The general university entrance qualification and studying in Germany
As a student at UNBRICKED you can acquire the German Abitur – the so-called general university entrance qualification. With the general university entrance qualification you are allowed to study at any German university or university of applied sciences. In principle, any course of study is open to you with the general university entrance qualification.
You would like to study in another country?
No problem. In principle, you can study worldwide with the German Abitur. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
- What are the application deadlines?
- Can I have my achievements recognized at the other university?
- Do I need a language certificate?
- Do I have to take a language exam beforehand?
Abitur examination for non-students
In Germany, school law is a matter for the Länder, which means that there are slight variations in the regulations governing the examination from Land to Land. The exam to be taken is called Abiturprüfung für Nichtschüler (examination for non-students) in most states, in some states also Externenabiturprüfung (examination for externs), only in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony the exam is officially called Schulfremdenabiturprüfung.
Requirements
Since the exam must be taken in Germany, the applicant must have a residence permit for Germany. With the exception of people from EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, all other foreign applicants need a residence permit to stay in Germany for more than 90 days.
In most cases, the residence permit for Germany must be applied for in the home country or a Schengen visa for 90 days must be applied for. For some countries, however, it is possible to enter Germany without a visa for the first 90 days and then apply for the residence permit in Germany.
The Abitur for non-students basically requires that the applicant has not attended a gymnasiale Oberstufe, Abendgymnasium or Kolleg in the previous school year and has not already failed the Abitur examination twice.
Furthermore, the applicant must have prepared adequately for the examination. In principle, this can be done completely autodidactically. The contents of the examination hardly differ from those of the Abitur examination in and after the end of the gymnasiale Oberstufe (upper courses).
Admission to the non-student Abitur examination must be applied for at the competent authority of the respective state. The examination time and place are determined by the authority according to state law. The examination is subject to a fee in most states. The examination in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt is free of charge.
There are federal states in which the applicant must be resident and federal states which can be freely chosen by each applicant.
The examination
The examination is basically held in eight subjects, with four subjects being examined in writing and four subjects orally.
According to the agreement of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany, applicants can choose from the following subjects, although the individual Länder can restrict or extend the range of subjects offered according to local circumstances:
Task area 1: (linguistic-literary-artistic): German, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Latin, Greek, fine arts, music.
Task area 2: (social science): History, geography, social studies/politics, economics
Task area 3: (mathematical-scientific-technical): Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology
As in the regular Abitur examination, advanced courses are to be selected according to the conditions of the Land law, which are examined in depth. In the Länder that provide for two advanced courses, German, mathematics or a foreign language must be taken as an advanced course; in the Länder that provide for three advanced courses, the first two advanced courses must be German, mathematics, a foreign language or a natural science.
The examination subjects must include German, mathematics, a social science subject, a natural science and two foreign languages. Each Land decides individually which subjects must be examined in writing and which orally.
Land regulations
Baden-Württemberg
The basis is the decree for the Abitur examination: School strangers
As a rule, only those who have their permanent residence in Baden-Württemberg or who have been prepared for the Abitur examination for non-students at a state-approved private high school or at another teaching institution in Baden-Württemberg are admitted to the examination. (Just contact us if you are interested in taking the Abitur in Baden-Württemberg).
The exam consists of two parts: Part 1 includes four written and oral examination subjects, with three subjects examined as if they were a performance subject and the fourth subject examined as a basic subject.
Part 2 comprises four oral examination subjects, all of which are examined as basic subjects.
The examination subjects can be chosen from various compulsory subjects such as German, English, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, history, ethics, art, music, economics, geography and social studies. In addition, the Regional Council may allow further subjects in individual cases. Two foreign languages, one natural science and one subject from history, geography, social studies or economics must be chosen.
In the written examination, one or more examination tasks are set in a standard manner throughout the Land, which must be completed in a minimum of 240 minutes and a maximum of 315 minutes.
For the examination in the subjects fine arts and music, there is a special subject examination which contains written and subject-specific practical parts.
The oral examination in a foreign language is conducted according to the central standards applicable to the communication examination.
Schulfremdenprüfung – Kultusministerium (km-bw.de)
Bavaria
The basis is the Bavarian school regulations for grammar schools, section “Examination for other applicants”.
The examination is divided into eight examination subjects, four of which are written and four of which are oral. The examination subjects must include German, history, mathematics, one natural science and two foreign languages. The choice of subjects is limited to those that can also be chosen as examination subjects for students of grammar schools.
In the first part of the examination, four subjects are examined in writing, at least two of which must be at an advanced level, including mathematics. The three task areas according to §18 of the school regulations for grammar schools must be covered. The centrally set Abitur examination tasks with the processing times and selection rules provided for this purpose are used. If German is not chosen as the subject of the first part of the examination, a foreign language must be chosen as a performance subject. In the fourth subject of the first part of the examination, only subjects at the basic requirement level can be examined.
The tasks are set by the examining school with a processing time of 270 minutes in the modern foreign languages and 180 minutes in the other subjects. The additional oral examinations in the subjects of the first part of the main examination usually last 20 minutes and correspond to the regulations for the regular Abitur.
In the second part of the examination, the remaining four subjects that were not already the subject of the written examination are examined orally. The oral examination usually lasts 30 minutes for each of the four subjects, and the preparation time is 30 minutes. In modern foreign languages, the oral examination takes place in the respective foreign language.
The examination requirements are based on the learning content of the last two course semesters, which would be compulsory for students of public high schools. If the performance subject or the subject German is chosen as the examination subject of the second part of the examination, the examination requirements are based, in deviation from this, on the learning content of the last four periods of education which would have been compulsory for pupils of public grammar schools.
The main focus is set in accordance with Annex 9. The second foreign language is only examined at the level of a late-beginning foreign language. The procedure of the examination corresponds to the colloquium. If the needs of the examining school permit, there will be only one oral examination per day.
Abschlüsse für externe Bewerber (bayern.de)
Berlin
The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family offers external Abitur exams every year. The exams take place in the first half of each year. There are four oral exams and four written exams. In addition, there is the possibility to take a make-up exam in two of the written subjects.
At least one science and one foreign language must be chosen as a written subject. Two of the four subjects must be chosen as advanced courses. The oral subjects are examined at basic course level.
Zweiter Bildungsweg – Berlin.de
Brandenburg
Usually, only those who have a permanent residence in Brandenburg or who have been prepared for the Abitur examination for non-students at a state-approved private high school or other educational institution in Brandenburg are admitted to the examination. (Just contact us if you are interested in the Abitur in Baden-Württemberg).
In Brandenburg, the Abitur for non-students is regulated by the Ordinance on Examinations for the Subsequent Acquisition of Secondary Level I Qualifications and the General Higher Education Entrance Qualification for Non-students in the State of Brandenburg (Non-student Examination Ordinance – NschPV).
Bremen
The Senator for Education and Science commissions public schools or departments of schools in the state of Bremen that lead to the general university entrance qualification to administer the examination. In Bremerhaven this is done in agreement with the magistrate. Suitable proof of regular school attendance in an educational course preparing for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife must be provided. Further details can be found in the Ordinance on the Abitur examination for pupils of non-recognized alternative schools and for non-students in the state of Bremen, as amended on June 26, 2009.
Hesse
In Hesse, non-students must be allowed to take appropriate examinations in order to obtain school-leaving qualifications, in accordance with Section 79 (3) of the Hessian School Act.
The examination comprises eight subjects
In the linguistic-literary-artistic task field these can be: German, English, French, Latin, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Ancient Greek, music or art.
In the social sciences, these may be: politics and economics, history, geography, economics or religion/ethics.
In the mathematical-scientific-technical task field these can be: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Computer Science.
The examination is divided into two parts, each of which comprises four subjects. The four subjects in the first part of the examination are examined in writing in a standardized manner throughout the country. The time required is five hours in the performance subjects and four hours in the other two subjects. At the request of the candidates, oral examinations may also be taken in a maximum of two subjects of the first part of the examination. The four subjects of the second part of the examination, which may not be the subject of the first part, are examined orally.
Erwerb der allgemeinen Hochschulreife auf dem zweiten Bildungsweg | schulämter hessen.de
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The subjects of the examination are four written examinations and a further four oral subjects.
The written subjects are: 1.German, 2. mathematics, 3. history and political education, 4. a foreign language or natural science.
Among the items 1-4, two subjects are examined at the advanced course level and the remaining two at the basic course level. Students are free to choose which subjects are to be examined at which level.
The oral examination subjects are to be chosen in such a way that, including the written examination subjects, at least one natural science and two foreign languages are examined in the entire examination. The oral examinations may be chosen from the following subject areas: Foreign Languages, Music, Art and Design, Geography, Philosophy, Economics, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, and Religion. Only those who have passed the written examinations may take part in the oral examinations.
North Rhine-Westphalia
In North Rhine-Westphalia, non-students are examined in eight subjects – four written and four oral. The examination results in these produce the Abitur grades.
Externe Abiturprüfung & Studienberichte | Bezirksregierung Düsseldorf (nrw.de)
Rhineland-Palatinate
The legal basis is the Abitur examination regulations for non-students dated May 26, 2011.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, Italian (task area I), computer science (task area III) as well as protestant religion, catholic religion and ethics (outside the task areas) are also offered as examination subjects. In addition to the general education subjects, the vocational subjects business administration, economics (task area II) or technology (task area III) are offered, which can only be taken as an advanced course. (§ 5 of the regulation)
The written examination in Latin or Greek can be taken at the same time as the Latinum or Graecum. (§ 15 of the ordinance)
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Saarland
The applicant is required to provide evidence of adequate preparation for the examination.
Saxony
The examination consists of a written and an oral part and takes place once a year. The application for admission must be submitted to the responsible regional office of the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB).
Saxony-Anhalt
Admission to this form of Abitur examination must be applied for by February 1 of each year at the latest at the Saxony-Anhalt Land Administration Office in Halle, Dessau-Roßlau or Magdeburg. It takes place within the time frame of the Abitur examination at public high schools.
Bürgerservice Sachsen-Anhalt – Landesschulamt – Nichtschülerprüfung beantragen
Schleswig-Holstein
Usually only those who have their permanent residence in Schleswig-Holstein are admitted to the examination. (Just contact us if you are interested in taking the Abitur in Baden-Württemberg).
External examinations for the Abitur in Schleswig-Holstein are held once a year at the Abendgymnasium Lübeck and must be registered for by December 01 of the previous year of the examination.
Conclusion
This all sounds very complicated to you? We fully understand. We promise you that we will accompany your child throughout the entire process. No matter if documentation of the learning content, registration for the exam, compilation of the exam subjects. It is clear that your child must stay at the exam location of his or her choice for the duration of the exams. If desired, a UNBRICKED staff member will accompany your child during the entire time (not included in the tuition fee).
It is certain that it is easy for our students to take the German Abitur. With the German Abitur, your child will hold an internationally recognized diploma in his or her hands that will open the doors to exciting universities all over the world.
