• Introduction about the Fachsprachenprüfung (FSP)
The Fachsprachenprüfung (FSP) is an exam that assesses the language skills of all foreign doctors who want to work in Germany. It evaluates both the general language ability (like when taking history) and the ability to explain medical terms to patients in simple and nonmedical words.
The medical words (jargon) originate mostly from Latin or Greek (e. g. Gastroskopie for Magenspieglung). More examples in the rest of the article.
If you have the slightest doubt about a certain point or do not understand any information, ask at any time in the main group of our community “Facharzt JETZT” on Facebook and on Telegram (groups will appear as a folder). We remind you that this article is a guidance article to help you understand things and you should not rely solely on it. You should always return to the official websites. 😊
• Translations of the word Fachsprachenprüfung
| 🇩🇪 Fachsprachenprüfung (FSP) or Fachsprachprüfung | 🇺🇸 Medical language exam | 🇯🇴 امتحان الفاخ شبراخه أو امتحان الفاخ (امتحان اللغة الطبية الألمانية) |
• Why do some write “FSP”?
FSP is simply the short version of the Fachsprachenprüfung. So you might read in the groups the following questions:
🇩🇪 Wann machst du deine FSP? = 🇺🇸 When are you doing your medical language exam?
There are also many Telegram groups that begin with FSP. Obviously, these groups are for preparation for the FSP. 😅 So, if you want to search for a Telegram group for preparation for the Fachsprachenprüfung in Berlin or in Bayern, simply search in Telegram for “FSP Berlin” or “FSP Bayern”.
You can join JETZT (🇺🇸 now) our group on Telegram for preparation for the Fachsprachenprüfung: https://t.me/fspJETZT.
Do not forget to also follow our Facebook page with a lot of training questions: www.facebook.com/fspJETZT
• Which doctors in Germany should do this exam?
All foreign doctors who did not study medicine in Germany, EXCEPT those who did their high school in it. There is no way to avoid doing it, and there is no German authority that does not have such an exam.
Example
Thomas is German and studied all of his life in schools in Germany. Because getting a place to study medicine in Germany is hard, he did not get a seat in Germany, and he had to study medicine in Romania (an EU country). After graduating from Romania and finishing the internship there, he does not need to do the Fachsprachenprüfung (FSP) like EU graduates because he finished high school in Germany. He gets immediately the German permanent medical license (🇩🇪 die Approbation).
• Is not a B2 or C1 certificate in the German language enough?
No, in addition to getting a general German language certificate (at least B2 level), foreign doctors need to take this exam in order to get a German permanent medical license (🇩🇪 Approbation) or a temporary medical license (🇩🇪 Berufserlaubnis) (Article: Differences between them).
💡 There is no medical license in Germany for any foreign doctor without a Fachsprachenprüfung ! Very sure!
Facharzt JETZT!
• Is a German B2-C1or B2/C1 course like from Telc institute the same as the Fachsprachenprüfung?
The B2-C1 or B2/C1 course is a language exam and certificate from a language institute (private institute). This exam is NOT equivalent to the FSP, which is conducted through the approbation authorities (Approbationsbehörden) in Germany.
The B2-C1 certificate is a certificate that helps to boost your CV, but is not a must.
Preparation courses for the Fachsprachenprüfung are sometimes called “B2/C1 Medizinkurse”.
Some say that a B2/C1 certificate might be enough as an alternative to the Fachsprachenprüfung in the German state of Hesse (Hessen). I am not sure. Do you have information? Please write a comment.
• How can I register for the Fachsprachenprüfung? Where can I do it?
You need to first apply for a permanent medical license (🇩🇪 die Approbation) in one of Germany’s 16 medical license authorities (Article: The 10 steps to start a medical residency in Germany“. Each authority conducts the exam in a certain place. There is NO centralized Fachsprachenprüfung exam.
If your application documents for the Approbation are complete (including the B2 certificate), then you can register to take the exam (But you can ONLY do it in Germany! See the next questions).
• Can I registerd myself in the exam from outside Germany?
You can apply for a permanent medical license (🇩🇪 die Approbation) from outside Germany in some states (like NRW or Bavaria) (more details). If your documents are complete, then you can register for the exam.
Permanent medical license (🇩🇪 die Approbation):
– Steps for applying: Link
– Required documents: Link
• Can you take the Fachsprachenprüfung online?
Never! To take the exam, you need to be physically present in the German state where you applied for the medical license. In one authority (Rhineland-Palatinate) the exam is computerized, but you should be in that state.
• Can you prepare yourself online from outside Germany to take the Fachsprachenprüfung?
Yes! There are many online resources for free (see the files section of our Telegram group). Moreover, there are cheap recorded online preparation courses. This is an Example. Do not forget to use our discount codes which we wrote, along with other free online learning resources, here:
• Parts and questions of the exam
What does the FSP exam consist of? What would be exactly tested?
The exam usually lasts less than one hour, and you will be asked to take the history, write it down, and then will be a small discussion about the case and what you wrote. The exam is generally divided into four parts. These four parts and their main goals are:
• Part 1: Doctor-Patient conversation and taking history
During this part, the doctor should:
- Take a history from a patient (actor), often with common presenting symptoms like chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, etc. Here would be looked at how good the history is being taken and, above all, if you can understand everything the patient says and as importantly, that the patient understands you. Here, one should pay attention that you do not speak medical terms with a layperson (medical jargon) (see part 4 of the exam below).
- Answer challenging questions from patients.
Example
A 20-year-old patient with a normal migraine headache might start to cry and say that he is afraid to die. After offering him a tissue, 😅, showing empathy, and asking why, he tells you that he googled his symptoms and thinks that he is going to die because his research showed him that he has a brain tumor.
- Deal with hard patients (aggressive, pessimistic, talking a lot, etc.)
Examples
• The patient stops you in the middle of the history taking and says that he needs to go home and come the next day. 😂 You should for example understand why he wants to go home and then of course, if the reason is not important and his disease could be serious, convince him to stay.
• The patient says loudly to you that he does not want to talk to a resident and that you should send him at least a specialist, or preferably, the head of the department. 😂
– Free video explaining how to take history (🇩🇪 Anamnese) in the Fachsprachenprüfung:
I posted this video in 2015 after I passed the exam.
• Part 2: Write the history
Either on PC or on a piece of paper. You choose what you like. In some authorities, nonetheless, you can only write the history down.
Does typing bring an advantage?
I can only talk about my experience. I chose to type on PC and the examining doctors liked how much I wrote.😅 I can touch type in German about 70 words per minute.
• Part3 : Doctor-Doctor discussion
- If you can summarize the history, good for your supervising doctors (like in a hospital).
- Mention the possible diagnostics
- Explain the planned procedures to the patients in simple German language (e.g., Gastroskpie, Coloskopie, etc.)
• Part 4: Translation of medical terms (medical jargon)
The last part of the exam is usually where you get German words in jargon (medical language) then you should write the simple German words for them which lay people would understand. For example:
| Medical jargon | The normal word for laypeople |
|---|---|
| Appendizitis | die Blinddarmentzündung |
| Meningitis | die Gehirnhautentzündung |
| Maxilla | der Oberkieferknochen |
| Gastroskopie | die Magenspiegelung |
You can find many PDF books containing such lists as the table above in our Telegram group for the Fachsprachenprüfung in the files sections
• Where is it easy to take the exam? Is the exam of equal hardness in all 16 medical license authorities?
No!
| Hardest 😭 | Middle 😊 | Easiest 😍 |
|---|---|---|
| Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia) | Lower Saxony (🇩🇪 Niedersachsen) (rather easy) | Not sure, but some say in Thuringia (🇩🇪 Thüringen) and Hesse (🇩🇪 Hessen) |
We try to collect more information. What did you hear? You can write a comment below 😊.
• Real Fachsprachenprüfung exams: See yourself how hard
Read real reports of the exam from the largest website in the world for exam reports: http://approbations.info
You can find the reports under this link.
You can also find real exam reports in Telegram groups. There are tens of them. Simply search in Telegram for “FSP” or “Fachsprachenprüfung”. There are groups based on states. For example, search for “FSP in Düsseldorf” or “FSP in Bayern”.
• How many times can I fail and repeat the Fachsprachenprüfung?
| The Medical Language Exam (Die Fachsprachenprüfung – FSP) | The Medical Knowledge Exam (🇩🇪 die Kenntnisprüfung – KP) |
|---|---|
| Unlimited 😅 | 3 times (After the third time, you are no longer allowed to work as a medical doctor in Germany. There are alternatives) |
• How can you prepare yourself for the Fachsprachenprüfung?
Want to learn more? Questions?
Join JETZT (🇺🇸 now) all of our groups & ask what you like
(On mobile phone: The links are at the end of this page/ On PC: On the right side)
Further readings:
• “Vorbereitung der Fachsprachprüfung in Bayern”, Your2ndHeart blog by Tejas Ghetia, link.
• “My Experience: Fachsprachenprüfung in der Ärztekammer in Münster (Medical German Language Test)”, Blog of Moabite, link.
• “Fachsprachenprüfung Vorbereitung”, Your2ndHeart blog by Tejas Ghetia, link.
• “Fachsprachprüfung (FSP): How I passed from the first time”, Helena Mamić – Soprano Blog, link and link.