FSP in Bavaria: what you should know if you're planning to move to Munich or Bavaria
Updated: Aug 21
If you're considering taking the Fachsprachprüfung (FSP) in Bavaria, here's the practical information and local peculiarities worth knowing before you book the exam.
Who organizes the exam and how the process works
The FSP for foreign doctors who want to work in Bavaria is organized by the Bayerische Landesärztekammer (BLÄK), on behalf of the Regierung von Oberbayern or the Regierung von Unterfranken — the authorities responsible for granting the Approbation, depending on the area of jurisdiction.
One aspect that sets Bavaria apart from other states: you can't register directly with the BLÄK. All candidates are forwarded to the BLÄK by the Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle für Approbationsberufe (ZAABY) at the Regierung von Oberbayern, as part of the Approbation process. Once you receive the payment request by email, you can indicate one or more date preferences for the exam month.
Also worth noting: the exam is held exclusively in Munich — regardless of where in Bavaria you are, you'll need to travel there to take it.
The exam consists of three parts of about 20 minutes each (medical history interview with a simulated patient, written documentation/Arztbrief, doctor-to-doctor conversation), and it assesses language competence exclusively.
Exam costs
The fee for the Fachsprachprüfung at the BLÄK is currently €550, to be paid in advance (Vorkasse) after receiving the payment request.
What happens if you don't pass
A few important points:
At the end of the exam, if you don't pass, you're immediately given an information sheet (a blue "Merkblatt") by the board, with all the details on retaking the exam.
The exam must be retaken in full, not just the parts you failed.
The number of attempts is not limited, but each retake requires payment of the full fee again.
It's recommended to wait at least three months before trying again.
For a realistic picture: according to the BLÄK's most recent data (June 2023 – May 2024), out of 2,383 exams taken, 1,338 passed and 1,045 didn't — a failure rate of roughly 44%, meaning almost one candidate in two doesn't pass. This is one of the highest failure rates among the German states.
The Fachbegriffe task
As part of the doctor-to-doctor conversation (Arzt-Arzt-Gespräch), there's also a specific task on technical terms: you're given 10 Fachbegriffe in medical/specialist language that you need to translate into the corresponding Umgangssprache/Patientensprache — that is, language a patient without medical training would understand.
The peculiarities of the Bavaria exam
The Bavarian exam is known for asking very technical questions, requiring in-depth specialist knowledge (Fachkenntnisse) and not just solid general language skills.
Because of this, the level of German needed to handle the exam well is a strong C1 — a "borderline" C1 often isn't enough to keep up with the pace and precision Bavarian examiners expect.
A lot of attention is also paid to how you react to the patient's questions: it's not enough to conduct a structured medical history — examiners carefully observe whether you can respond relevantly, clearly, and reassuringly to the questions the (simulated) patient asks you during the conversation.
These are just a few of the peculiarities of the Bavaria exam — we'll share the rest during our course.
Context worth knowing: high demand and the job market
Currently, about 300 exams per month can be conducted in Bavaria. Even so, high demand can cause delays in scheduling — the BLÄK tries to schedule all candidates as quickly as possible, but waiting times aren't always short.
There's also something worth considering for after the exam: due to the high number of candidates, in many parts of Bavaria it's currently difficult to find a job with a Berufserlaubnis quickly — or at all — even after passing the FSP. For this reason, many doctors who pass the exam in Bavaria then choose to move to another Bundesland to improve their chances of being hired — particularly to states like Brandenburg, Saxony, or Thuringia, where it's often easier to find a job with a Berufserlaubnis than in Bavaria itself.
Contact for the competent authority
For information on your Approbation application in Bavaria, the relevant authority is the ZAABY – Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle für Approbationsberufe in Bayern, at the Regierung von Oberbayern:
How to prepare with RevolingoMed
At RevolingoMed you can choose whichever preparation format suits you best:
🩺 Individual FSP lessons, tailored to your level and your specific gaps
👥 FSP group courses, to also practice alongside other candidates
📚 On your own, with access to our Google Classroom dedicated to Bavaria: here you'll find the list of Fachbegriffe most frequently tested in the Bavarian exam and the clinical cases specific to this state — and we can also organize targeted simulations together on these scenarios
👉 FSP group courses, complete 1:1 FSP course, 1:1 exam simulations, 6-month access to the Google Classroom E-Learning platform
For the administrative part, we would also like to remind you of our previous article on the documents required for Approbation as well as our certified translation service.
You can send your documents to:📩 info@revolingomed.com🌐 www.revolingomed.com📞 +49 157 8506 5019
This article is for informational purposes only. Procedures and requirements may change over time. We therefore recommend always checking the latest information with the Medical Association (Ärztekammer) where you intend to take the exam.
Comments