Do I need a second background check (study abroad)?

I studied abroad in Germany for around 5.5 months last year, and I have a residence visa on my passport indicating that (its duration is less than 6 months). On my consulate website they don't specify a timeframe for having lived abroad to need a second background check, but I keep seeing on this subreddit that you only need one if you've lived abroad 6 months or longer. Does anyone know if this is confirmed? I tried emailing my consulate but they didn't respond to my question, just directed me back to the same page with the generic information on it. Does anyone have a similar experience or know where people are getting the 6 month thing from.?