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Berlin Police Keep Entry Standards as Language Test Failures Leave Training Slots Unfilled

Police leaders cite weak German skills as the reason many applicants fail the selection tests, prompting remedial tuition.

Overview

  • Only 936 of 1,224 training places were filled in 2025, according to Interior Senator Iris Spranger.
  • Police President Barbara Slowik Meisel says many candidates fail computer-based assessments due largely to German-language deficits, independent of nationality.
  • Berlin will not lower entry requirements, arguing that reduced thresholds raise dropout rates during training.
  • The force is expanding recruitment outreach, including visits to secondary schools in neighboring Brandenburg.
  • The police union in Brandenburg reports rising dictation test failures over the past two to three years, with candidates failing at more than 14 errors for the middle service and more than 11 for the higher service.