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Foreign nursing professionals require general German language skills plus “German for nursing staff”. A B2 certificate is required for the recognition.
For your daily work in nursing, you need German language skills in two different areas:
Depending on what language skills you have when you arrive in Germany, taking courses in one or the other area is advisable.
If you aim for recognition as a nursing professional in Germany, you need to demonstrate level B2 German language skills in most federal states.
You can also understand more complex texts, such as newspaper articles and TV news. You have no problems talking in German fluently about a wide range of topics.
An overview of the classification of all levels ranging from A1 = beginner level to C2 = native speaker level is provided by the Common European Reference Framework.
The certificates of the Goethe Institute or Telc are usually accepted throughout Germany; in many federal states, the Austrian ÖSD certificate is recognised as well:
The details vary from state to state; please contact your employer or the competent authority for further information.
These two exams are equivalent; the central exam categories (reading, listening, writing) are identical. However, there are differences in the specific types of examination tasks. It is important to take a look at the sample exams of both providers beforehand and choose one of them when preparing for the exam.
These exams are technical language exams designed specifically for nurses working in geriatric and patient care. This exam is also recognised by the authorities. Compared to the general B2 exams, it is sometimes considered a bit “more difficult”, which is why many nurses prefer the general Telc or Goethe exam.
Note: If you have to take a knowledge test as part of your recognition procedure, you will definitely need the technical language contents. In that case, it is advisable to prepare for a “German for nursing staff” exam right away.
If you cannot take the B2 exam directly with your teacher or in your language school, you need an external examination provider. In that case, ask your teacher or language school to find out which providers are suitable and offer a suitable exam.
You can also search the Internet for suitable providers yourself:
Note: Many examination providers are booked out well in advance and have waiting lists. The evaluation of the results at Telc or Goethe, for example, usually takes about six weeks. So plan ahead!
Free sample exams for almost all types of exams are available for download on the Internet.
Search for keywords like “exam”, “sample exam”, “sample exercises”, “practice exercises”.
Both Goethe and Telc offer free exams for download in PDF format:
Note: The exams change regularly, so it is important to always stay up to date and download the latest exams on the Internet.
By the way, the same applies to exercise books: We recommend asking for the latest textbook in the bookshop when preparing for the exam.
This app is a free educational game (developer: IQ Fachstelle) offering vocational German with exercises for communication, terminology, structures and pronunciation for German learners from level B1: https://www.deutsch-am-arbeitsplatz.de/app.html
In the course of a typical working day in nursing, the app users are guided through audio dialogues and make decisions on appropriate communication with patients, relatives and colleagues. With every choice, the app outlines an individual learning path. There are also numerous additional features: The dictionary helps understand difficult terms and the info box provides useful information about the world of work in Germany. Interactive exercises for communication, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation complement the dialogues and an evaluation system honours the players with a digital award at the end of each sequence. (Source: Press Release by IQ Fachstelle)
If you would like to improve your German skills in a language school, you can also apply for subsidies for the German language course. In addition to subsidised integration courses, there are also the DeuFöV subsidised vocational German language courses.
You can apply for these subsidies with the job centre or the employment agency, for example if you are participating in a vocational and continuing education programme. Ask your mentor at the hospital.
In general, a learning time of about 3 months per level should be planned for intermediate level courses when having 20 class hours per week and time for homework.
For many people, it takes considerably longer, usually one to two years, to improve their language skills from level B1 to B2.
Why is that? Many nurses learn German in their spare time and finding the motivation to learn after work is often difficult.
This means for you: Be patient, especially if you need a bit more time, that’s completely normal!