Method for determining the loading of a soot filter with soot particles from an exhaust gas mass flow of an internal combustion engine, in particular a gasoline engine, in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: determining a characteristic curve for the relationship between the exhaust gas mass flow, the exhaust gas temperature, the ambient pressure and the pressure drop across the soot filter without loading, wherein a plurality of different first exhaust gas mass flows of an internal combustion engine are passed through a soot filter without loading and, for each first exhaust gas mass flow, a first pressure drop ( y leer) occurring in the process is measured by means of at least one sensor with simultaneous detection of the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure, and wherein the first pressure drops are mathematically normalized with respect to the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure in the form of a characteristic curve of the soot filter without loading, wherein the first pressure drop is measured by means of a differential pressure sensor; determining a second exhaust gas mass flow of the internal combustion engine, which is passed through the soot filter with loading during operation of the internal combustion engine, and measuring a second pressure drop ( y mess) occurring in the process by means of the at least one sensor with simultaneous detection of the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure, wherein the second pressure drop is measured by means of a differential pressure sensor; selecting a first pressure drop ( y leer) from the characteristic curve of the soot filter without loading, for which the first and second exhaust gas mass flow, the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient pressure have the same values; calculating an estimation value ( y schätz) for the loaded soot filter by means of a real-time parameter estimation according to a reference model y schätz θ = y leer ⋅ θ 1 + θ 2 = y leer ⋅ k + d where θ: estimation parameters, θ 1 = k: estimated gain due to loading of the soot filter, θ 2 = d: estimated deviation of the at least one sensor when determining the pressure drop across the soot filter, wherein, in a first step, an error (e) between the second pressure drop ( y mess) measured in the soot filter with loading and the estimation value ( y schätz) to be determined e = y schätz θ − y mess = k ⋅ y leer + d − y mess where θ 1 = k = 1: for the soot filter without loading is calculated, and wherein, in a second step, the first estimation parameter ( θ 1 = k) and the second estimation parameter ( θ 2 = d) are determined by means of real-time parameter estimation. determining a characteristic curve for the relationship between the exhaust gas mass flow, the exhaust gas temperature, the ambient pressure and the pressure drop across the soot filter without loading, wherein a plurality of different first exhaust gas mass flows of an internal combustion engine are passed through a soot filter without loading and, for each first exhaust gas mass flow, a first pressure drop ( y leer) occurring in the process is measured by means of at least one sensor with simultaneous detection of the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure, and wherein the first pressure drops are mathematically normalized with respect to the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure in the form of a characteristic curve of the soot filter without loading, wherein the first pressure drop is measured by means of a differential pressure sensor; determining a second exhaust gas mass flow of the internal combustion engine, which is passed through the soot filter with loading during operation of the internal combustion engine, and measuring a second pressure drop ( y mess) occurring in the process by means of the at least one sensor with simultaneous detection of the exhaust gas temperature and ambient pressure, wherein the second pressure drop is measured by means of a differential pressure sensor; selecting a first pressure drop ( y leer) from the characteristic curve of the soot filter without loading, for which the first and second exhaust gas mass flow, the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient pressure have the same values; calculating an estimation value ( y schätz) for the loaded soot filter by means of a real-time parameter estimation according to a reference model y schätz θ = y leer ⋅ θ 1 + θ 2 = y leer ⋅ k + d where θ: estimation parameters, θ 1 = k: estimated gain due to loading of the soot filter, θ 2 = d: estimated deviation of the at least one sensor when determining the pressure drop across the soot filter, wherein, in a first step, an error (e) between the second pressure drop ( y mess) measured in the soot filter with loading and the estimation value ( y schätz) to be determined e = y schätz θ − y mess = k ⋅ y leer + d − y mess where θ 1 = k = 1: for the soot filter without loading is calculated, and wherein, in a second step, the first estimation parameter ( θ 1 = k) and the second estimation parameter ( θ 2 = d) are determined by means of real-time parameter estimation.