Kenntnisprüfung Pflege
Kenntnisprüfung in der Pflege
Nursing knowledge examination with practical and oral components. Published pilot dates come from IBAF nursing schools.
Oral and practical
45 to 60 minutes
Each failed part once
7 slots
About Kenntnisprüfung Pflege
Nurses trained outside the EU whose recognition decision found substantial differences from German training. The Kenntnisprüfung is one way to close them; an adaptation course is the other.
A state exam with an oral part (a case, 45 to 60 minutes) and a practical part (2 to 4 care situations, up to 120 minutes each).
How you register depends on the state: in Hamburg you register with the authority at least six weeks before; elsewhere ask your authority or the school. The dates here are the oral exam dates IBAF publishes for its nursing schools in Schleswig-Holstein; Neumünster dates are on request.
How to Book a Kenntnisprüfung Pflege Exam
Get your recognition decision
Your state's recognition authority checks your training. If it finds substantial differences, you choose the Kenntnisprüfung or an adaptation course.
Find a nursing school
The Kenntnisprüfung can only be taken with a nursing school involved. Ask the school, your employer or your preparation provider about a date.
Register with the authority
Registration goes to the state authority, often through the school or your preparation provider. Hamburg asks for it at least six weeks before the exam.
Pay the school's invoice
The school that runs the exam bills it. Ask who pays: in Hamburg the cost can be covered by your employer or recruiter.
Pro Tip
These dates come from the IBAF nursing schools in Schleswig-Holstein. Nursing schools in other states set their own dates, so ask your authority or school as well.
Kenntnisprüfung Pflege Slots by City
Kenntnisprüfung Pflege FAQs
What is the Kenntnisprüfung Pflege?
It is the German knowledge test for nurses trained abroad. You show the skills a Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann needs. It has an oral part and a practical part, and you must pass both. It is a state exam held before a state examination board.
What happens in the oral and the practical part?
In the oral part you work through a case that covers at least three competence areas; it lasts 45 to 60 minutes. In the practical part you care for patients in 2 to 4 care situations, up to 120 minutes each. Your authority sets the number of situations.
Can I retake the Kenntnisprüfung?
Yes, once. You repeat only what you failed: the oral part, or each care situation of the practical part that you did not pass.
How much does the Kenntnisprüfung Pflege cost?
There is no national price. Hamburg's information sheet (May 2026) says it usually costs about 300 EUR for the oral part and about 500 EUR for the practical part, as of December 2023. The nursing school that runs the exam sends the invoice. Other states can differ.
Kenntnisprüfung or adaptation course (Anpassungslehrgang)?
When your recognition decision finds substantial differences, you can close them with either a Kenntnisprüfung or an adaptation course. You choose one of the two.
Which German certificate do I need?
It depends on your state. In Hamburg, after you pass, the authority asks for a B2 certificate from an ALTE-certified provider before it issues your licence. Ask your own state's authority what it needs.
Why are the dates only in Lübeck, Norderstedt and Rendsburg?
They are the oral exam dates the IBAF nursing schools publish for their sites in Schleswig-Holstein (Lübeck, Norderstedt, Rendsburg; Neumünster on request). It is not a list of every Kenntnisprüfung in Germany.
Where your path goes next
The exam is one step. Pick your goal, go straight to the next one.