Jogi szakvizsga

Overview

The jogi szakvizsga is Hungary's legal professional examination. It is taken after a period of supervised legal practice and shows that a law graduate can apply legal knowledge in practice and interpret the law. It is a single, uniform exam: passing it entitles you to do independent legal work in any area of law, in any post that requires a qualified lawyer (okleveles jogász) degree.

The exam is organised by the Ministry headed by the minister responsible for justice, and is governed by decree 5/1991. (IV. 4.) IM. This page uses the text of the decree in force from 30 January 2025.

Who can apply

• You need the legal practice period (joggyakorlat) set out in the decree. It is at least 3 years, counted at 8 hours a day. If you work shorter days, the period is lengthened in proportion. Working longer days never reduces it below 3 years.

• Time in different posts that require a law degree can be added together. The same period can only be counted under one of the permitted grounds.

• Practice counts only if it follows the award of your law degree. Qualifying work includes posts reserved by law for qualified lawyers, legal posts at state or local government bodies, and legal work done under the direct supervision of a lawyer who already holds the exam, or of a court enforcement officer with the enforcement exam. Certain scholarship placements also count.

• If your degree is foreign, only practice after its Hungarian recognition counts. Legal work abroad counts only in a law-degree post or scholarship at an EU institution or an international organisation Hungary belongs to.

• Limited time on certain benefits (such as parental leave payments) and doctoral study can be credited in part, up to the caps in the decree.

• Your employer or the relevant authority must certify the practice period in writing, with the details the decree lists.

• Earlier legal exams taken under older rules, and the title of candidate of state and legal sciences, are treated as equivalent to this exam.

Exam pattern

The exam has three partial exams (részvizsga). Each covers a group of subjects.

Written part. In the partial exam you sit first, you choose one subject for a written exam. EU law cannot be chosen for the written part. The choice cannot be changed after you apply. You draw one task at the start, and you have four hours to draft a submission or decision, or to give a legal opinion. You may use paper copies of legislation that contain only the statutory text.

Oral part. You take an oral exam in every subject. It is held in front of a three-member board and is open to the public. You can take the oral part only after passing the written exam.

Order. You choose the order of the partial exams, but you must start with the one that contains your written subject. You can apply for the next partial exam only after passing the previous one.

Syllabus

Each year, by 31 July, the Ministry publishes the legislation covered and the question lists for each subject on its website. Check that annual notice for the material that applies to your sitting.

Marking and results

• Each subject gets one grade from 5 (excellent) to 1 (fail). The written exam counts within its subject's grade.

• You fail a subject with a grade of 1. If you fail one subject, you are sent to a make-up exam in that subject. If you fail the oral part of your written subject, you only repeat the oral part.

• If the second make-up is also failed, or if you fail more than one subject, you must repeat the whole partial exam. You must complete a make-up within six months of being referred, or the partial exam must be repeated.

• The final result is the average of the subject grades across all three partial exams. It is "outstanding" (kitűnő) if every subject is a 5, "excellent" (jeles) at an average of 4.50 or more, "good" (jó) from 4.00 to 4.49, "satisfactory" (közepes) from 3.00 to 3.99, and "pass" (elégséges) at 2.99 or below.

• The board announces results orally after the exam. After each successful partial exam you receive a certificate. Within 30 days of the last one, the minister issues the exam certificate (bizonyítvány) showing your result.

Important dates

• Exams are scheduled between 15 January and 30 June, and between 1 September and 15 December.

• You can choose an exam date more than 30 days, and within four months, after you apply.

• The Ministry confirms or rejects an application within 15 days. If it is accepted, it sets the exam date and notifies you within 15 days of the application.

• You must finish a started exam within 5 years, counted from the first scheduled date of the written exam. After five years without completing it, the partial exams you passed lapse.

Fees

Under the decree text in force from 30 January 2025, the fees are as follows.

Fees are paid electronically when you apply. Check the Ministry's current notice for any change.

How to apply

1. Register and apply in the Ministry's online Jogi Szakvizsga Rendszer. By applying you accept the exam rules attached to the decree.

2. For your first partial exam, give your personal and contact details, the details of your law degree, your legal practice record, the partial exam and written subject you chose, and your preferred date.

3. Upload your proof of the full legal practice period, any credited periods, and your law degree as electronic documents. The Ministry may ask to see originals if it doubts them.

4. Pay the exam fee in the system.

5. For each later partial exam, apply again, giving the reference number and date of your previous certificate.

Gaps in an application cannot be filled in later, and no leniency is given on it, apart from the rules on postponement and missed exams. If your application is rejected, you can object within 5 days of the notice, and the minister decides within 15 days.

If you want to postpone, ask in the system at least 5 days before the exam, give a new date and pay the postponement fee. You can do this up to three times per partial exam without having to repeat earlier partial exams. If you miss an exam without asking, you can request leniency from the minister within 4 days, with proof of a serious reason such as illness or accident.

After the exam

The exam certificate qualifies you to do independent legal work in posts that require a law degree. It is issued by the minister within 30 days of your last successful partial exam.

FAQs