A process for producing geometric shaped catalyst bodies K whose active material is a multielement oxide which comprises the element Mo, the elements Bi and/or V and one or more of the elements Co, Ni, Fe, Cu and alkali metals, in which sources of the different elements are used to obtain a finely divided mixture which is coarsened to a powder by press agglomeration, the coarsened powder is used to form, by press agglomeration, shaped bodies V which are separated into undamaged shaped bodies V+ and into damaged shaped bodies V−, the undamaged shaped bodies V+ are converted by thermal treatment to the shaped catalyst bodies K, and the damaged shaped bodies V− are comminuted and recycled into the obtaining of the finely divided mixture.