Overview
The Lekarski Egzamin Końcowy (LEK), the Final Medical Examination, is the state exam in Poland that medical graduates take as a step towards the right to practise as a physician. It is run by the Centrum Egzaminów Medycznych (CEM), the Medical Examinations Centre in Łódź. The exam can be taken in Polish or in a foreign language.
Who can apply
Candidates are physicians, or people who have completed at least 10 semesters of a six-year medical degree at a Polish university. Identity is verified at a regional medical chamber before registration.
Exam pattern
The LEK is a single written paper of 200 multiple-choice questions, each with five options and one correct answer. The exam lasts 4 hours, and its topics are set in a Ministry of Health regulation of 12 August 2025. It is held twice a year, in September and February.
Marking and results
To pass, a candidate needs at least 56% of the maximum points for that sitting (112 points if all 200 questions stand). The maximum can fall slightly when a task is invalidated after the exam. In the autumn 2026 sitting it was 198 points, after two tasks were invalidated. CEM published that sitting's results: 11,141 participants, an average of 154.4 points, and 566 candidates below the pass mark.
Important dates
Registration closes on 15 July for the September sitting and on 30 November for the February sitting. The September 2026 sitting was scheduled for 5 September 2026, and the spring 2027 sitting for 20 February 2027. CEM says the date can change under the law on the medical and dental professions.
Fees
As listed on the official site in 2026: the first application in Polish is not charged. A second or later application in Polish costs PLN 250, except that a second application is free if you failed or did not sit the first time. Every application to take the LEK in a foreign language costs PLN 400.
How to apply
Registration is done only through the SMK system (System Monitorowania Kształcenia Pracowników Medycznych) at smk.ezdrowie.gov.pl. Where a fee applies, you pay it to an account number generated for that sitting, within 5 days after the application deadline. Without payment you cannot sit the exam. You show an identity document before the exam, but not a diploma. Since 1 September 2025 CEM issues no paper certificates for LEK. The result certificate is electronic, and from the spring 2026 sitting it is downloaded from SMK.
After the exam
A candidate who is disqualified during an exam cannot take part in the next scheduled sitting.
What score do I need to pass the LEK?
At least 56% of the maximum points available for that sitting, as published by CEM.
How long is the LEK?
It has 200 multiple-choice questions and lasts 4 hours.
How often is the LEK held?
Twice a year, in September and February.