Fachsprachprüfung in Hessen: vocabulary test, format, fees

At a glance

How the exam works in Hessen

Be on time: the exam day starts with a welcome and an introduction to the procedure. Bring your identity document — according to the information sheet, without it the exam is marked as failed. What the usual three-part format looks like at other chambers is described in How the FSP works.

Part 1: Vokabeltest — vocabulary test (20 minutes)

Written and supervised by a member of the chamber's staff. According to the Hessisches Ärzteblatt (the chamber's journal), it tests "grundlegende medizinische Terminologie" (basic medical terminology). Smartphones, digital aids and books are not allowed. The chamber does not publish how many terms appear or in which direction they are translated. Afterwards you are taken to the next part.

Part 2: Arzt-Patienten-Gespräch — doctor–patient conversation (20 minutes)

An examiner plays the patient and describes their symptoms. You ask questions, take the history and explain what you are doing. The information sheet is unusually explicit: "Antworten Sie ausführlich auf seine Fragen" (answer his questions in detail). At the end you explain which suspected diagnosis you have, which further diagnostic measures the patient faces and how they work — or which treatment you choose. Notes are allowed. The chamber provides paper; you bring your own pens, and pencils are not wanted.

Part 3: Schriftliche Ausarbeitung — written documentation (up to 20 minutes)

In another room you document the case on an Anamnesebogen provided by the chamber. Here too, smartphones, digital aids and books are not allowed — so there is no dictionary. The Hessisches Ärzteblatt calls this part "Schriftliche Ausarbeitung eines Arztberichts" (writing up a medical report); no sample of the form is published on the chamber's website. You hand your documentation to a staff member, who takes you to the final part.

Part 4: Arzt-(Ober-)Arzt-Gespräch — doctor–senior doctor conversation (20 minutes)

In a collegial conversation with the examiners you explain your approach. The information sheet explicitly lists history, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plan and Epikrise (case summary). According to the Hessisches Ärzteblatt, you must present the content of the patient conversation in professional terms and discuss it with the "Oberärztin" or "Oberarzt" (senior physician).

Registration and dates

1. You apply to the HLfGP for the Approbation (full licence) or Berufserlaubnis (temporary licence). The HLfGP tells you that you must take the FSP and sends an acknowledgement of receipt.
2. You register in the LÄKH portal, update your details under "Prüfungen – Fachsprachprüfung" and submit your application there. You upload, as PDFs, the HLfGP acknowledgement and a copy of your valid identity document (passport and/or residence permit). Registration without the acknowledgement is not possible.
3. The chamber automatically cancels incomplete applications one month after receipt. Only apply when you are genuinely ready.
4. Once your documents are complete you receive an invoice for the exam fee, and after payment an invitation to the next available date in your portal inbox.

You cannot choose a fixed date, but you can state a preferred month when registering. Once you have received the invitation, the date cannot be postponed. The LÄKH does not offer preparation courses.

Fee: On its FAQ page the chamber currently gives €650. The Kostensatzung (fee statute) sets a range of €500 to €800 for the medical language exam, for first and repeat exams alike, payable in advance. All states compared: FSP fees by federal state.

Scoring and result

After the examiners have conferred, you are told your result. Even though the information sheet speaks of the "Fachsprachzertifikat C1 MEDIZIN", the chamber's FAQ says no certificate is issued. The examination team hands you a written copy of the result, and the chamber informs the HLfGP.

The LÄKH does not publish scoring criteria, points or a pass mark — unlike, for example, the medical chamber in Berlin, which makes its scoring sheets public. The Hessisches Ärzteblatt describes only the aim: the exam establishes whether physicians can use medical German confidently.

Retaking

In Hessen the FSP can be taken any number of times. If you fail, the examination team notes on your result how long you should prepare intensively for the retake. For the next attempt you submit a new application in the portal; under the fee statute the fee is charged again for every exam. How to plan your second attempt: Failed the FSP?

Tips for the exam in Hessen

• Prepare specifically for the vocabulary test. It comes first, takes 20 minutes and must be done without any aids. Because the chamber does not specify the direction of translation, practise common medical terms in writing in both directions — see Medical terms in the FSP.
• Answer the patient's questions immediately and in detail. "Ausführlich" (in detail) is written into the task. A one-sentence answer followed by the next history question is not enough here.
• Be able to explain examinations. At the end you must say not only which tests follow but also "wie diese ablaufen" (how they work). Practise lay explanations of common examinations such as ultrasound, a blood test, an ECG or a gastroscopy. More on the patient conversation: History taking in the FSP.
• Write without a dictionary. No reference book will help you in part 3. The spelling of common medical terms and your standard phrases must be secure beforehand.
• Plan for prognosis and Epikrise. The information sheet names both for the senior-doctor conversation. Prepare, alongside diagnosis and treatment plan, a sentence on prognosis and a short summarising Epikrise for your case presentation.
• Take the logistics seriously. Bring your ID, ballpoint pens rather than pencils, arrive on time for the introduction and allow about two hours. According to the information sheet a missing ID means failing, and the date cannot be postponed once you have the invitation.

Sources

• Landesärztekammer Hessen: Fachsprach- und Kenntnisprüfungen
• Landesärztekammer Hessen: Hinweise zur Fachsprachprüfung für ausländische Ärztinnen und Ärzte in Hessen (PDF)
• Landesärztekammer Hessen: Kostensatzung (PDF)
• Hessisches Ärzteblatt: Abteilungen der Landesärztekammer Hessen stellen sich vor — Fachsprach- und Kenntnisprüfungen (PDF)