Overview
The Országos Középiskolai Tanulmányi Verseny (OKTV, National Secondary School Academic Competition) is Hungary's main subject competition for secondary school students. It is run by the Oktatási Hivatal (Educational Authority) in many school subjects, in two or three rounds depending on the subject.
Who can enter
Hungarian secondary school students enter through their school. For 2026/27, applications went to the school principal by 11 September 2026, with philosophy as an exception.
Exam pattern
Competitions have two or three rounds and run in one, two or three categories. For three-round subjects, the school organises the first round and the Oktatási Hivatal runs the later rounds. In two-round subjects the school usually runs the first round and the Oktatási Hivatal runs the final. Rounds can include written, oral and practical tasks.
Some subjects also require an independent project. For 2026/27 these are drama, geography, film culture and media literacy, history and visual culture, each with its own theme and format rules.
Important dates
For 2026/27:
Application deadline: 11 September 2026 (philosophy excepted).
Schools receive instructions for the online platform used to upload project work by 16 November 2026.
Geography project uploads: 22 January 2027.
Drama project submissions: 12 February 2027.
History project submissions: 15 February 2027.
After the competition
Placing in the national final earns bonus points in higher education admissions in Hungary.
Preparation tips
Check the competition notice for your subject on the Oktatási Hivatal site, since topics and rules differ by subject, and practise with the published past papers and marking guides.
Note
The rules were read through a secondary report of the official announcement. Confirm details on oktatas.hu.
How do I apply?
Give your application to your school principal before the deadline; the school registers participants.