Fachsprachprüfung Pflege vs telc B2 Pflege (2026)

Short answer: you usually need only one exam, because telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege and the Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege (FSP) can both prove B2 German. telc runs a standard exam that certifies B1 or B2; some federal states run the FSP as a B2 nursing exam in the recognition procedure. The recognition authority in your target state decides which certificate it accepts.

Free practice: solve the free telc Pflege Übungstest 1 online. It has 16 items in the telc Pflege format, and it scores and explains each answer. You can also download the same Übungstest as a PDF and solve it on paper.

What do the two exams test?

	telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege	Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege (FSP)
Organisation	telc gGmbH, at telc exam centres	A federal state authority, at approved institutions or providers
Level	One scaled result: B1 or B2	B2 with a nursing focus
Parts	Written part (reading, listening, Language Elements, a report) + oral pair exam	Bavaria: written part + oral part, individual exam. Berlin: 3 simulated nursing situations
Where	In Germany and in many other countries	In the state that runs it
Fee	The exam centre sets the fee	The sources we read publish no candidate fee
Validity	The sources we read give no expiry date	The sources we read give no expiry date

The telc exam page says that you cannot take the telc exam as a partial exam. The Bavarian FAQ gives the same rule for the FSP: you take the written and the oral part together. For the telc format in detail, read our telc B1·B2 Pflege exam guide.

The Berlin press release describes the FSP tasks. Candidates show their German in simulated work situations, for example a talk with a care recipient or a care report. The telc oral exam uses a different design: a pair talk about experience and opinion, a discussion and a short presentation.

Which states accept which certificate?

The federal guidance on Make it in Germany says that a nurse needs German at B2 or higher for the licence to practise. Each state authority sets the list of accepted certificates. We read the official pages of four states on 6 November 2026.

State and authority	telc Pflege certificate	Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege
Bavaria — Landesamt für Pflege (LfP)	Accepted: "telc Deutsch B2 Pflege" from the telc B1·B2 Pflege exam	Runs an FSP at approved institutions. The FAQ treats it as equal to other accepted B2 certificates
Hesse — Landesamt für Gesundheit und Pflege	Accepted: "telc Deutsch B2 Pflege (oder höher)"	Accepts an FSP from another state "in der Regel" if that state's authority accepts it
Berlin — Senatsverwaltung	Accepted next to the FSP "bis auf Weiteres" (telc, Goethe, TestDaF and others)	Introduced in June 2024; three providers run it
Baden-Württemberg — Regierungspräsidien	B2 or "B2 Pflege" from an ALTE full member, for example telc	The state does not run an FSP yet. It accepts an FSP from another state; send the original confirmation

The Bavarian list has one limit. Since 23 June 2022, the LfP does not accept telc certificates from Serbian and Bosnian telc institutes. If you plan to take the telc exam abroad, check your exam centre against your authority's list.

Other states can have other rules. Use the federal Recognition Finder to find your authority. Then read its list of accepted language certificates.

When do you send the language certificate?

Two state authorities describe the timing:

Hesse: you send the German certificate at the latest after you complete the adaptation programme or the knowledge test.
Bavaria: the LfP sends you a separate request for the certificate. Wait for this request. The FAQ also recommends the FSP after you receive the decision on equivalence (Feststellungsbescheid). This prevents costs if the authority refuses the application.

In Bavaria, you need no language certificate in these cases:

German is your first language.
You completed 10 years at a German-language school.
You completed a 3-year vocational training in German.

Which exam should you take first?

Use these steps. Each step is one decision.

Find the competent authority for the state where you want to work.
Read its list of accepted language certificates.
If you already have a certificate on that list, send it when the authority asks. You do not need a second exam.
If you are still abroad, choose an exam that you can take abroad. The telc exam is available in many countries. The FSP runs only in the states that offer it.
If you are in Germany and your state runs an FSP, compare the two formats. The FSP uses simulated nursing situations. The telc exam uses fixed reading, listening and writing tasks plus a pair speaking exam.
If you choose telc Pflege, aim for B2 in the result. A B1 result does not meet the B2 requirement for the licence. Our passing score guide shows how telc combines the parts.
If your state authority has not yet decided on equivalence, ask it before you pay for an exam.

Readiness check: 6 items about a recognition letter

Read the fictional letter from a state authority. Then do items 1–6. Items 1–3 use the Richtig/Falsch format of telc Pflege Lesen Teil 4. Items 4–6 use the gap format of the Sprachbausteine.

Sehr geehrte Frau Mensah,

wir haben Ihren Antrag auf Anerkennung als Pflegefachfrau geprüft. Ihre Ausbildung ist nicht vollständig gleichwertig. Sie können die Unterschiede mit einem Anpassungslehrgang von sechs Monaten oder mit einer Kenntnisprüfung ausgleichen. Bitte teilen Sie uns Ihre Entscheidung bis zum 15. Januar mit.

Für die Erlaubnisurkunde brauchen wir außerdem einen Nachweis Ihrer Deutschkenntnisse auf dem Niveau B2. Diesen Nachweis reichen Sie erst nach dem Abschluss der Ausgleichsmaßnahme ein. Ein Zertifikat auf dem Niveau B1 reicht nicht aus. Wir akzeptieren auch eine bestandene Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege aus einem anderen Bundesland. Senden Sie das Zertifikat bitte im Original. Sie erhalten es mit der Urkunde zurück.

Richtig oder falsch?

Frau Mensah muss den Sprachnachweis bis zum 15. Januar schicken.
Die Behörde nimmt eine Fachsprachenprüfung aus einem anderen Bundesland an.
Mit einem B1-Zertifikat bekommt Frau Mensah die Erlaubnisurkunde.

Sprachbausteine: select a, b or c for each gap.

Ich habe die Fachsprachenprüfung im März abgelegt. (4) ich das Ergebnis bekommen habe, habe ich das Zertifikat an das Landesamt geschickt. Die Behörde hat mich gebeten, das Original (5) schicken. Jetzt warte ich (6) die Erlaubnisurkunde.

a) Während b) Nachdem c) Bevor
a) für b) um c) zu
a) auf b) für c) an

The answer key is at the end of this page.

What does soruLab cover?

soruLab prepares you for the telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege exam only. The telc Pflege test bank has reading, Sprachbausteine and Fallbeispiele items in the telc format. It has no listening, writing or speaking practice. It has no FSP practice, because each state uses its own FSP tasks. For the FSP, use the sample exam of your state authority. The Bavarian FAQ points to a sample exam on the LfP website.

FAQ

Is the Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege the same as the telc Pflege exam? No. The FSP is a state exam with a nursing focus at B2. The telc Deutsch B1·B2 Pflege is a standard exam from telc. Both can prove B2, if your authority accepts the certificate.

Do I need both the FSP and a telc B2 certificate? Usually no. In Bavaria, Hesse, Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, one accepted B2 proof is enough for the language requirement. Read the list of your own authority.

Can I take the FSP in another state? Baden-Württemberg accepts an FSP from another state. Hesse accepts it "in der Regel". In Bavaria, each approved institution decides if it admits candidates from other states.

How often can I repeat the FSP in Bavaria? The Bavarian FAQ sets no limit on the number of retakes. The institution sends the result at the latest three weeks after the exam.

Your next step

Solve the free telc Pflege Übungstest 1 online now, or download the PDF. Your score tells you if the telc exam route is realistic before you book.

Answer key

Item	Answer	Why
1	falsch	15 January is the deadline for her choice: adaptation programme or knowledge test. The language proof comes after that step.
2	richtig	The letter says: Wir akzeptieren auch eine bestandene Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege aus einem anderen Bundesland.
3	falsch	Ein Zertifikat auf dem Niveau B1 reicht nicht aus. The authority needs B2.
4	b	The result came first, then she sent the certificate. Nachdem shows this order. Bevor gives the wrong order.
5	c	bitten takes an infinitive with zu: das Original zu schicken. um … zu needs a purpose, and für takes a noun.
6	a	The verb is warten auf + accusative. für and an do not go with warten in this meaning.

Official sources

Recognition rules checked against the official state pages on 6 November 2026. Rules can change. Your state authority decides your case.

Selected

Fachsprachenprüfung Pflege vs telc B1·B2 Pflege: Which Exam Do Nurses Need? (2026)