Panhellenic

Overview

The Panhellenic Exams (Πανελλήνιες Εξετάσεις, also called Panelladikes Exetaseis) are Greece's national university entrance exams, taken in the final year of Lyceum (upper secondary school). They are run under the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, with results used nationwide for admission to public universities and other tertiary institutions through a centralized, score-based ranking system. There are no interviews, personal statements, or consideration of extracurricular activities: a candidate's combined exam score, converted into a points total known as "moria," is the only factor in where they are admitted.

Who can apply

Current third-year students (Γ' Λυκείου) of either a General Lyceum (GEL) or a Vocational Lyceum (EPAL) sit the Panhellenic exams in their final year; their school submits an Application- Declaration (Αίτηση-Δήλωση) on their behalf during a window set each year. Graduates from earlier years can also register to resit the exams as external candidates.

EPAL candidates sit under one of two groups, which lead to different admission outcomes:

Exam pattern

GEL candidates choose one of four scientific fields ("epistimonika pedia") in their final year, based on the field of study they intend to pursue at university. Every candidate sits Modern Greek Language and Literature as a common subject, plus the three subjects tied to their chosen field, for four examined subjects in total, each graded on a 0-20 scale.

EPAL Group B candidates sit the two general subjects (Modern Greek, Mathematics I) plus written exams in the technical subjects tied to their specialty track, in place of the four-field structure above.

Some university departments also require a "special subject" exam, such as a foreign language, Drawing, or a physical fitness test, on top of the four main subjects. For 2026, these special and musical subject exams were scheduled separately from the main exam period.

Marking and results

Each subject is graded on a 0-20 scale. Admission to a specific university department is decided by a weighted score known as "moria": each of a candidate's four subject grades is multiplied by a weighting coefficient, the four results are added together, and the sum is multiplied by 1000. Since 2022, each university department sets its own weighting coefficients for the four subjects relevant to it, typically 25%, 30%, or 40% per subject, with the four coefficients for a given department always summing to 100%. The same candidate can therefore have a different moria total for every department they are eligible for, because each department weights the same four grades differently.

Every department also has its own minimum admission base score ("elachisti vasi isagogis") set each year; a candidate whose moria for that department falls below its minimum cannot be admitted to it regardless of their rank.

Important dates

For 2026, the ministry's published calendar set out the following windows:

How to apply

Current Γ' Λυκείου students submit their Application-Declaration through their own school within the ministry's announced window, naming their chosen scientific field (GEL) or specialty track and group (EPAL). Graduates from earlier years who want to resit register as external candidates through the process the ministry publishes for that category each year. The Application- Declaration fixes which subjects a candidate is examined in, so the choice of scientific field or specialty should already reflect the university fields the candidate plans to apply to.

After the exam

Once exam results are published, candidates submit a ranked list of university departments and schools through the online mihanografiko platform, in order of preference, within the ministry's July submission window. A centralized placement process then ranks every candidate nationally against each department's own weighted moria calculation and minimum admission base, and assigns each candidate a single placement at the highest-ranked preference on their list for which their moria clears that department's minimum and a seat remains available. A candidate who is not admitted anywhere, or who is not satisfied with the outcome, can resit the Panhellenic exams the following year as a graduate.

Preparation tips

• Decide on a scientific field (GEL) or specialty track (EPAL) early, based on the university field of study intended, since the examined subjects differ substantially between fields and cannot easily be changed after the Application-Declaration deadline.

• Because each university department sets its own weighting coefficients for the four subjects, check the coefficients published for target departments before deciding how to split study effort across subjects.

• Many candidates combine school study with private out-of-school tutoring ("frontistiria") that focuses specifically on the Panhellenic exam syllabus and past papers for each subject.

• Track the ministry's published exam calendar, Application-Declaration deadline, and mihanografiko submission window closely: missing any of them forfeits that step for the year.

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