Overview
The Zentralmatura is the common name for Austria's standardised, competency-based school-leaving examination, officially the Reifeprüfung at academic secondary schools (AHS) and the Reife- und Diplomprüfung (SRDP) at higher vocational-technical colleges (BHS). It is taken at the end of upper secondary school and is built on three independent parts, called pillars: a concluding written paper with a defence, a set of written exams, and a set of oral exams. Passing all three earns the Matura certificate, which is the general entrance qualification for university study in Austria.
Who can apply
The Zentralmatura is sat by students finishing their final year of an AHS (the academic secondary track, where the final year is the 12th year of school) or a BHS (a five-year higher vocational-technical college, where the final year is the 13th year of school). Candidates are usually around 18 or 19 years old. It is not a qualification outsiders register for separately; it is taken as part of completing that final school year.
Exam pattern
The SRDP has three pillars, taken across the final school year:
| Pillar | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Concluding paper | A written paper (Vorwissenschaftliche Arbeit at AHS, Diplomarbeit at BHS), followed by a 10–15 minute presentation and discussion before an examining panel |
| Written exams | Three to five standardised written papers, depending on how many oral exams the student also chooses |
| Oral exams | Two or three oral exams before a subject commission, taken after the written results are known |
Concluding paper. At AHS, the Vorwissenschaftliche Arbeit is an individual pre-academic paper. At BHS, the Diplomarbeit is usually produced by a team of two to five students, often tied to a practical or industry-linked project. The paper is submitted by a fixed deadline early in the second semester of the final year, then defended in front of a panel either before or after the written exams. From the 2026 main exam session through the 2028/29 school year, this concluding paper is being made optional: a student may choose it, or instead sit an extra written or oral exam in another subject area.
Written exams. The mandatory written subjects are the language of instruction (German, or a minority teaching language), mathematics, and a modern foreign language. The exam tasks for the language of instruction, mathematics, the main modern foreign languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish), and classical languages (Latin, Greek) are set centrally by the ministry for every candidate nationwide — this is what gives the exam its "central" (Zentralmatura) name. Students choose either three written exams plus three oral exams, or four written exams plus two oral exams, alongside the concluding paper.
Oral exams. Oral exams are held before a subject commission at the candidate's own school, after the written papers have been marked. A written paper in a standardised subject that is graded "Nicht genügend" can usually be compensated through an oral exam in the same subject, in the same exam session.
Marking and results
Austria uses a five-point scale for all school grades, including the Matura: Sehr gut (1), Gut (2), Befriedigend (3), Genügend (4), and Nicht genügend (5). A grade of Genügend (4) or better is needed in each part to pass that part. Standardised written papers are marked against a fixed points-to-grade table issued centrally for that paper, so the same answer script earns the same grade regardless of which school marks it.
If a standardised written paper is graded Nicht genügend and the compensation oral exam is also not passed, or not attempted, the written exam must be retaken in a later exam session. A subject that is still not passed can be retaken up to three times after the first attempt.
Important dates
For the 2026 main exam session (Haupttermin), the standardised written papers at AHS and BHS fall in May 2026: German on 5 May, Latin on 6 May, English on 7 May, French on 8 May, mathematics on 11 May, Spanish/Slovenian/Croatian/Hungarian on 12 May, Italian on 13 May, and Greek on 15 May. Oral compensation exams for the main session follow in early June 2026, with final oral exams typically later in June.
A later exam session (Herbsttermin) runs in autumn for students repeating or catching up on a subject. For 2026, the autumn written papers run from mid to late September, with an oral compensation sitting on 13 October 2026.
The concluding paper (VWA/Diplomarbeit) is submitted early in the second semester of the final school year, ahead of the May written exams.
After the exam
A student who passes all three pillars receives the Matura certificate (Reifeprüfungszeugnis or Reife- und Diplomprüfungszeugnis), which grants allgemeine Universitätsreife — the general entrance qualification to study at Austrian universities, universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), and colleges of education. The Austrian Matura is treated as broadly equivalent to other EU general upper-secondary leaving certificates, including Germany's Abitur, for the purpose of university admission.
Preparation tips
Decide early whether to do the concluding paper or, where offered, the alternative extra exam, since the concluding paper's submission deadline falls early in the final year.
Choose the three-written/three-oral or four-written/two-oral split based on strengths, since it changes how many subjects are covered in each format.
For standardised subjects, practise against past official exam papers, since the task style and marking scheme are fixed centrally and repeat in format from year to year.
Keep the compensation-exam rule in mind: a weak standardised written paper is not automatically a failed subject if the oral compensation exam is passed in the same session.
Is the Zentralmatura a different exam from the Matura or Reifeprüfung?
No. Zentralmatura is the common nickname for the current standardised, competency-based Reifeprüfung (AHS) or Reife- und Diplomprüfung (BHS) — the official exam names are Reifeprüfung and SRDP.
Do all students have to write a VWA or Diplomarbeit?
From the 2026 main exam session through the 2028/29 school year, it becomes optional: a student can choose the concluding paper, or sit an extra written or oral exam in another subject instead.
What happens if a standardised written exam is graded Nicht genügend?
The student can usually sit an oral compensation exam in that subject in the same exam session. If that is also not passed, or not attempted, the written exam has to be retaken in a later session.
Does passing the Matura guarantee a university place in Austria?
It gives general entrance eligibility (allgemeine Universitätsreife) to apply to Austrian universities and Fachhochschulen. Specific degree programmes can still have their own admission procedures or entrance tests on top of that eligibility.