FSP in Düsseldorf

If you are planning to take the Fachsprachprüfung (FSP) in Düsseldorf, there are some practical details and specific characteristics of the exam that you should know before starting your preparation.

Who organizes the exam and how does the process work?

The Fachsprachprüfung for international doctors in the Nordrhein region is organized by the Ärztekammer Nordrhein (ÄKNo) on behalf of the competent authorities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Ärztekammer Nordrhein has been conducting the FSP since 2014, while the Approbation application process remains the responsibility of the competent administrative authority. For doctors applying for Approbation in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle (ZAG) at the Bezirksregierung Münster is the central authority responsible for the recognition of foreign healthcare qualifications. According to the official information, applicants must demonstrate general German language skills at B2 level, while medical language skills at C1 level are generally demonstrated through the Fachsprachprüfung at the relevant Medical Association.

Once the competent authority has reviewed the application and determined that an FSP is required, it forwards the relevant information to the Ärztekammer Nordrhein. Therefore, candidates do not need to register for the FSP themselves: the Medical Association normally contacts candidates by email and requests payment of the examination fee. Once payment has been received, an examination date is assigned and the candidate receives an invitation containing all the necessary information.

Specific features of the FSP in Düsseldorf: the phone call during the documentation phase

One of the features that makes the FSP in Düsseldorf particularly challenging is the way the documentation phase is structured. While the candidate is working on the Arztbrief or case documentation, an interruption may be introduced: another doctor “calls”, and the candidate must respond to the call by providing specific laboratory values (Laborwerte) related to the clinical case.

This means that it is not enough to be able to write correctly and quickly in German. You must also be able to temporarily interrupt your work, immediately understand the colleague’s request, identify the relevant clinical information and communicate it accurately before returning to the documentation.

It is therefore worth training this situation specifically during your preparation, as it creates a stress and multitasking scenario that is very similar to situations that may occur in everyday hospital practice.

During the doctor-to-doctor conversation (Arzt-Arzt-Gespräch), the examiners may also provide additional patient-related documents and ask the candidate to interpret them. It is therefore useful to practise not only taking the medical history and presenting the case orally, but also reading and understanding medical documentation in German.

The pass rate

The official data from the Ärztekammer Nordrhein also show how important thorough preparation is. In 2025, 3,352 Fachsprachprüfungen were conducted: 1,863 candidates passed, while 1,489 failed. This resulted in a failure rate of 44%. In other words, fewer than 6 out of 10 candidates passed the exam.

The relatively high failure rate shows how important targeted preparation is—not only for general German language skills, but especially for the specific procedures and dynamics of the FSP in Düsseldorf: taking the medical history with the simulated patient, documentation, dealing with interruptions and doctor-to-doctor communication.

The Ärztekammer Nordrhein also emphasizes the importance of adequate preparation and points out that many candidates take the exam with language skills that are not yet sufficient.

How much does the exam cost?

The current examination fee for the Fachsprachprüfung at the Ärztekammer Nordrhein is €430.

If the exam needs to be repeated, the €430 fee must be paid again.

What happens if you do not pass the exam?

There are several important points to keep in mind:

• The result is communicated to the candidate on the same day as the examination and is also forwarded to the competent authority responsible for the Approbation.

• To pass the FSP, candidates must achieve at least 36 out of 60 points, corresponding to 60% of the maximum score.

• If the candidate fails, the exam can be repeated multiple times.

• A new examination fee of €430 must be paid for each attempt.

• For a retake, it is not necessary to submit a new application to the Approbation authority. The Ärztekammer Nordrhein directly provides the information regarding the new examination.

• The Ärztekammer Nordrhein recommends allowing several months between attempts in order to have enough time to improve your language skills.

The assessment is carried out by three examiners. Each examiner can award up to 20 points, for a maximum total of 60 points.

Contact details for the competent authority

For the Approbation procedure in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle (ZAG) at the Bezirksregierung Münster is the central competent authority. According to the official ZAG information, applications for Approbation from doctors can be submitted to the Bezirksregierung Münster.

For the Fachsprachprüfung, however, the relevant authority is the Ärztekammer Nordrhein.

📧 fachsprache@aekno.de📍 Ärztekammer Nordrhein, Tersteegenstr. 9, 40474 Düsseldorf📞 0211 / 4302-0

How to prepare with RevolingoMed

At RevolingoMed, you can choose the preparation format that best suits your needs:

• 🩺 Individual FSP lessons, tailored to your language level and your specific difficulties.

• 👥 FSP group courses, allowing you to practise together with other candidates.

• 📚 Self-study preparation, with access to our Google Classroom platform specifically dedicated to the FSP in Düsseldorf, including materials covering the exam structure and typical clinical situations.

• 🎯 Individual 1:1 exam simulations, allowing you to practise all three parts of the exam and receive targeted feedback.

👉 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.

📩 info@revolingomed.com🌐 www.revolingomed.com📞 +49 157 8506 5019

This article is for informational purposes only.  Procedures, fees and requirements may change over time. We therefore recommend always checking the most up-to-date information directly with the competent Bezirksregierung/ZAG and the Ärztekammer Nordrhein before submitting your application or booking the examination.