Office Management Ausbildung Guide
Short answer: Office management Ausbildung (Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Büromanagement) is a three-year dual training covering office organisation, customer orders, purchasing, personnel tasks and commercial control, plus two electives agreed in your contract. The training regulation names no required school certificate, so employers decide. The final exam has two parts, and pay is not fixed in the regulation.
This guide explains what the training involves, which electives exist, how the final exam works, who can apply and where to find the official information. Visa and entry rules are outside the scope of this site.
Office management Ausbildung at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| German name | Kaufmann für Büromanagement / Kauffrau für Büromanagement |
| Type | Dual training: company and vocational school (Berufsschule) |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Where | Businesses and the public service |
| Electives | Two out of ten, set in the training contract |
| School certificate | None named in the training regulation. Employers decide |
| Final exam | Two parts: Part 1 in the fourth half-year, Part 2 at the end |
| Training pay | Not set in the training regulation. See the pay section below |
What office management specialists do
The training regulation lists nine areas that every trainee learns, whatever the electives:
- Information management. Using company communication systems and operating systems, finding information and backing up data.
- Information processing. Writing letters and emails, using word processing, building spreadsheets and charts, and creating presentations.
- Office organisation. Planning office supplies, handling incoming and outgoing mail and managing documents under retention rules.
- Coordination. Planning appointments, preparing and supporting meetings and helping with projects.
- Customer relations and order processing. Giving advice, handling enquiries and orders, creating invoices, calculating and handling complaints.
- Purchasing. Finding the need for materials and services, comparing offers, ordering and checking deliveries.
- Personnel tasks. Supporting staff planning, preparing travel expense claims and handling employee data under data protection rules.
- Commercial control. Using accounting for planning and control, checking and processing documents and preparing payments.
The regulation also lists teamwork and communication skills, including using technical terms in a foreign language and requesting and giving information in a foreign language.
The two electives
You and your employer choose two of the following ten electives, and they are written into the training contract. Each takes about five months of the training and comes after the basics, which cover roughly the first 15 months:
- Controlling the order process.
- Using instruments of commercial control, such as accounting and cost and performance accounting.
- Running commercial processes in small and medium-sized companies.
- Purchasing and logistics processes.
- Marketing and sales activities.
- Personnel management processes.
- Assistance tasks.
- Public relations and event management.
- Public administration tasks and applying law.
- Planning and managing public budget funds.
A further elective can be agreed as an additional qualification and examined separately on your request. Ask the employer which electives it offers before you apply.
How the training works
You sign a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) with a company or a public authority and attend a vocational school. The regulation says the training can take place in a business or in the public service. In the public service, the regulation adds on-the-job instruction (dienstbegleitende Unterweisung), usually 420 hours, coordinated with school lessons.
The final exam
The final exam has two parts. Part 1 should take place in the fourth half-year and covers roughly the first 15 months. Part 2 takes place at the end. Both also cover the vocational school material that matches the training content. The regulation sets the areas, times and weighting:
| Part | Area | Form | Share of the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | IT office management | One practical work order, completed in writing, 120 minutes: organising office and procurement processes on the computer, using word processing and spreadsheets | 25% |
| Part 2 | Customer relationship processes | Written, 150 minutes: handling orders in a customer-oriented way, personnel tasks and commercial control tools | 30% |
| Part 2 | Technical task in the elective | A case-based technical discussion of 20 minutes about your electives. You prepare with a report of up to three pages on a company task for each elective, or with one of two practical tasks, with 20 minutes of preparation. The employer chooses the variant when registering you | 35% |
| Part 2 | Economics and social studies | Written, 60 minutes | 10% |
To pass, you need at least “sufficient” (ausreichend) overall, in Part 2, and in at least two areas of Part 2, and no area of Part 2 may be graded “insufficient” (ungenügend). If “customer relationship processes” or “economics and social studies” is worse than sufficient, you can ask for an oral supplementary exam of about 15 minutes in that area when it could decide the result. For admission, repeating and preparation, see our guide to Ausbildung exams.
The training regulation was replaced on 1 August 2025. Older websites may describe the earlier exam areas, and trainings that began before that date may follow the earlier rules, so ask your employer or chamber which applies to you.
Who can apply
The training regulation names no required school certificate, so each employer sets its own requirements. Read the posting carefully. The job involves a lot of writing, customer contact and computer work, so expect to work in German, and see our guide to the German level for Ausbildung.
Training pay
The training regulation does not set pay, so it depends on the employer and the training year. Do not rely on a figure from a random website. See our Ausbildung salary guide for the legal minimum and how to compare offers, and check the employer’s posting.
How to apply
- Search for “Kaufmann für Büromanagement” and “Kauffrau für Büromanagement” on the official boards. Our guide on where to find Ausbildung openings lists them.
- Check which electives the employer offers, and whether it is a business or a public authority.
- Send a tailored application: a cover letter, a CV and copies of your certificates.
- Prepare for the interview by learning about the employer’s products or services.
Is it right for you?
- You like organised work with computers, documents and numbers.
- You can write clearly and handle customers and colleagues politely.
- You can work accurately with invoices, orders and data protection rules.
- You are ready to study in German, including a foreign language at work.
Common mistakes
- Thinking it is only answering the phone and filing. The training includes purchasing, calculation, personnel tasks and commercial control.
- Ignoring the electives. They shape the second half of your training and part of the final exam.
- Using an older guide for the exam. The exam areas changed with the 2025 regulation.
- Relying on a pay figure from a random website. Check the employer’s offer.
- Underestimating the German writing needed for letters, emails and the written exams.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the office management Ausbildung?
Three years, according to the training regulation.
What are the electives?
You complete two of ten electives, which are set in the training contract. They include areas such as purchasing and logistics, marketing and sales, personnel processes, assistance tasks, public relations and events, and two with a public administration focus.
Do I need a particular school certificate?
The regulation names none. Employers set their own requirements, so check each posting.
How is the final exam structured?
In two parts. Part 1 is a computer-based work order. Part 2 has three areas: customer relationship processes, a technical discussion in your electives, and economics and social studies.
Is a foreign language part of the training?
Yes, in a practical way. The regulation lists using technical terms in a foreign language and requesting and giving information in a foreign language.
Sources
Last updated: 22 October 2026. Training rules, requirements and pay change, so check the official pages above and the employer’s posting before you apply.