First State Examination

Once all the exams in the foundation stage have been passed, students sit the First State Examination – or, officially, the first section of the Pharmaceutical Examination. Over four consecutive days, the following subjects are assessed in the form of multiple-choice questions:

1. General, inorganic and organic chemistry (100 questions, 2.5 hours)
2. Fundamentals of pharmaceutical biology and human biology (100 questions, 2.5 hours)
3. Fundamentals of physics, physical chemistry and pharmaceutical dosage forms (80 questions, 2 hours)
4. Fundamentals of pharmaceutical analysis (80 questions, 2 hours)

The questions are standardised across Germany and are set by the IMPP (Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions). The topics relevant to the examination can be found (external link, opens in a new window)in the (external link, opens in a new window)current syllabus (external link, opens in a new window).

The exam is considered passed if at least 50 per cent of the questions in each subject have been answered correctly. If you have failed one of the exam subjects, you can retake it on the next available date.

Exam dates are in autumn (late August) and spring (mid-March).

Applications for admission to the first part of the Pharmaceutical Examination must be submitted to the State Examination Office of the Government of Upper Bavaria. The documents required for the application usually include certified copies of the following documents

• Birth certificate
• A-level certificate
• Certificate of clinical placement
• Proof of enrolment
• Registration confirmation for the first part of the Pharmaceutical Examination
• Certificates of attendance for the required modules (online)

Please check the State Examination Office (external link, opens in a new window) ’s website again for the latest information on the documents and certificates required, as well as the submission deadlines. It is important NOT to send any originals, as you will not get them back!

As a rule, an information session organised by the programme co-ordination team regarding the First State Examination and the transition to the main phase of studies takes place in the 4th semester.

If you do not sit the first state examination immediately after the fourth semester, please do not worry! There are plenty of people who do the same. How this is organised, what you need to bear in mind and what options are available to you will also be explained at the information session, or you can enquire with the programme co-ordination team.

The most important part of your preparation is undoubtedly working through past state examination questions on keine-bange.de (external link, opens in a new window). You can obtain the necessary access code free of charge from us at the student union. However, the site only contains the answers to the questions and no explanations. You can find commentary on the questions at pharma4u (external link, opens in a new window). Membership costs €95 a year and comes with many other benefits.

If, whilst going through the questions, you realise that you’re still lacking some of the basics in certain areas, it’s a good idea to use textbooks to help you out. We’ve put together a list of the most common books for the first state exam:

• Ehlers: Chemistry I
• Ehlers: Chemistry II
• Ehlers: Analytical Chemistry I
• Ehlers: Analytical Chemistry II
• Rücker/Neugebauer/Willems: Instrumental Pharmaceutical Analysis
• Dominik/Steinhilber: Instrumental Analysis
• Reinhard: Pharmaceutical Biology 1
• Leistner/Breckle: Pharmaceutical Biology: A Concise Guide (including Human Biology)
• Barth: Physics
• Harms: Physics for Medical and Pharmaceutical Students

As well as traditional textbooks, the internet can also be a useful resource. YouTube in particular offers a wealth of illustrative material to help refresh your knowledge of the basics. Examples include simpleclub, Physikcoach, AMBOSS and Professor Dave Explains, to name but a few.

The First State Examination is the first really major exam of your degree programme, and at first you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of topics. But always remember that many students before you have had to go through this and passed in the end. So you can do it too!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our programme coordinator (external link, opens in a new window), Dr Sarah Sutor. If you have any concerns or problems, please feel free to use our suggestion box!