In short
The MPU questionnaire (MPU-Fragebogen) is the written part of the assessment day and takes about 30 to 40 minutes. In a standardised way, it asks about your history, the offence, your consumption and your living circumstances, sometimes supplemented by a personality questionnaire such as the FPI. What matters is that your answers are honest and free of contradictions, and that they match the case file and what you later say in the psychological interview.
What role does the questionnaire play on the MPU day?
The questionnaire is one of the building blocks of the MPU (medical-psychological assessment, Medizinisch-Psychologische Untersuchung), which takes about 3 to 4 hours in total. Alongside it, there is the medical examination, the performance test and the psychological interview. You can find an overview of all parts on the page MPU procedure.
The questionnaire does not decide the MPU on its own. However, it is the basis with which the assessor goes into the interview. The assessor checks the consistency between the case file, the questionnaire, the lab values and your account. So what you state in writing will later be compared with everything else.
What is asked in the MPU questionnaire?
The MPU questionnaire asks about four broad areas. The exact design differs from one assessment centre (Begutachtungsstelle für Fahreignung) to another, but the topics are comparable:
| Area | What it is about |
|---|---|
| History | Holding a driving licence, previous incidents, register entries, previous measures |
| Offence | What happened, when, under what circumstances, with what values |
| Consumption | For alcohol or drugs: since when, how often, how much, how your consumption developed |
| Living circumstances | Job, family, social environment, changes since the incident |
At some centres there is also a personality questionnaire, for example the FPI. It records general personality traits and is not a knowledge test. There are no right or wrong answers here that you could learn.
Are there trick questions in the questionnaire?
Yes, the questionnaire contains seemingly harmless questions that test honesty and preparation. A typical example is the question "Since when have you held your driving licence?". It seems trivial, but it provides data that can be compared with the case file and with later statements.
The right way to deal with such questions is simple: answer calmly, consistently and honestly. If you try to see a trap behind every question and answer tactically, you are more likely to produce contradictions. The MPU glossary explains the terms you will come across on the assessment day.
Why are contradictions in the questionnaire so problematic?
Contradictions are problematic because they are among the common reasons for failing. The assessor compares your statements with the case file and the lab values. If a gap becomes apparent, your credibility suffers throughout the entire expert report (Gutachten).
This is particularly clear with alcohol. The assessor calculates the amount you drank backwards: if the stated amount does not match the measured blood alcohol concentration or lab values such as CDT, the contradiction is noticed immediately. If you play down amounts in the questionnaire, you have hardly any chance of resolving this credibly in the interview.
Typical sources of contradictions are:
- Amounts of alcohol or frequency of consumption that do not match the blood alcohol level or THC value.
- Dates and periods, such as the start of abstinence, getting your driving licence or previous incidents.
- "It only happened once" accounts, even though the case file contains several incidents or signs of habituation.
- Differences between written and spoken answers, because you did not remember your own statements.
How do you prepare for the questionnaire?
The best way to prepare for the questionnaire is to put your own story in order beforehand, not to learn answers by heart. These steps will help you:
- Inspect your file: note the date, time, values and the authority's question. The guide File inspection at the driving licence authority explains how this works.
- Create a timeline: getting your driving licence, previous incidents, the incident itself, the start of abstinence or changes, courses and counselling.
- Write down your consumption history: since when, how often, how much, how your consumption developed. Better realistic than glossed over.
- Compare with the case file: do your amounts match the measured values? If not, the error usually lies in your memory, not in the measurement.
- Have your evidence ready: proofs of abstinence (Abstinenznachweise) in the original, course and therapy certificates and, if applicable, a drinking log. The dates in them should match your statements.
The timeline is not a crib sheet for the assessment day. It helps you think through your own story properly once, so that you tell it the same way in writing and in the interview.
How do you fill in the questionnaire on the MPU day?
On the MPU day, it is best to fill in the questionnaire calmly, completely and in your own words. You have about 30 to 40 minutes for it, which is enough for careful answers.
- Read each question carefully: answer what is asked, not what you would like to talk about.
- Stay honest: better "more than I would have liked" than an implausible understatement.
- Do not trivialise, do not dramatise: neither fits the case file, and both are noticed.
- Do not blame others: you may mention the circumstances, but the responsibility remains yours.
- Name uncertainty: if you do not know a date exactly, write an approximate period instead of an invented date.
How are the questionnaire and the psychological interview connected?
The questionnaire and the psychological interview are closely connected, because the assessor picks up on your written statements in the interview. The interview takes about 45 to 60 minutes and is the most important part of the MPU. It covers the past, the present and the future: what the problem was, what has changed, and why it will not happen again.
If you were honest in the questionnaire, you can simply build on it in the interview. If you glossed things over, you have to either defend the glossed-over version in the interview or correct it. Both cost credibility. You can read which questions are typical in the interview in the guide MPU questions in the psychological interview. The page MPU preparation explains what serious preparation looks like.
What you can do now
- Apply for file inspection (Akteneinsicht) and note all values, dates and the authority's question.
- Create a timeline and consumption history in writing and compare them with the case file.
- Collect your evidence and check whether the dates match your statements.
- Practise the interview, ideally with professional support, so that your story is consistent in writing and in speech.
- Look for support if you are unsure: find suitable preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I prepare specifically for the MPU questionnaire?
Yes, but not with answers learned by heart. It makes sense to put your story in order beforehand with a timeline and consumption history and to compare it with the case file. That way, you answer the same way in writing and in speech.
What happens if I gave an incorrect answer in the questionnaire?
An honest mistake can be corrected in the interview if you address it openly. It becomes problematic if statements were deliberately glossed over and the assessor discovers the contradiction themselves. Then the credibility of the entire interview suffers.
Do I also have to state previous incidents in the questionnaire?
You should answer the questions completely and honestly, including about previous incidents. The assessor knows the case file that the authority sends. Incidents you conceal that are recorded there will be noticed.
Is the personality questionnaire a test you have to pass?
No, a personality questionnaire such as the FPI records general traits and is not a knowledge test. There are no answers you could learn. Answer the questions spontaneously and honestly.
