A process for preparing (meth)acrylic acid by conducting a saturated hydrocarbon precursor compound through a catalyst bed I whose catalysts I have, as the active composition, a multimetal oxide I which has a specific X-ray diffractogram and contains the elements Mo and V, at least one of the elements Te and Sb, and also at least one of the elements from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, W, Ce and Ti, wherein the catalyst bed I is interrupted by at least one catalyst bed II whose catalysts II have, as the active composition, a multimetal oxide II which contains the elements Mo, Bi and Fe.