Egal ob es um einen Online-Kurs, um einen Präsenzlehrgang oder um Kombinationen aus beidem geht: Als Teilnehmer möchte man die Weiterbildung erfolgreich abschließen – klar! Doch neben dem eigenen Ehrgeiz ist ein wesentlicher Faktor für Erfolg oder Misserfolg der richtige Bildungsträger. In diesem Beitrag erfahren Sie, wie sie seriöse Kursanbieter erkennen und schwarze Schafe aussortieren können.
Warum der richtige Kursanbieter wichtig ist…
Zeit ist Geld – und gerade, wenn man im Beruf sicher weiterkommen möchte, möchte man keine Risiken eingehen. Das Ziel wird es sein, möglichst effizient und ohne Umwege zum gewünschten Weiterbildungsabschluss oder Kurszertifikat zu gelangen. Das geht ohne Experimente nur mit etablierten, erfahrenen Bildungsanbietern, die zusammen mit den eingesetzten Dozenten über die erforderlichen Kompetenzen verfügen. Darüber hinaus müssen Anbieter, wenn sich Teilnehmer ihre Weiterbildung staatlich fördern lassen, bestimmte Voraussetzungen erfüllen. Zu diesen können Anerkennungen der Agentur für Arbeit zählen, wie eine Zulassung nach AZAV oder bei Fernlehrgängen der ZFU. Bei der AZAV handelt es sich um die Akkreditierungs- und Zulassungsverordnung Arbeitsförderung, bei der ZFU um von der Staatliche Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht staatlich zugelassene Fernlehrgänge. Ganz besonders aber auch Selbstzahler, die selbst bezüglich ihrer Karriere finanziell in Vorleistung gehen, möchten ganz bestimmt eine Gewähr dafür haben, auf den richtigen Kursanbieter zu setzen.
Was sollten gute Kursanbieter bieten?
Die folgenden Aspekte sind allgemeine und übergreifende Merkmale, die einen guten Kursanbieter ausmachen:
Aktualität der Inhalte: Gute Kursanbieter bieten qualitativ hochwertige Lehrinhalte an, die relevant und aktuell sind. Dadurch erhalten Lernende praxisnahe und fundierte Kenntnisse, die ihnen in ihrem Beruf weiterhelfen.
Qualität der Lehrenden: Die Qualität der Lehrenden beeinflusst maßgeblich den Lernerfolg. Gute Kursanbieter setzen erfahrene und kompetente Dozenten ein, die die Inhalte verständlich vermitteln können und auf die individuellen Bedürfnisse der Lernenden eingehen.
Anerkennung der Zertifikate/Abschlüsse: Kurse von renommierten Anbietern werden oft von Unternehmen und Organisationen anerkannt bzw. bereiten diese auf staatlich anerkannte Abschlüsse z.B. der IHK vor. Ein solches Zertifikat kann daher das berufliche Profil der Lernenden verbessern und ihre Karrierechancen klar erhöhen.
Innovative Lernmethoden: Gute Kursanbieter setzen moderne und innovative Lernmethoden ein, um den Lernprozess effektiver und interessanter zu gestalten. Dies kann z. B. durch interaktive Online-Kurse oder praxisnahe Workshops geschehen.
Netzwerkmöglichkeiten: Einige Kursanbieter bieten auch die Möglichkeit, mit anderen Fachleuten aus der Branche in Kontakt zu treten und ein berufliches Netzwerk aufzubauen. Dies kann für die berufliche Entwicklung der Lernenden sehr vorteilhaft sein.
Auf welche Punkte sollte ich ganz konkret achten, wenn ich mich in der privaten Sicherheit fortbilden möchte?
Gehen Sie folgende Punkte durch. Kaum ein Anbieter wird alle Anforderungen erfüllen. Jedoch sollten bei guten und seriösen Bildungsanbieter die wesentliche Punkte bejaht werden können:
Reputationscheck: Prüfen Sie, welche Erfahrungen andere mit dem Anbieter gemacht haben. Neben reinen Bewertungen (z.B. Google-Sternen) lassen Kommentare einen besseren Einblick zu. Wichtig ist aber zu wissen, dass einerseits häufig eher Personen Kommentare hinterlassen, die unzufrieden waren. Andererseits gibt es Unternehmen, die Kommentare und Bewertungen selbst vornehmen (lassen) oder dagegen anwaltlich vorgehen, um diese entfernen zu lassen. Ebenso gibt es – meist kommerzielle – Bewertungsportale, die prinzipiell auf Seite der Anbieter sind und kritische Bewertungen erst gar nicht freigeben. Kommentare und Bewertungen im Internet sind daher nicht immer unbedingt repräsentativ. Eine gute Möglichkeit ist, Absolventen persönlich zu fragen oder Bekannte, die derzeit am gewünschten Kurs teilnehmen. Falls man niemanden kennt, kann man auch in den Sozialen Netzwerken wie z.B. der Facebook-Gruppe „Mit Sicherheit erfolgreich.“ nachfragen.
Überprüfung der Webseite und des Angebots: Wie sind die Seiten gestaltet? Ist die Ansprache (auch orthographisch und grammatisch) korrekt? Sieht die Internetseite des in Frage kommenden Anbieters schon aus wie von vorgestern, ist das ein Anzeichen dafür, dass das angebotene Lernprogramm wahrscheinlich auch nicht auf der Höhe der Zeit ist. Dies betrifft sowohl didaktische als auch methodische Konzepte. Eine fehlerfreie, ansprechende und moderne Website auf dem Stand der Technik kann – gerade wenn der Kurs online oder online-gestützt erfolgen soll – ein probates Anzeichen dafür sein, dass Methoden und Inhalte auf der Höhe der Zeit sind. Doch auch hier Vorsicht: Manche Anbieter machen einfach nur ein gutes Marketing mit mehr Schein als Sein! Sehen Sie sich daher zudem genau an, was (später im gebuchten Kurs) geboten wird und was Ihnen wichtig ist.
Unternehmensinformationen und Impressum: Hat der Anbieter ein ordentliches Impressum mit einem deutschen Firmensitz oder handelt es sich um eine Website, von der man gar nicht erst weiß wer dahinter steckt? Wenn Letzteres der Fall ist, sollten die Alarmglocken schrillen. Ebenso kann eine Google-Recherche dazu beitragen, mehr über das Unternehmen zu erfahren, z. B. wie lange es schon existiert, wer die Gründer sind und ob es in der Presse erwähnt wurde. Seriöse Unternehmen sind oft transparent über ihre Geschichte und Hintergründe.
Seiten-Sicherheit und Zahlungsarten: Seriöse Seiten müssen in Deutschland und der EU auch technische Anforderungen erfüllen. Dazu gehört, dass unter anderem die DSGVO mit Datenschutzvorgaben beachtet werden muss. In der Regel verfügen seriöse Seiten daher über eine Datenschutzerklärung und einen sogenannten Cookie-Hinweis, der aufklärt wie mit personenbezogenen Daten umgegangen wird. Sie werden meist um eine Einwilligung in die Datenverarbeitung gebeten. Ebenso sollten seriöse Webseiten über eine SSL-Verschlüsselung („https://“ oder Schloss-Symbol in der Adressleiste) verfügen und bewährte Zahlungsmöglichkeiten unter Hinweis auf das Widerrufsrecht anbieten.
Kontaktaufnahme zum Anbieter: Wenn möglich, kontaktieren Sie den Anbieter direkt, z. B. per E‑Mail oder Telefon. Und vereinbaren Sie, wenn möglich und für Sie sinnvoll, einen Beratungstermin beim Anbieter in den Räumlichkeiten vor Ort. Stellen Sie Fragen zu den angebotenen Produkten oder Dienstleistungen und achten Sie auf die Reaktion des Anbieters. Seriöse Anbieter sollten professionell und hilfsbereit antworten. Die Reaktionszeiten auf Anfragen können ebenfalls gute Rückschlüsse auf die Servicequalität zulassen. Bei einem Besuch vor Ort haben Sie gegebenenfalls außerdem einen direkten Eindruck bezüglich den Räumlichkeiten und den Lernbedingungen.
Prüfung von Zertifizierungen und Mitgliedschaften des Anbieters: Seriöse Anbieter sind zertifiziert oder Mitglieder in Branchenverbänden. Überprüfen Sie, ob der Anbieter solche Zertifizierungen oder Mitgliedschaften vorweisen kann und ob diese gültig sind. Wichtig ist, dass es sich nicht um sinnfreie „Fake-Auszeichnungen“ handelt, sondern tatsächlich um aussagekräftige Zertifizierungen. Hierzu können insbesondere folgende zählen:
QM-Zertifikat (ISO 9001)
AZAV-Akrreditierung (> Wichtig bei Förderung durch die Arbeitsagentur!)
ZFU-Zulassung (> Pflicht bei Fernlehrgängen!)
Spezialisierung auf die Sicherheitsbranche (z.B. BDSW-zertifizierte Sicherheitsfachschulen)
Prüfung der Qualifikation und Erfahrung der Dozenten: Dies ist ein entscheidender Punkt. Die Qualifikationen und Erfahrung der Dozenten sind entscheidend für die Qualität der Lehre. Gut ausgebildete Dozenten können Lehrinhalte klar vermitteln und das Interesse der Studierenden wecken. Ihre fachliche Kompetenz ermöglicht es ihnen, auf Fragen einzugehen und aktuelle Entwicklungen zu vermitteln. Erfahrene Dozenten können die Studierenden auch persönlich unterstützen. Folgende Aspekte sollten bejaht werden:
Die eingesetzten Dozenten sollten mindestens über die Qualifikation verfügen, deren Ziel die Teilnahme am Kurs ist. Ideal ist, wenn die Dozenten Master for protection and security sind oder ein entsprechend der Kursinhalte passendes Studyabgeschlossen haben.
Die Dozenten sollten über adäquate didaktische und methodische Fähigkeiten verfügen, um Wissen richtig vermitteln zu können. Deswegen sollten die Lehrenden über die Ausbildereignung (den Ausbilderschein) verfügen oder aber über eine andere entsprechende, höherwertige pädagogische Ausbildung.
Grau ist alle Theorie: Die Dozenten sollten aber praktisch wissen, worüber sie reden. Daher sollten Lehrende über ausreichende, idealerweise mehrjährige Berufspraxis auf dem zu vermittelnden Themengebiet verfügen.
Lebenslanges Lernen ist nicht nur ein Buzzword: Dozenten sollten Up-to-Date sein und über aktuelle Entwicklungen und Neuerungen Bescheid wissen.
Der Schulungsleiter und/oder Dozenten sollten nach Möglichkeit selbst als Mitglied in den Prüfungsausschüssen (z.B. der Industrie- und Handelskammer) vertreten sein. So ist weitgehend sichergestellt, dass tatsächlich auch der Prüfungsbezug gegeben ist und relevantes Wissen vermittelt wird.
Leistungen und Extrakosten: Vergleichen Sie genau, was angeboten wird und ob das das ist, was Sie benötigen bzw. was auf das Erreichen des Ziels einzahlen kann. Manchmal werden Fantasieabschlüsse angeboten (z.B. „Sicherheitsfachkraft“), ohne wirklichen Mehrwert auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Manchmal enthalten diese auch „nur“ die Vorbereitung auf die Sachkundeprüfung und ein wertloses Teilnahmezertifikat des Kursanbieters, sind dafür aber deutlich überteuert. Schauen Sie, was an Lehrmitteln (Büchern, Lernskripten, Karteikarten, Online-Inhalte, etc.) geboten wird und vergleichen Sie dies mit anderen Anbietern. Fragen Sie, ob im Kurspreis alles inklusive ist, oder ob an irgendeiner Stelle möglicherweise zusätzliche Kosten auf Sie zukommen.
Checkliste zum Vergleich von Bildungsträger in der privaten Sicherheit
Wer in der privaten Sicherheitsbranche eine Weiterbildung machen möchte – egal ob es sich um die Sachkundeprüfung nach § 34a GewO oder Aufstiegsfortbildungen wie die Geprüfte Schutz- und Sicherheitskraft oder sogar den Meister für Schutz und Sicherheit handelt – steht vor der Qual der Wahl: Es gibt zahlreiche Anbieter auf dem Bildungsmarkt, gerade auch für die Sachkundeprüfung. Bei der Auswahl helfen kann eventuell die Checkliste der Akademie für Sicherheit (Download). Außerdem bietet der Inhaber der Mission: Weiterbildung GmbH, Jörg Zitzmann, im Podcast für Schutz und Sicherheit eine passende Folge zur Wahl des Bildungsträgers an:
Neben der Akademie für Sicherheit (AfS) gibt es natürlich bundesweit noch viele andere seriöse Anbieter, mit denen man einen Kurs bzw. einen Aus- und Weiterbildungsabschluss erfolgreich bestehen kann. Wenn Sie bestimmte Bildungsträger empfehlen können, mit denen Sie gute Erfahrungen gemacht haben, können Sie gerne Ihre Eindrücke als Kommentar ganz unten auf dieser Seite für andere Interessenten schildern.
The expert knowledge examination in the guarding trade according to § 34a of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung) is an important prerequisite for entering the profession in this field. It is intended to ensure that applicants have the necessary knowledge to guarantee the safety of people and the protection of property. In this context, the question arises whether it makes sense to just learn all possible exam questions and answers by heart without delving deeper into the content of the exam.
Exam questions: Theory and practice
No question — learning with 34a exam questions offers many advantages. Pure memorisation of exam questions and answers is not a suitable preparation method in this context, as the exam may also include situational questions. This is especially the case in the oral part of the exam. In addition, it is important to understand the connections between different subject areas and to be able to apply them to concrete practical cases. Superficial preparation may lead to some candidates passing the exam but not being able to apply their knowledge in practice. As a rule, however, passing the exam also becomes a challenge if one only learns by heart and has not gained a real understanding of the contents.
Challenges
Furthermore, it is important not only to know the legal basics and the relevant regulations, but also to understand the psychological and communicative aspects of the profession. After all, private security guards must not only recognise and ward off dangers, but also be able to apply de-escalation techniques and deal with difficult situations. This also includes communicating effectively and resolving conflicts. Of course, it is not only the learning content that plays a role here, but above all professional experience and the passing on of experience, e.g. within the framework of a preparatory course or in exchange with experienced colleagues. Incidentally, there is a focus on the legal topics of the 34a professional qualification examination. Topics such as criminal law or civil law are Weighted twice in the written examination. One should not leave any points lying around lightly by understanding the legal matter here, not to mention the risks of legal ignorance when later working in the security service.
Understanding the contents of the examination
Exam candidates should engage intensively with the content of the exam and try to gain a deeper understanding. They should not only deal with the facts, but also with the contexts and the meaning of what they have learned. One way to do this is to talk to other people who are also preparing for the exam or are already working in the industry. Practical experience can also help to deepen understanding and apply what has been learned. Generally recommended are Books, online courses and classroom trainingThe course is designed to provide a context and not to work exclusively with test questions and solutions. Explanations based on case studies can make a significant contribution to understanding, especially legal topics.
Conclusion
In summary, it does not make sense to just memorise all possible exam questions and answers without delving deeper into the content of the exam. Instead, candidates should deal intensively with the contents of the exam and try to gain a deeper understanding. This can help them not only to pass the exam but also to be able to apply their knowledge in practice and to work successfully in the private security industry.
Talking around it is useless. One thing is clear: The traditional security industry is a low-wage sector!
Nevertheless: the security industry offers variety, responsible, exciting and also quiet jobs. And if you’re smart, you can make ends meet. But — what do you earn as a security guard with a certificate of competence?
What matters when it comes to earnings in the security industry…
If you decide to work in the private security sector or are looking for a new employer, the financial aspects certainly play a major role. There are several factors that contribute to a good hourly wage. The most important aspects for a more attractive salary are listed below.
Level of education and training
Obviously, the better trained you are, the higher your earning potential. As an unskilled security guard only with training according to § 34a GewO, you will very often not be paid much more than the minimum wage. With the expert knowledge examination, you can achieve a good bit more basic hourly wage with manageable effort.. You can go even further with further training to become a certified protection and security worker or with training to become a specialist for protection and security. Incidentally, the minimum wage nationwide has been 12.43 euros per hour since 1 January 2023. The increase to 13 euros per hour from 1 April 2023 has already been decided.
Additional qualifications
Additional qualifications, for example in first aid or fire protection (e.g. as a fire protection assistant), are very helpful and increase the market value of security staff. These do not always have a direct effect on the hourly wage, but they are always a plus point in job applications. Additional qualifications include the following:
Fire safety helper
Evacuation helper
Lift rescue (rescue of persons from lifts)
Intervention force
NSL specialist
Safety Officer (Occupational Safety)
Hygiene/Health Officer
Basic knowledge course in radiation protection and decontamination
Weapons expertise examination
Intercultural skills and knowledge of foreign languages, especially at least basic English, should also not be underestimated.
Activity
The security industry has many facets and therefore the activities that security workers perform are also very diverse. Accordingly, there are sometimes serious wage differences. Security activities such as separate guards and simple guarding activities are often rather poorly paid. Jobs that require special skills often pay well. For example in the Aviation security, in the range Cash and valuables transport, during the activity in nuclear facilities, in which Underground and suburban railway guarding or as an NSL specialist in Emergency call and service control centres the earnings are often significantly higher than the industry average. The exact amount of the wage for the job can be found in the Collective agreements take from them. If they have been declared generally binding, which is usually the case, they apply to all employees. (It is best to add the federal state to the Google search to narrow down the results).
Working hours
Anyone who is already active in the industry and works in shifts knows it: Often, biorhythms and private life suffer from the changing working hours. However, working night shifts, Sundays and public holidays often offers decisive financial advantages. Depending on the federal state/collective agreement, the following benefits can be earned Night, Sunday and public holiday surcharges that are well worth seeing. What’s more, these tax-free! On public holidays in many places 100% Surcharge possiblei.e. in addition to the actual daily wage, you receive the same amount again — but tax-free! Viewed over the month, depending of course on the amount of night, Sunday and public holiday hours, the following can be achieved Several hundred euros on top earn. Especially around the turn of the year or at Easter, this can be a lucrative affair.
Overtime/overtime
Overtime is, of course, a partial aspect of working hours. Nevertheless, I would like to devote a separate point to this aspect here. Why? Because experience shows that a lot of overtime is worked in the security sector, often much more than is legally permissible and with too few breaks between assignments. Think carefully about whether you want to go along with this and should actually work 200, 220, 240 or even more hours per month. My tip at this point would be to invest in further education and not to trade so much time for money: Memento Mori — your lifetime is also limited. Set priorities and make a good decision for you, also for your future.
State
As in other industries, there is a West-East divide in the private security sector. In the past, these wage differences were really glaring. Security workers in Berlin earned in some areas not even half of those who worked in Bavaria. As a rule, the best-paid federal states include Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Among the lowest paid are still the new federal states, for example Brandenburg or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Just a few years ago, one could barely keep one’s head above water with a job as a security guard in the East German states. However, the minimum wage and the gradual convergence of collective agreements are increasingly putting the differences into perspective. In addition, one should not forget that where people earn more, they usually earn less. Cost of living (especially rents) are higher. So think carefully — if you are toying with the idea — whether a move is really worth it for you.
Industry
Many people think of security service jobs in the classic way, as the security company that as a service provider external customers. Whereas in the past, veteran employees in factories came to the plant security service towards the end of their working lives to spend the last years of their careers doing less strenuous work, the situation has changed considerably nowadays. Professional, external security service providers look after a large number of companies from business and industry or the public sector as clients. But they still exist, despite the decades-long trend towards outsourcing. The Internal plant security. Especially in industry, property and plant protection activities are when you are directly employed by the manufacturing company, very well paid. Der Grund hierfür ist, dass Sie nach dem Branchentarif bezahlt werden, dem die Masse der Belegschaft angehört. Werfen Sie einen Blick in die Rate tables for the metal and electrical industry! These monthly salaries are in a different league.
Allowances
Allowances regulated by collective agreement are usually paid for guard/shift leaders, for dog handlers or in certain facilities such as military properties. Likewise, there are often allowances for on-call duties, e.g. for (additional) work in the plant fire brigade. These range from a few cents per hour up to over 10% more pay. In Bavaria, there is also slightly more money if you work in the greater Munich area.
Security companies or their clients also sometimes pay Voluntary (revocable) allowances. Manchmal gibt es auch Einmal-Prämien für besonders erfolgreiche Einsätze oder für herausragende Arbeitsleistungen. Leider sind diese Art Zulagen aber eher die Ausnahme. Immer häufiger vorzufinden ist aber eine Wechselprämie, also so eine Art „Begrüßungsgeld“. Das allein sollte aber aber nicht unbedingt der alleinige Grund für einen Arbeitgeberwechsel sein.
Concrete numbers
You would like to know concrete figures?
If you have read the article up to this point, you will realise that this is difficult, as it can depend on a number of factors such as the federal state, the job, the working hours and their (additional) qualifications. Nevertheless, a concrete example:
Monthly salary in the separate guard service with IHK specialist knowledge examination in 2023 in Bavaria:
14,00 Euro per hour
180 hours per month
thereof
12h holiday
16h Sunday
60h night
This results in approx. 2520 euros of taxable income (gross) and just under 420 euros of tax-free supplements.With income tax class 1 and no children, a single person thus receives approx. 2170 Euro net transferred. However, this calculation is for illustrative purposes only. Your actual salary paid out may depend on numerous factors!
Hint: This article was last updated in February 2023. As there are regular adjustments to both the minimum wage and collective agreement regulations, the framework conditions may have changed in the meantime! (All information without guarantee.)
The expert knowledge examination according to § 34a of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act is an entry-level qualification for employees in the private security industry. It serves as proof of basic knowledge, especially with regard to fundamental legal aspects relevant to working in the guard and security service. In addition, the successfully passed expert knowledge examination with proof from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce is a prerequisite for carrying out special guarding tasks and being allowed to become self-employed as a security contractor.
A certificate of competence is required for the following activities
As a security guard (employee), you need proof that you have successfully passed an examination of competence at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) (according to § 34a GewO) if you provide security in the entrance area of discotheques in the hospitality industry (bouncers), patrols in public traffic areas (e.g. city patrols), patrols in areas with actual public traffic, activities to protect against shoplifters (department store or store detectives). (e.g. city patrols), patrols in areas of the premises with actual public traffic, activities to protect against shoplifters (shop detectives), guarding of asylum and refugee accommodation (only in a managerial capacity) as well as guarding of large events with protected access (only in a managerial capacity).
The purpose of the expert knowledge examination
Why there is the expert knowledge examination has several reasons. When private individuals — including employees of security companies — guard other people’s lives or property, this entails special duties and a great responsibility. As a security guard, you have to know your rights and the legal limits, i.e. what is allowed and what is forbidden. On the other hand, due to their position as guarantor, they are obliged to prevent damage to the client. In contrast to the police, you do not have any special powers and must therefore be able to weigh up exactly to what extent you are allowed to interfere with the rights of third parties in a particular situation. If you go too far, you run the risk of being charged with offences such as deprivation of liberty or bodily harm. If you sleep on duty and do not comply with your duty to protect, you can also end up in court for committing an offence by omission if you cause harm. For these reasons, among others — listed here as examples — it is important to acquire the specialised knowledge in order to later have the necessary confidence to act in the guarding business.
Both Jörg Zitzmann as well as Kai Deliomini are very well known in the private security industry.
Among other things, both are represented in IHK examination committees in the field of protection and security, are active as authors of books for the preparation of the expert knowledge examination and are represented with many helpful videos on YouTube and in podcasts.
With not infrequent failure rates between 30 and 50%, the question naturally arises: What’s the reason?
Some factors for success or failure are obvious. Some problems can be solved quickly and easily, some simply require intensive learning, practice and perseverance. Before I go on to point out what I consider to be the main (mis)success factors, here is the very interesting conversation between Jörg Zitzmann and Kai Deliomini on YouTube:
My top 5 reasons why so many people fail the written and oral IHK specialist knowledge examination
From my experience, the following factors are the main reasons for failure with the “34a-licence”:
Lack of motivation / lack of interest
Many participants do not see any added value in the exam. They have no real interest in the content, so they don’t want to learn at all. This is particularly pronounced among people who are “sent” by their employer or the employment agency and are not actually interested in the private security sector at all. But even if the participation itself is of their own accord: The examination is often not seen as an opportunity but as a necessary evil. Lack of motivation and interest, however, are diametrically opposed to exam success.
No sufficient preparation of the content
Some people take the exam lightly. Multiple-choice questions with pre-set answers to tick off and only 50% necessary correct answers to pass — what could go wrong, you ask yourself. But far from it. The legal topics in particular are tough. In addition, there is excitement, especially in the oral exam, and questions where you may have to think a little outside the box. If you don’t have the necessary knowledge and thus the confidence to act, you will quickly be eliminated. Comprehensive preparation is the be-all and end-all for exam success!
Insufficient knowledge of German
A lot has already been asked and said about German language skills. One thing is certain: many people who work in the security sector are not native speakers of German. Multilingualism is often important for the job, but so is sufficient knowledge of German. This is because the examination is offered exclusively in German and you must also be able to communicate confidently in German in your everyday work as a security guard. Legal texts are written in difficult language, “officialese” is usually just as difficult to understand, and the exam questions sometimes depend on individual words that can change the meaning in one direction or another or provide hints for solutions.
Structure and manner of the examination are unclear
Many people are not completely clear about the framework conditions of the exam. But only if you know which topics are important and how, and how the exam is structured, can you prepare for it specifically and efficiently. For example, there are topics that you can quickly get over, which can usually be answered with common sense. Some topics, on the other hand, count twice and some require more intensive study. In addition, there are empirical values for the oral examination and tactical tips for working through test questions, which should be conveyed by a competent lecturer or author, for example.
Difficult individual conditions
Of course, people are different. Everyone has different personal prerequisites and the general conditions (e.g. family obligations, free time for learning, learning environment, etc.) also play a significant role in success and failure. You may also know people who can memorise things with a “quick glance” and recall this knowledge at the snap of a finger. Others, on the other hand, find this significantly more difficult. Some people also have no problem at all speaking in front of others in an exam situation, most are naturally tense, some participants suffer downright from exam anxiety.
Ask yourself to what extent the points above apply to you, how you can avoid mistakes in your preparation and compensate for any deficits. You can find more information on this right here in the subject knowledge information portal numerous tips and Links to other sites or media such as YouTube.
The crucial question in the field of subject matter preparation: How long to learn, how much to practise?
The question about preparation time is truly a classic question that I get asked again and again. But there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this.
The answer is: it depends!
There are a number of factors that influence the length of preparation. One major one is the learner himself/herself, others are the learning environment and conditions, and the way one prepares. Here some experiencewhich may of course differ in individual cases:
As a German Native speaker the exam is much easier for you overall
If you already Prior knowledge e.g. from a training course according to § 34a GewO, you only need to repeat and deepen a large part of the learning topics.
As a young person who is both Learning and learning methods still used to from school & studies, as well as Exam situations you often find it easier to prepare
Also on the side is the expert knowledge examination with a preparation period of approx. 2 months well manageable. If you have more time, e.g. because you have no other commitments and can study full time, a significantly shorter learning period will also suffice. Who a lot on one’s mind (family, job, voluntary work, etc.) should be on the safe side. Allow more time.
Besides your personal performance requirements also plays the Motivation play a big role! Motivated and goal-oriented people who see the exam positively as a new career opportunity usually prepare better and come out of the IHK exam successful!
If you use the wrong exam content learn or use these not properly explained become, then you are wasting time or get mixed up. The same applies to practice questions, which you should definitely prepare with. Use Tried and tested and well evaluated learning material such as books, flashcards, apps or online courses for your preparation!
By Fixed periods for learning (e.g. always in the evening from 6 to 8 p.m.), you can continuously expand your knowledge and overcome your inner obstacle more easily.
In addition, use otherwise Unused times and other free spaces (e.g. waiting time at the doctor’s, idling at work, travelling by train etc.) for learning and answering 34a test questions!
Best Practice: My recommendation for preparation on the side
If you would like to prepare for the expert knowledge examination on the side within one or two months and safely achieve your § 34a certificate, the following has proven itself following learning tactics proven:
Study with your learning material for 1–2 hours every day. On weekends, study one day, for a total of at least 8 hours very intensively — including working on test questions. (If you work on weekends, then take another day off as a weekly intensive learning day). At the end of each learning phase, do some mock exams to check your learning level (learning target check). Areas in which you are not yet proficient enough should be studied more intensively on the following days. Keep doing this until you achieve correct solutions in the stable 90% mock exams. Then you should be fit for the exam. You can find more tips — also for preparing for the oral exam — at www.sachkunde-34a.de/insider-tipps-lernunterlagen-34a.
No. Taking the 34a exam is only possible in German.
Security expertise test soon to be in Russian, Arabic or English
I have often been asked whether the expert knowledge examination according to § 34a GewO can also be taken in another language — as is the case with the driving licence examination, which in Germany is also conducted in English, French, Greek, Italian, Croatian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Turkish, among other languages. This is not possible in the case of the expert knowledge examination! And in my opinion, that is a good thing. While the rules in road traffic are quite similar in the EU, e.g. as far as the appearance and meaning of traffic signs are concerned, it is more delicate in the area of private security. On the one hand, you have to be able to navigate very safely through the legal norms here, i.e. you have to know the relevant laws and regulations of the country in detail. For another, you are always dealing directly with people and communication is an essential factor in dealing with others, e.g. in de-escalation. Quite apart from the fact that German legal texts are sometimes difficult to understand linguistically, the language also has its subtleties in practice. It therefore definitely makes sense to be able to communicate in the language of the country where you do your work. Of course, foreign language skills are also very important, if you think of events with an international audience, e.g. festivals or fairs. Multilingualism is a great advantage in the security industry.
Do I need proof for the IHK that I speak German well enough?
German language, difficult language — is a well-known statement. Experience has shown that non-native speakers have a particularly hard time passing the expert knowledge examination according to § 34a GewO at the first attempt. One reason for this is that the examination questions are often not easy to understand. Therefore, on the one hand, one should prepare well for the exam in terms of content, and on the other hand, one should have a certain amount of language skills from everyday life as well as from technical language (legal terms, technical terms from the field of security, etc.). So far, language skills are not a prerequisite for admission.. This means that you do not need to present a language certificate or similar proof in order to be allowed to take part in the expert knowledge examination.
Help for foreign-language subject matter participants
If you are new to Germany and don’t speak German very well yet, taking a language course definitely makes sense, also to prepare for the IHK examination. Often, adult education centres (VHS) offer language courses. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) also promotes participation in language or integration courses. In addition, learning apps and of course using the German language in everyday life can be very helpful. Lexicons with technical terms for the security sector are commercially available.
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