Abitur

Overview

The Abitur is Germany's main general higher-education entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife). It is taken at the end of the gymnasiale Oberstufe, the upper stage of secondary school, usually at a Gymnasium, a Gesamtschule, or a vocational Gymnasium (Berufliches Gymnasium). The Abitur is not a single national exam: each of Germany's 16 federal states (Länder) sets its own school law and exam rules. The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), the standing conference of the state education ministers, agrees common framework rules so results stay broadly comparable across states, but the exact subjects, the number of written and oral exams, and the exam calendar differ by state.

Who can apply

Students enrolled in the gymnasiale Oberstufe of a Gymnasium, Gesamtschule or Berufliches Gymnasium sit the Abitur at the end of that stage, typically around age 18 to 19, after 12 years of general schooling (the G8 model) or 13 years (the G9 model), depending on the state. Adults who did not complete this path at the usual age can also work towards the Abitur later through an evening Gymnasium (Abendgymnasium) or a Kolleg.

Exam pattern

The final Abitur result (Gesamtqualifikation) combines two parts: coursework grades from the last two years before the exam (the Qualifikationsphase), and the results of the Abiturprüfung itself.

The number of exam subjects itself is not uniform: some states set 4 Prüfungsfächer in total, others set 5. Students choose their subjects from fixed subject groups (task fields), combining advanced-level and basic-level courses, so the specific mix differs student to student as well as state to state.

Marking and results

Each exam and coursework result is marked on a 0 to 15 point scale, which maps onto the traditional 1 (best) to 6 (fail) school grades: 15 to 13 points correspond to grade 1, 12 to 10 to grade 2, 9 to 7 to grade 3, 6 to 4 to grade 4, 3 to 1 to grade 5, and 0 to grade 6.

All the Qualifikationsphase coursework results and the Abiturprüfung results are added into a single total points score (Gesamtpunktzahl). That total is then converted into the final Abitur grade on a 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (lowest passing) scale, using the nationwide KMK conversion formula, under which a total of 300 points gives 4.0, 480 points gives 3.0, 660 points gives 2.0, and the maximum of 900 points gives a result close to 1.0. As with other German school grades, a lower number means a better result.

Important dates

Each state sets its own Abitur exam calendar every year. For 2026, written exams are mostly scheduled between mid-April and mid-May, for example: Lower Saxony 10 April to 11 May 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia 16 April to 8 May 2026, Saxony 16 April to 6 May 2026, Baden-Württemberg 17 April to 8 May 2026, Berlin 15 April to 15 May 2026, and Bavaria 22 April to 13 May 2026. Oral exams and the formal announcement of results follow later in the same term, again on each state's own calendar. Students should check their own state ministry's published Abitur calendar for exact dates.

Fees

There is no exam fee. The Abitur is taken as part of free, publicly funded general schooling at a state Gymnasium or Gesamtschule; students cover only their own personal costs, such as learning materials.

After the exam

Passing the Abitur confers the Allgemeine Hochschulreife, which qualifies the holder to apply to any German university or Fachhochschule, in any subject, with no expiry date. For subjects where there are more applicants than places, admission is coordinated centrally by the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung through hochschulstart.de. This applies nationally to medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, and locally at some universities for other subjects (a Numerus Clausus, or NC). In this process, the applicant's Abitur average grade is one of the main ranking factors; the cut-off average needed for a given subject and university is not fixed in advance but is recalculated each year from that year's applicants and available places.

Preparation tips

• The final grade is built from two years of Qualifikationsphase coursework as well as from the Abiturprüfung itself, so it pays to keep grades strong through the whole Qualifikationsphase, not only while revising for the exam term.

• Confirm your own state's exact subject count, the written-to-oral split, and the published exam calendar early, since all three vary by state and differ from any single generalised pattern.

• If you are aiming at a subject with a Numerus Clausus, check the previous year's admission cut-off on hochschulstart.de to judge realistic choices alongside your target Abitur average.