Overview
The Mittlerer Schulabschluss is Germany's intermediate general school-leaving qualification, taken at the end of grade 10. Like the Abitur, it is not one uniform national exam: education is a state (Länder) matter, so each of the 16 states sets its own exam rules under common framework agreements from the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), the standing conference of state education ministers. The qualification is often called by a regional name instead: Realschulabschluss in most states, Fachoberschulreife in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, Mittlere Reife in Bavaria, Qualifizierter Sekundarabschluss I in Rhineland-Palatinate, and Mittlerer Bildungsabschluss in Saarland. It sits roughly at the level of the English GCSE.
Who can apply
Students usually sit the Mittlerer Schulabschluss around age 15 to 16, at the end of grade 10. It is awarded chiefly to students at a Realschule or Gesamtschule, and in some states also at a Hauptschule or Mittelschule that offers an extended track. At a Gymnasium, most states do not require a separate exam: a student who is promoted (versetzt) from grade 10 into the gymnasiale Oberstufe receives the Mittlerer Schulabschluss automatically alongside that promotion.
Exam pattern
| Component | Typical pattern (varies by state) |
|---|---|
| Written exams | German, mathematics and the first foreign language (usually English), set centrally by the state education ministry; several states add a fourth written subject, such as a science or an elective |
| Oral or practical component | Some states add an oral exam or project presentation alongside the written papers; for example, Bavarian Realschulen examine German and English both in writing and orally |
| School-year grades | Classroom grades from the final year (often called the Vornote) are combined with the exam grades into the final result, rather than the exam alone deciding it |
| Gymnasium route | At most Gymnasien, no separate written exam is set; the certificate follows from being promoted into the gymnasiale Oberstufe at the end of grade 10 |
Marking and results
Results use the standard German school scale from 1 (sehr gut, best) to 6 (ungenügend, fail), the same scale used throughout secondary school. The final grade in each exam subject is built by combining the school-year classroom grade with the exam grade; the exact weighting differs by state. For example, in North Rhine-Westphalia the school-year grade and the written exam grade each count for half when there is no oral exam, or in a 5:3:2 ratio (school-year grade, written exam, oral exam) when an oral exam is also taken. In Baden-Württemberg, passing the Realschulabschluss requires an overall grade of 4.0 or better, and the average of the written exam subjects must also be 4.0 or better.
Fees
There is no exam fee. The Mittlerer Schulabschluss is taken as part of free, publicly funded general schooling; students cover only their own personal costs, such as learning materials.
After the exam
Holding the Mittlerer Schulabschluss on its own qualifies a student to start vocational training (duale Ausbildung) or to move into a vocational school track, such as a Berufsfachschule or Fachoberschule. Moving instead into the gymnasiale Oberstufe, the upper stage that leads to the Abitur, generally needs more than the bare certificate: states additionally require a formal qualification note (Berechtigung zum Besuch der gymnasialen Oberstufe), based on grades in core subjects being satisfactory or better, with limited room to offset weaker grades. A student who falls short of that bar keeps the Mittlerer Schulabschluss but needs to improve their grade profile, for example by repeating the year, before moving on to the Oberstufe.
Preparation tips
Treat the school-year classroom grades as part of the result, not just the final written exams: in most states they are averaged together with the exam grade rather than replaced by it.
If the goal is the gymnasiale Oberstufe and the Abitur afterward, check the specific grade thresholds your state sets for the Berechtigung early, since just passing the Mittlerer Schulabschluss is not always enough on its own.
Confirm your own state's exact written subjects, whether an oral component applies, and the weighting formula used, since all three vary by state.
Is the Mittlerer Schulabschluss the same exam in every German state?
No. Each of the 16 states sets its own exact exam subjects, whether an oral or project component is added, and how school-year grades and exam grades are weighted into the final result. The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) agrees common framework standards, mainly in German, mathematics and the first foreign language, to keep results broadly comparable across states.
Why is it also called Realschulabschluss, Mittlere Reife or Fachoberschulreife?
These are regional names for the same qualification. Most states call it the Realschulabschluss, Bavaria commonly uses Mittlere Reife, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia use Fachoberschulreife, Rhineland-Palatinate uses Qualifizierter Sekundarabschluss I, and Saarland uses Mittlerer Bildungsabschluss. The nationwide KMK term for all of them is Mittlerer Schulabschluss.
Does passing it let me move straight into the gymnasiale Oberstufe toward the Abitur?
Not automatically everywhere. Most states require, on top of the certificate, a separate qualification note (Berechtigung zum Besuch der gymnasialen Oberstufe) based on having satisfactory or better grades in core subjects. At a Gymnasium, this is usually settled at the same time as the certificate itself, since both follow from being promoted into grade 11.
Is there a fee to take the Mittlerer Schulabschluss?
No. It is taken as part of free, publicly funded schooling, so there is no exam fee.