The knowledge test for dentists
Three parts taken one after another: written, oral and practical. You can only move on to the next part once you have passed the previous one.
The knowledge test (in German, Kenntnisprüfung) shows that your knowledge and skills correspond to the German state examination.
Under Section 12b(2) of the Dentistry Act (ZHG), the knowledge test is the standard route for qualifications from outside the EU. If you want your documents assessed instead, you must say so within four weeks of applying; the choice binds you for the whole procedure. The authority has to explain this option and its consequences to you. The test is also required if your documents cannot be obtained for reasons beyond your control (§ 12b(3) ZHG). We discuss the choice with you before you apply. More on the choice: Test or document assessment?
How the test is structured
- Written part: under supervision, you develop at least two reasoned treatment proposals within 45 minutes. You work from dental models, radiographs and a periodontal chart, which records the condition of the tissue that supports the teeth (§ 108 ZApprO).
- Oral part: an examination interview on the subjects, at least 60 and at most 90 minutes per candidate. Your written treatment plan may be included (§ 109 ZApprO).
- Practical part: you work under simulated practice conditions, around five hours in total. Prosthodontics takes about two hours, conservative dentistry about two hours, oral and maxillofacial surgery together about one hour (§ 110 ZApprO).
- You may only take the oral and practical parts once you have passed the previous part (§ 104(2) ZApprO). The parts therefore follow one another and can fall on different dates.
- The examination is held in German before a three-member board; the authority may delegate appointing the board to the dental chamber (§ 111 ZApprO). The invitation must reach you at least five calendar days before the date (§ 106 ZApprO). The test should be offered at least twice a year (§ 105(1) ZApprO).
What is examined
- Prosthodontics
- Orthodontics
- Oral surgery
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Conservative dentistry: endodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontology, restorative dentistry
You are also examined in emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, hygiene, the legal aspects of dental practice and communication with patients. The authority may set a further subject or cross-sectional area (a field that links several subjects) in its decision (§ 107(2) ZApprO).
How many attempts you have
Each part you fail may be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). Retakes are counted per part and not for the examination as a whole.
Bremen schedules a retake at the earliest three and at the latest twelve months after the test. Several states, among them Brandenburg and Berlin, count failed attempts made in other states (data as of September 2026).
If you fail a part for the third time, this route to the Approbation is closed. Preparation courses for the knowledge test can be funded with up to €3,000 from the recognition grant. Apply before you file your licensing application, and you must live in Germany. See funding of up to €4,800.
Test fees in the 16 states
Who runs the test, what it costs and how long you wait for a date is decided by each state. For 10 of 16 states a fee or fee range is documented (1 as a range). Where a state sets a fixed or standard fee, it ranges from €1,300 (Bavaria) to €3,000 (Bremen).
| State | Fee |
|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | €2,400 |
| Bavaria | €1,300 |
| Berlin | €2,270 |
| Brandenburg | €2,200 |
| Bremen | €3,000 |
| Hamburg | — |
| Hesse | — |
| Lower Saxony | €2,925 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | — |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | €2,500 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | — |
| Saarland | — |
| Saxony | €2,000–€3,000 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | €2,950 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | — |
| Thuringia | €2,830 |
A dash means that no figure is given. A range such as €2,000–€3,000 is the frame within which the authority sets the fee. The state pages (in German) give the wording of the fee, the examining body and the dates. Data as of 8 September 2026; state details checked on 15 September 2026.
How long you wait for a date
Lower Saxony reports waiting periods of several months between the individual parts. In Bavaria the examination begins within 1 to 6 months of registration, and Bremen aims to hold it within six months of registration (data as of September 2026).
What the test costs together with the other steps is shown in the fees for all 16 states and in the cost calculator. The German pages describe the knowledge test in detail, the procedure step by step and the temporary permit (German).