A method for checking a pressure sensor having a reversibly deformable, in particular reversibly bendable measuring element which supplies a measurement signal having a value depending on the degree of deformation of said measuring element, to the effect of whether said pressure sensor withstands a required maximum pressure which is larger by a predeterminable factor than a nominal pressure for which said pressure sensor is designed, wherein in the method - a reference pressure sensor is provided which is structurally identical to said pressure sensor to be checked and which comprises a reversibly deformable, in particular reversibly bendable measuring element which supplies a measurement signal having a value depending on the degree of deformation of said measuring element, - a deflection plunger that can be advanced in a distance-controlled manner is provided, wherein said deflection plunger with the exception of said reference pressure sensor or a pressure sensor to be checked is free of a sensor operatively connected thereto for determining the force respectively required for advancing said deflection plunger, - said deflection plunger is brought into contact with said measuring element of said reference pressure sensor and is subsequently advanced in a distance-controlled manner with reversible deformation of said measuring element, - said measuring element is increasingly deformed by said deflection plunger advanced in a distance-controlled manner until said measuring element breaks, - the measurement signals supplied by said measuring element during increasing deformation thereof are detected, - the distance covered by said deflection plunger from the beginning of the reversible deformation of said measuring element up to breakage of said measuring element is determined, - the value of the measurement signal upon maximum reversible deformation of said measuring element, without the latter having been broken, is determined as a critical measurement signal, - the value of the critical pressure corresponding to the critical measurement signal or the value of a parameter representing said pressure is determined on the basis of the known distance/pressure characteristic curve of said reference pressure sensor, - said measuring element of at least one pressure sensor to be checked is reversibly deformed up to a predeterminable degree by means of said deflection plunger advanced in a distance-controlled manner, and its distance/pressure characteristic curve is created, and - a comparison of the created distance/pressure characteristic curve of said pressure sensor to be checked with the known pressure/distance characteristic curve of said reference pressure sensor is used as a basis for identifying whether said measuring element of said pressure sensor to be checked withstands the required maximum pressure or would break or would already have been broken at said pressure. - a reference pressure sensor is provided which is structurally identical to said pressure sensor to be checked and which comprises a reversibly deformable, in particular reversibly bendable measuring element which supplies a measurement signal having a value depending on the degree of deformation of said measuring element, - a deflection plunger that can be advanced in a distance-controlled manner is provided, wherein said deflection plunger with the exception of said reference pressure sensor or a pressure sensor to be checked is free of a sensor operatively connected thereto for determining the force respectively required for advancing said deflection plunger, - said deflection plunger is brought into contact with said measuring element of said reference pressure sensor and is subsequently advanced in a distance-controlled manner with reversible deformation of said measuring element, - said measuring element is increasingly deformed by said deflection plunger advanced in a distance-controlled manner until said measuring element breaks, - the measurement signals supplied by said measuring element during increasing deformation thereof are detected, - the distance covered by said deflection plunger from the beginning of the reversible deformation of said measuring element up to breakage of said measuring element is determined, - the value of the measurement signal upon maximum reversible deformation of said measuring element, without the latter having been broken, is determined as a critical measurement signal, - the value of the critical pressure corresponding to the critical measurement signal or the value of a parameter representing said pressure is determined on the basis of the known distance/pressure characteristic curve of said reference pressure sensor, - said measuring element of at least one pressure sensor to be checked is reversibly deformed up to a predeterminable degree by means of said deflection plunger advanced in a distance-controlled manner, and its distance/pressure characteristic curve is created, and - a comparison of the created distance/pressure characteristic curve of said pressure sensor to be checked with the known pressure/distance characteristic curve of said reference pressure sensor is used as a basis for identifying whether said measuring element of said pressure sensor to be checked withstands the required maximum pressure or would break or would already have been broken at said pressure.