Berlin police: candidates failed exam

Berlin regions report that an increasing number of police job candidates are failing the German language exam. According to academy head Nancy Boy-Seifert, candidates must write a dictation and pass a grammar test, but only slightly more than half succeed.

About 40% fail due to errors in spelling, punctuation, articles, and verb tenses.

The police urgently need new staff: 30% of officers will retire by 2030. In 2025, only 457 out of 6,355 candidates were accepted, while the target was 624.

Background context: In Germany, candidates in all branches of the police force must pass a German language proficiency exam as a condition of employment, requiring a high level of vocabulary, grammar, and written expression.

Context

In Germany, candidates in all branches of the police force must pass a German language proficiency exam as a condition of employment.