Procedure for checking an electromagnetic flowmeter with a measuring tube for conducting a fluid to be measured and with a magnetic field system that has at least one field coil, through which an excitation current (I M) flows at least temporarily, designed to generate a magnetic field passing through the fluid at least partly perpendicularly to a flow direction, said procedure comprising the following steps: - Change of a voltage (U H) that generates the excitation current (I M) at a first time, t 1, from a momentary first voltage level, U cont, to a second voltage level, U drv, with a view to increasing a force, I, of the excitation current (I M) which is generated by the voltage (U H) and flows through the at least one field coil to a maximum current value, I m, wherein the second voltage level, U drv, is selected to be higher than the first voltage level, U cont, - Change of the voltage (U H) currently generating the excitation current (I M) at a second time, t 2, from the second voltage level, U drv, to a third voltage level with a view to reducing the force of the excitation current (I M) which is currently flowing in the at least one field coil from a maximum current value to a current end value, I cont, specified for the excitation current (I M), wherein the third voltage level is selected to be lower than the second voltage level U drv, - Measurement of an excitation current (I M) at least intermittently to determine a third time, t 3, that corresponds to when the current end value, I cont, is reached, - Determination of a first time constant, t short = t 3 - t 2, for the magnetic field system, which corresponds to a time span, t 3 - t 2, between the second time, t 2, and the third time, t 3, and comparison of the first time constant determined, t short, with a predefined first reference value, t 1ref, with a view to determining a diagnostic value representing a momentary operating state of the flowmeter, and/or - Determination of a second time constant, t rev + t short = t 3 - t 1, for the magnetic field system, which corresponds to a time span, t 3 - t 1, between the first time, t 1, and the third time, t 3, and comparison of the second time constant determined, t rev + t short, with a predefined second reference value, t 2ref, with a view to determining a diagnostic value representing a momentary operating state of the flowmeter. - Change of a voltage (U H) that generates the excitation current (I M) at a first time, t 1, from a momentary first voltage level, U cont, to a second voltage level, U drv, with a view to increasing a force, I, of the excitation current (I M) which is generated by the voltage (U H) and flows through the at least one field coil to a maximum current value, I m, wherein the second voltage level, U drv, is selected to be higher than the first voltage level, U cont, - Change of the voltage (U H) currently generating the excitation current (I M) at a second time, t 2, from the second voltage level, U drv, to a third voltage level with a view to reducing the force of the excitation current (I M) which is currently flowing in the at least one field coil from a maximum current value to a current end value, I cont, specified for the excitation current (I M), wherein the third voltage level is selected to be lower than the second voltage level U drv, - Measurement of an excitation current (I M) at least intermittently to determine a third time, t 3, that corresponds to when the current end value, I cont, is reached, - Determination of a first time constant, t short = t 3 - t 2, for the magnetic field system, which corresponds to a time span, t 3 - t 2, between the second time, t 2, and the third time, t 3, and comparison of the first time constant determined, t short, with a predefined first reference value, t 1ref, with a view to determining a diagnostic value representing a momentary operating state of the flowmeter, and/or - Determination of a second time constant, t rev + t short = t 3 - t 1, for the magnetic field system, which corresponds to a time span, t 3 - t 1, between the first time, t 1, and the third time, t 3, and comparison of the second time constant determined, t rev + t short, with a predefined second reference value, t 2ref, with a view to determining a diagnostic value representing a momentary operating state of the flowmeter.