The knowledge test for pharmacists
An oral examination on a single day, 30 to 60 minutes. It is the shortest of the four knowledge tests.
The knowledge test (in German, Kenntnisprüfung) shows that your knowledge and skills correspond to the German state examination.
Under Section 10c(2) of the Federal Pharmacists Act (BApO), 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 (§ 10c(3) BApO). We discuss the choice with you before you apply. More on the choice: Test or document assessment?
How the test is structured
- The examination is oral and held on one day, usually individually; where the subjects allow, up to four candidates may be examined together (§ 22d(2) AAppO).
- It lasts at least 30 and at most 60 minutes per candidate, depending on the extent of the differences the authority has identified (§ 22d(2) AAppO).
- It is held in German before a state board of three members, university teachers or pharmacists (§ 22d(4) AAppO).
- You must receive the invitation at least seven days before the examination date (§ 22d(3) AAppO). The test should be offered at least twice a year (§ 22d(6) AAppO).
What is examined
- Pharmaceutical practice
- Special areas of law for pharmacists
- a third subject set by the authority from the subjects with substantial differences
Three subjects are always examined (§ 22d(1) AAppO). This is narrower than the third state examination. You are also expected to show skills in communicating with patients.
How many attempts you have
You may retake the knowledge test twice (§ 22d(6) AAppO).
Bremen schedules a retake at the earliest three and at the latest twelve months after the test. In Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg and Bavaria a retake covers the whole test (data as of September 2026).
Once all attempts are used up, 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 12 of 16 states a fee or fee range is documented (2 as a range, 2 as a standard fee with a range, 2 as an upper limit or a minimum). Where a state sets a fixed or standard fee, it ranges from €170 (Lower Saxony) to €710 (North Rhine-Westphalia).
| State | Fee |
|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | €600 |
| Bavaria | €690 |
| Berlin | €315(range €250–€2,000) |
| Brandenburg | €700 |
| Bremen | — |
| Hamburg | €200–€600 |
| Hesse | from €200 |
| Lower Saxony | €170 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | €300 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | €710 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | — |
| Saarland | €400(range €400–€800) |
| Saxony | €700–€1,100 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | — |
| Schleswig-Holstein | — |
| Thuringia | up to €450 |
A dash means that no figure is given. A range such as €200–€600 is the frame within which the authority sets the fee. Where a figure is followed by “range” or “standard; otherwise”, the authority names that figure as its standard fee and the range is the framework of the fee schedule for cases with more effort. “Up to” and “from” mark a ceiling or a minimum, and further expenses can apply. 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
Bavaria gives 1 to 6 months after the state examination office has told you that you are admitted, Rhineland-Palatinate about six months. Bremen aims to hold the examination within three 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).