The knowledge test for veterinarians
There are no dedicated examination rules: the knowledge test follows the content and procedure of the German veterinary state examination.
The knowledge test (in German, Kenntnisprüfung) shows that your knowledge and skills correspond to the German state examination.
In veterinary medicine the authority first checks your documents. Under Section 4(2) of the Federal Veterinary Surgeons Act (BTÄO), the knowledge test follows only if substantial differences remain. The fees for the whole procedure are in the overview for all 16 states. We discuss this with you before you apply.
How the test is structured
- In veterinary medicine the knowledge test is not the standard route. It is only required if the authority finds substantial differences in your training that your professional experience does not offset. It is also required if your documents cannot be obtained for reasons beyond your control (§ 4(2) BTÄO).
- The licensing regulations (TAppV) do not govern the knowledge test, although the Act would allow it. The test therefore covers the content of the veterinary state examination and follows its procedure (§ 4(2) BTÄO).
- It may be written, electronic, oral, multiple choice (you pick the correct answer) or a combination of these (§ 10 TAppV).
- If large parts of your training are equivalent, the authority may set different content in an individual case (§ 4(2) BTÄO).
What is examined
- Animal husbandry and animal hygiene
- Animal welfare and ethology
- Animal nutrition
- Clinical propaedeutics
- Virology
- Bacteriology and mycology
- Parasitology
- Epizootic disease control and infection epidemiology
- Pharmacology and toxicology
- Pharmaceutical and narcotics law
- Poultry diseases
- Radiology
- General pathology and special pathological anatomy and histology
- Food science including food hygiene
- Meat hygiene
- Dairy science
- Reproductive medicine
- Internal medicine
- Surgery and anaesthesiology
- Forensic veterinary medicine, professional law and ethics
These are the 20 subjects of the German veterinary state examination (§ 29 TAppV). Your decision letter states which of them you have to take. Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia name their own list of 15 or 16 subjects; you find it on their state pages (in German).
How many attempts you have
Through the reference to the state examination, a failed subject may be retaken twice (§ 17(1) TAppV). Federal law does not expressly regulate how the states apply this.
Several states, among them North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony, set a retake at the earliest three weeks after the failed 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 8 of 16 states a fee or fee range is documented (2 as a range).
| State | Fee |
|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | — |
| Bavaria | — |
| Berlin | €250–€2,000 |
| Brandenburg | — |
| Bremen | €80 per examination subject |
| Hamburg | €80 per examination subject |
| Hesse | €80 per examination subject |
| Lower Saxony | €80 per examination subject |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | — |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | €80 per examination subject |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | — |
| Saarland | €400–€800 |
| Saxony | — |
| Saxony-Anhalt | — |
| Schleswig-Holstein | €80 per examination subject |
| Thuringia | — |
A dash means that no figure is given. A range such as €250–€2,000 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.
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).