Overview
The Myanmar Matriculation Examination, also called the University Entrance Examination, is the national school-leaving and university-entrance exam for students completing basic education high school in Myanmar. It is set and administered by the Department of Myanmar Examinations under the Ministry of Education, and sat once a year, usually in March. Passing it both ends basic education and is the gateway to university admission, since the marks scored are what universities and institutes use to admit students into degree programmes.
Students sit the exam at the end of Grade 12 under Myanmar's KG+12 basic-education structure (introduced from the 2021–2022 academic year); under the older 11-year structure it was sat at the end of Grade 11. It is distinct from the Pathamabyan examinations, a separate system of Buddhist monastic scripture exams in Myanmar, which this file does not cover.
Note
The Department of Myanmar Examinations' own site (myanmarexam.org) could not be directly verified from this environment, so the facts below are drawn from government press notices and corroborating secondary reporting (Wikipedia, Radio Free Asia, Eleven Myanmar) rather than the official site itself. Confirm current-year details on the official site or with your school before relying on them.
Who can apply
The exam is open to students in Grade 12 at basic education high schools, including government high schools, government comprehensive high schools, and recognised private high schools. Schools register their own Grade 12 students for the exam; it is not something an individual applies for independently of a school.
Exam pattern
All candidates take six subjects: three compulsory subjects and three subjects from their chosen track (science or arts), each marked out of 100.
| Part | Subjects | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | Myanmar language, English, Mathematics | Taken by every candidate regardless of track |
| Science track | Chemistry, Physics, Biology | Taken instead of the arts-track electives |
| Arts track | Geography, History, Economics | Taken instead of the science-track electives |
The exam is paper-based and runs over about a week. For the 2026 sitting, the Ministry of Education's press office set the dates as 11–17 March 2026, with subjects spread across the window: Myanmar on 11 March, English on 12 March, Mathematics on 13 March, Chemistry and Geography on 14 March, Physics and History on 16 March, and Biology and Economics on 17 March 2026.
Marking and results
Each of the six subjects is marked out of 100, for a combined score out of 600. A subject generally needs a minimum of 40 marks to count as a pass; a candidate who does not clear every subject does not receive an overall pass for that sitting. High-scoring candidates can also earn a distinction (known as "gondu") in a subject, reported as 80 marks or more in Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry, or 75 marks or more in the other subjects.
Pass rates vary by year and have been affected by the country's wider instability since 2021 (see below). For the exam held in March 2025, the Department of Myanmar Examinations reported 99,924 passes out of 207,898 candidates, a pass rate of about 48%, with results announced on 27 July 2025.
Myanmar's political instability since the February 2021 military takeover has repeatedly disrupted the exam. Reporting from Radio Free Asia found registration for the 2021–2022 sitting fell to around 312,000 students, down from about 971,000 two years earlier, as school staff walkouts and conflict-related school closures kept many students from registering at all. Administration in some conflict-affected regions has continued to be irregular in the years since. Treat specific year-to-year participation and pass-rate figures as indicative rather than fixed, and check the Department of Myanmar Examinations for the current year's figures.
Important dates
The exam is held once a year, typically in March, with results announced several months later — for example, the March 2025 sitting's results were announced on 27 July 2025. Exact dates are set and announced by the Ministry of Education each year and can shift; the 2026 sitting is scheduled for 11–17 March 2026. Registration windows are set by individual schools ahead of the sitting; there is no separate, nationally published registration deadline for individual candidates.
How to apply
Candidates do not apply directly to the Department of Myanmar Examinations. Grade 12 students register for the exam through their own school (government high school, comprehensive high school, or private high school), which handles enrolment according to the Department's guidelines. Students should confirm the registration window and any requirements with their school, since these are not centrally published for individual candidates.
After the exam
Passing the compulsory and chosen elective subjects completes basic education and makes a student eligible to apply for university and institute places. Universities and institutes use matriculation scores, together with each programme's own admission rules, to allocate places; individual universities and departments set their own minimum-score requirements each year, and these are published after results are announced rather than fixed in advance. Historically, programmes such as medicine and the more selective engineering degrees have been the most competitive, generally requiring high overall scores and distinctions in relevant subjects, while other programmes admit more broadly. Candidates should check the specific university or department's published requirements for the year they are applying.
Preparation tips
Confirm your subject track (science or arts) and the three elective subjects it carries early, since this fixes which exam papers you sit.
Work through the Department of Myanmar Examinations' past papers and your school's own mock exams for each of your six subjects, since the exam format repeats from year to year.
Track your own marks against the pass threshold (40 out of 100) for every subject, not just your average, since a pass requires clearing each subject individually.
Confirm registration and sitting dates with your school each year, since national schedules have shifted in recent years.
FAQs
Is the Matriculation Examination the same as the University Entrance Examination?
Yes. Both names refer to the same exam, run by the Department of Myanmar Examinations at the end of basic education high school.
How many subjects do I take, and can I choose them freely?
Six: Myanmar language, English and Mathematics are compulsory for everyone, plus three more from your track — Chemistry, Physics and Biology on the science track, or Geography, History and Economics on the arts track. You choose your track, not individual subjects within it.
What happens if I fail one subject but pass the rest?
A pass for that sitting requires clearing every subject, so failing one subject means you have not passed overall. Candidates in that position can resit the exam in a later year; exact resit arrangements are set by the Department of Myanmar Examinations each year, so confirm current rules with your school or the Department.
How do matriculation scores decide which university I get into?
Each university and department sets its own minimum-score requirements, published after results are announced, and uses matriculation scores (together with its own admission rules) to allocate places. There is no single nationwide cutoff; requirements vary by institution, department and year, and tend to be highest for the most competitive programmes such as medicine and engineering.