After taking the MarKom exam, you will receive a certificate that is valid for five years and is a prerequisite for some Federal Professional Examinations in Marketing and Communication until the 2018 examination year. This certificate enjoys federal recognition.

You do not necessarily have to attend a preparatory course for the MarKom exam, but it is highly recommended. The range of subjects tested is very broad and requires a wide-ranging basic knowledge of economics, law, marketing, PR and other areas. As the MarKom is regarded as preparation for further Federal Professional Examination, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the subject matter now so as not to encounter avoidable gaps during continuing education, further training, for example as a marketing specialist or communication planner.

You do not need any professional or educational qualifications to take the MarKom exam. The only requirements are a minimum age of 18 years, payment of the examination fee, completion of the registration form including the language of the examination and consent to the publication of the names of successfully completed candidates on the Internet and in the MarKom register.

The Markom exam is suitable for anyone who wants to enter the fields of sales, marketing, communication and public relations and is planning to take one of the following Federal Professional Examinations:

• PR professionals
• Sales experts
• Marketing experts
• Communication planner
• Copywriter

However, the Markom certificate examination can also provide a solid basis for acquiring marketing-specific knowledge and a recognized certificate that facilitates entry into the individual areas for people who are not yet aiming for Federal Professional Examination.

In preparation for the Markom exam, participants are also prepared for digitalization in their job as a marketing assistant. This enables future employees to enter the new global world. Thanks to the close practical training, digital marketing is of course also addressed today. This is because digitalization has long since found its way into the information and purchasing behaviour of customers. This requires appropriate online marketing measures in all marketing departments. The most important online marketing topics are covered in preparation for the Markom exam. This makes it possible to work as a digital marketing assistant later on. If you then want to gain a foothold in the digital marketing world and progress further, we recommend that you specialize in this area as a digital marketing assistant through continuing education, further training in online marketing.

The MarKom examination is deemed to have been failed if one or more of your examination parts is worse than 3.0, if a grade of 4.0 is not achieved in more than two examination parts or if the average of all examination parts is below 4.0.

You can retake the MarKom exam as often as you like, although the entire exam must be repeated rather than individual parts. The examination fee must also be paid each time and an application submitted.

In the MarKom exam, the basic knowledge of business and law sections with the subsections basic knowledge of business administration, basic knowledge of economics and basic knowledge of law are tested, as well as the basic knowledge of marketing, basic knowledge of sales and distribution, basic knowledge of marketing communication and basic knowledge of PR. All of these parts are tested in writing.