In a method and medical examination apparatus for determination of the position of at least one slice in an examination area in which slice a slice image acquisition of the examination area by means of the examination device is to occur, a 3D image dataset of the examination area is acquired, which is then brought into registration with a chronologically earlier acquired 3D reference image dataset. The slice in the 3D image dataset is determined by at least one reference slice defined in the 3D reference image dataset.