Mr Assenmacher, examinations are meant to show whether trainees are professionally competent. What does that mean?

The Vocational Training Act clearly defines what professional competence means: trainees must acquire the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for qualified work in an ever-changing professional world. Put simply: those competent can carry out their job effectively—not just theoretically but practically, making confident decisions and handling tasks independently.

Who creates these tasks?

The examination tasks are developed directly based on practice: by a collaboration of corporate professionals—both employees and employers—alongside vocational schoolteachers. These are people who work daily in their respective fields and know exactly the skills required today. Vocational schoolteachers bring another strength: their academic training prepares them to translate complex technical knowledge into didactic content for vocational education.

And how is professional competence translated into a realistic task that is fair to everyone?

Such tasks are developed through consensus. Experts from companies and vocational schools jointly review whether an idea or proposal for an examination task is both relevant and practicable. This process highlights the strength of the volunteer practitioners: they draw upon their day-to-day experiences and transform them into practical examination tasks. This ensures realistic scenarios while maintaining fairness.

The training regulations also provide specifications. What role do they play in creating examination tasks?

The training regulations define the competences that candidates must demonstrate in the examination. These are supplemented by the operational training plan and the academic curriculum. In practical terms: these three elements are the ingredients. The chefs—corporate practitioners and teachers—decide how to turn these into a delicious dish. Step by step, a concrete, practical examination task is born from legal specifications.

What criteria determine whether a task is too easy, too difficult, or "just right"?

The decision is made collectively by experts in the sector-specific committees. They examine whether a task meets the required competences, reflects real operational workflows, and can be solved using the skills that trainees are supposed to possess at the end of their training. Input from practitioners across different fields ensures diverse perspectives. Moreover, examinations are intentionally layered, starting with simpler questions to build confidence before progressing in difficulty. This creates a fair examination that strikes a balance between challenge and accessibility.

How is coordination conducted within committees, and who makes the final decision?

Committee work functions entirely based on consensus. This approach may take time but ensures that all participants support the results. The experts, often long-standing collaborators from varied professional backgrounds, bring a wide range of perspectives. While this makes coordination more complex, it ensures a comprehensive representation of the occupation. Still, everyone shares a common goal: to develop a fair, practical examination for the trainees.

What feedback do you receive after an examination, and how do you implement that in the next round of tasks?

Examinations are often perceived as particularly demanding. The feedback sent to task creation bodies is correspondingly extensive, ranging from "there wasn't enough time" to "question 4 was unclear." Constructive and helpful criticism is systematically analysed before the next task creation phase and discussed in the examination task creation committees. Valuable insights are directly incorporated into further developments, ensuring continual improvement.

What advice would you give to trainers to best prepare their trainees for examinations?

Provide your trainees with comprehensive, high-quality training. That alone should be sufficient preparation for testing. On a personal note: consider volunteering to join an examination committee. Some industries are in dire need of examiners. Your local IHK can inform you about which sectors especially need support. Volunteering offers personal benefits: examiners often report expanding their networks, staying informed about industry developments, and gaining solutions to challenges in other companies.

What advice would you give to trainees as their examinations approach?

Take your training seriously from the start and continuously commit to learning. That way, you can approach the examination confidently. Those who understand what they are doing have no need to memorise.