Overview
Jednotná přijímací zkouška (JPZ), the Unified Entrance Examination, is a centrally set pair of written tests used across the Czech Republic for admission to secondary schools (střední školy) and gymnázia that lead to the maturita. It is prepared by CERMAT (the Centre for Evaluation of Educational Achievement) under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT), and every applicant sits the same Czech language and literature test and the same mathematics test, regardless of which school they are applying to.
The unified test is only one part of the overall admission process. Each secondary school still runs its own admission procedure, in which it sets its own additional criteria (such as grades from primary school, or a school-specific interview or test) alongside the JPZ result.
Note
CERMAT's official pages are in Czech and could not be fetched directly inside this research environment. Facts below are corroborated across CERMAT's own published pages, the Ministry of Education's (MŠMT) page on secondary-school admissions, and multiple independent Czech education-news sources describing the same CERMAT rules. Confirm exact dates and figures on prijimacky.cermat.cz before relying on them.
Who can apply
JPZ applies to pupils applying to maturita-track programmes, at three different entry points:
Pupils finishing grade 9 of primary school (základní škola), applying to four-year secondary-school programmes (including follow-up "nástavbové" study).
Pupils finishing grade 7, applying to six-year gymnázium programmes.
Pupils finishing grade 5, applying to eight-year gymnázium programmes.
Since 2017, sitting the JPZ has been compulsory for every applicant to one of these maturita-track programmes. It does not apply to programmes admitted purely on a talent exam (e.g. some art and sport-focused fields) or to non-maturita vocational fields, which secondary schools admit through their own procedures.
Exam pattern
Each applicant sits two written didactic tests, with test content set separately for the four-year track and for the six-year/eight-year gymnázium track.
| Test | Duration | Maximum score | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech language and literature | 60 minutes | 50 points | Closed multiple-choice items (four options), yes/no item sets, ordering tasks, and open-ended items requiring a written answer in the pupil's own words |
| Mathematics | 70 minutes | 50 points | Multiple-choice and open-response items covering number and variable (expressions, equations, fractions), dependencies/relationships and data handling (reading graphs, word problems), and geometry (angles, lengths, perimeter, area, volume) |
A pupil normally sits each test twice, on two different dates at up to two schools chosen from their application list, and the better of the two scores in each subject is the one counted toward admission.
Marking and results
Each test is marked out of 50 points, for a combined maximum of 100 points. The JPZ result must count for at least 60% of a school's overall admission score for most programmes (at least 40% for Gymnázium se sportovní přípravou, the sport-oriented gymnázium track); the remaining weight is set by the individual school under its own admission criteria (such as primary-school grades, a school interview, or results in competitions), as allowed under Section 60 of the Czech School Act.
CERMAT centrally evaluates the tests and passes results to schools, which then decide on admission using their own combined criteria. For 2026, results and admission decisions were due to be published by schools, and visible to applicants in the DiPSy system, on 15 May 2026.
Important dates
For the 2025/2026 school year:
Applications for the first round: 1–20 February 2026, through the DiPSy electronic system or a paper form.
Regular JPZ test dates: 10 and 13 April 2026 for four-year programmes; 14 and 15 April 2026 for six-year and eight-year gymnázia.
Make-up ("náhradní") test dates for all tracks: 29–30 April 2026.
First-round results published: 15 May 2026.
Second-round applications: 19–24/25 May 2026.
Second-round school admission tests: 8–14 June 2026.
An applicant may submit up to three applications in the first round for programmes without a talent exam, and up to two applications for programmes with a talent exam.
How to apply
Applications are submitted through DiPSy (the national digital system for secondary-school applications), either fully electronically using a verified national digital identity (such as Mobilní klíč eGovernmentu or Bankovní identita), or fully on paper using the official printed form; a hybrid of the two is no longer accepted. Within DiPSy, applicants rank their chosen programmes and upload any attachments a given school requires.
Preparation tips
Work through CERMAT's own illustrative and past-year tests for Czech language and mathematics; they are published free on CERMAT's official pages and apps and match the actual test format.
Because the better of two attempts counts in each subject, treat the first test date as a real attempt rather than a practice run, but plan to use the second date to improve a weaker subject.
For mathematics, practise all three content areas directly (number and variable, data/graph interpretation, and geometry), since geometry questions test calculation of angles, length, area and volume, not just construction.
Is JPZ compulsory for every applicant to a Czech secondary school?
It is compulsory for applicants to maturita-track programmes: four-year secondary-school programmes and six-year or eight-year gymnázia. It does not apply to purely talent-assessed or non-maturita vocational programmes, which schools admit through their own procedure.
How much does the JPZ result count for in the final admission decision?
The JPZ result must count for at least 60% of a school's overall admission score for most programmes, and at least 40% for sport-oriented gymnázium programmes. The rest of the score comes from criteria the individual school sets itself.
Can a student retake the test if the first attempt goes badly?
Yes. Applicants normally sit each subject test on two separate dates, at up to two of their chosen schools, and the better score in each subject is the one used.
How is the application submitted?
Through DiPSy, the national digital system for secondary-school admissions, either fully electronically with a verified digital identity or fully on paper with the official printed form.