The Staatsexamen is a final examination set by the state rather than by the university. In human medicine it is divided into three parts of the Ärztliche Prüfung (medical state examination), in dentistry into three parts of the Zahnärztliche Prüfung (dental state examination).
German Staat (state) + Latin examen = examination
Staatsprüfung, Ärztliche Prüfung, German medical state examination
state examination
The three parts of the medical state examination are the Physikum after the fourth semester, the second part before the Praktisches Jahr, and the third part as an oral-practical examination at the end. Each part can be retaken twice.
Elsewhere in Europe, the universities examine their students themselves. In Bulgaria, for example, five state examinations are taken at the end of the degree and are set by the university; the qualification is automatically recognised in Germany under Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC.
Free and no obligation.