment Agency's course search. Whether part-time or full-time suits you depends mainly on whether you are working at the same time – for example with a temporary licence – and how much time you have left before the exam.

Sources: Federal Employment Agency: course search (in German)

Read more: Funding for the FSP and KP

Neither the Federal Employment Agency (BA) nor the German Medical Association (BÄK) publishes labour-market figures (unemployment, vacancies) for individual specialties such as paediatrics. According to the BA, an average of around 10,000 doctors were unemployed in 2025 (7% more than the year before, rate 2.5%); most ended their unemployment within six months, and 5,900 new vacancies were reported to the BA (23% more). Almost half of unemployed doctors do not hold German citizenship; as possible reasons the BA cites many unemployed doctors in large cities while posts in rural areas remain vacant, and the length of recognition procedures. In its 2025 physician statistics the BÄK counts 71,480 immigrant doctors (5% more); 16% of all working doctors in Germany do not hold German citizenship.

Sources: Federal Employment Agency: graduates in medicine 2025 · German Medical Association: physician statistics 2025

Read more: Guide: salary as a junior doctor (in German)

Under § 1 ÄArbVtrG, specialist training is an objective reason for a fixed-term contract – for the time needed, up to eight years at most; the term must not be shorter than the period for which the supervising doctor is authorised to train, and part-time work extends the limit. Parental leave, maternity protection and certain kinds of leave are not counted if both sides agree. A limit of six years is not in this act but in the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG, for academic staff at universities without a doctorate; the ÄArbVtrG then does not apply), and without an objective reason a fixed term is allowed for two years at most under § 14(2) TzBfG. In Baden-Württemberg: a temporary licence (Berufserlaubnis) does not allow specialist training – for that you need the Approbation.

Other federal states may handle this differently: authorities, fees and procedures by state (in German).

Sources: § 1 ÄArbVtrG · § 2 WissZeitVG · § 14 TzBfG · RP FAQ temporary licence

Read more: Guide: salary as a junior doctor (in German)