Preparation for the expert examination
Opportunities and learning tips
We provide you with tips and aids for your preparation for the expert knowledge examination according to § 34a of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO). Even though there is no “compulsory course” to prepare for the examination, you should definitely be well prepared for the examination. Because the Failure rate in the case of the expert examinations is very high. And even if you can repeat your exam without any problems: The examination fees will be due again each time. That can quickly add up to a lot of money!
How should I prepare?
That depends first and foremost on you and your learning style. Of course, the time available and financial aspects also play a role:
The most personal support is usually provided in courses at a Education provider on site. These face-to-face courses take place as full-time preparatory courses or part-time, at weekends or as evening seminars. Classroom courses are usually problematic if you are tied up with work or family, have little time or are only mobile to a limited extent. The costs for a classroom training course also amount to several hundred euros.
Classic Distance learning for the preparation of the expert knowledge examination are offered only rarely. However, there are excellent Learning programmes (apps) and online learning platforms. These learning models are significantly cheaper than face-to-face courses. Here, too, a personal contact person is usually available for questions online, by email or by telephone. Thanks to interactive learning methods, the knowledge transfer here is quite efficient and targeted.
Online seminars and online videos are often offered as a supplement or as part of more comprehensive online courses on learning platforms. Depending on the scope and type, these media are very suitable for preparation — especially if the contact person is available “live” and for individual questions. Preparation solely via YouTube videos is not advisable, as the quality of the content is not guaranteed.
Books and exercise books are also an ideal supplement to the preparation. However, preparing exclusively with written documents is risky! Not everyone is able to wade through pages and pages of exam-relevant content on their own and stay focused. In addition, there is often a lack of information on which topics are particularly important and which content you may only need to skim over. There is also no possibility to ask questions in case of ambiguities and, above all, no feedback as to whether one has actually prepared correctly and sufficiently.