Applicable to high efficiency air filters and ultra low penetration air filters (HEPA- and ULPA-filters) for use in the field of air conditioning and ventilation and for the technical processes, e.g. for clean room technology or applications in the nuclear or pharmaceutical industry. It gives a method for determining the efficiency on the basis of a particle counting method using a liquid test aerosol, and allows a standardized classification of these filters in terms of their efficiency.