For most university programmes it is enough to meet the formal requirements. But for high-demand programmes – including medicine, dentistry, psychology, architecture, biology, computer science and economics – universities may limit the number of places. In that case you will face an entrance exam before admission or a selection phase during the first two semesters.
At FHs every applicant goes through an admission procedure: usually a document check, a written or oral test and an interview. At arts universities an aptitude exam counts instead of your school leaving certificate.
Most programmes have no entrance exam. The exceptions:
Admission rules – an entrance exam or other criteria – are set by each institution. For medicine and dentistry in English at the Medical University of Sofia, you take remote exams in English, biology and chemistry – the same for EU and non-EU applicants.
Admission is based on your secondary school grades and school leaving exam results. The institution converts them into points using its own formula – the details are in the call for applications (natječaj).
Some faculties also hold additional tests (dodatne provjere). You have to register for them in advance – at the University of Zagreb by 31 May 2026 for the July round and by 24 August 2026 for the September round.
Cypriot school leavers take national exams (Pancyprian Examinations) – places at public universities are allocated on the basis of the results.
At the University of Cyprus, international applicants can take exams set by the university or submit the results of international exams. Private universities usually don't hold a central exam – what counts are your documents and the programme's requirements.
Each faculty decides how it selects students. Some programmes require an entrance exam, an interview, a portfolio review or an aptitude test (arts programmes).
Many faculties in Czechia and Slovakia replace or supplement their own exams with the National Comparative Exams (Národní srovnávací zkoušky, NSZ), run by the company Scio. They take place seven times a year, also online. The faculty's admission rules tell you whether it accepts them.
There is no national entrance exam. In kvote 1 only your grades count; in kvote 2 the institution may hold its own test or interview. Arts institutions hold aptitude tests.
Many programmes have specific subject requirements – certain secondary school subjects at a given level (in the Danish system A, B or C). The best way to find out whether the subjects on your school leaving certificate meet them is to ask the institution you are applying to.
For many programmes your documents are enough, but universities can add an entrance test, an interview or a portfolio – it depends on the programme, so read its description carefully. If you are thinking about a doctorate, you must find a supervisor before you apply.
For many programmes in Finland you will face an entrance exam or an interview. Institutions can admit students on the basis of school certificates, an entrance exam, an interview or a combination of these – the rules are in the programme description on Studyinfo.fi.
An example: in the 2026 admissions, the University of Helsinki admitted applicants with a foreign school leaving certificate to its English-taught bachelor's programmes on the basis of their SAT or ACT scores. On the basis of the certificate alone, it admitted only applicants with the Finnish matriculation examination, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the European Baccalaureate (EB) or the German Abitur taken in Finland. Check the rules for your programme carefully – each institution sets its own.
Most university programmes have no entrance exam – admission is based on the file you submit through Parcoursup or Mon Master: your grades and the documents the programme asks for.
It's tougher on selective programmes – in preparatory classes (CPGE), engineering schools and business schools. Here there are tests, interviews or competitive exams (concours), and many grandes écoles are reached through preparatory classes. In Parcoursup you can make up to 10 choices for them. Schools of art and architecture have their own entrance tests – you'll find the dates on their websites.
Most programmes have no entrance exams. For programmes with a limited number of places (Numerus clausus), what counts most is the average grade on your school leaving certificate, and the university may add its own criteria, such as tests or an interview.
For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, places are allocated through hochschulstart – besides your grades, criteria set by the universities also count. At colleges of art and music you take an aptitude test.
Applicants with a foreign school leaving certificate don't take entrance exams – the ministry ranks their applications by their secondary school grade average.
To enrol, however, you need Greek at level B2 or higher. Without a certificate you can't enrol straight away – you have to get one before the following academic year, or you lose your right to enrol. People with a Greek or Cypriot secondary school certificate, among others, are exempt.
Each university sets its own admission rules. For programmes in Hungarian, your school leaving certificate results count, plus any exams required for the programme. Arts universities test your aptitude.
English-taught programmes often have an entrance exam. For example, for medicine at Semmelweis University you take an online test in biology, chemistry, English and biomedical English (20 questions each), followed by a motivation interview. Exams take place once or twice a week from the beginning of March to the end of June.
Most programmes have no entrance exams – you just need to meet the formal requirements. The exceptions at the University of Iceland are:
Some master's programmes have a limited number of places.
Most programmes have no separate entrance exam – admission depends on CAO points calculated from your school leaving exam results. First you have to meet the minimum requirements (number and level of subjects); then the institution compares you with other EU applicants using the CAO equivalence tables. Some programmes have extra requirements – check them in the CAO Handbook for your chosen course.
Medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine: since 2025/26 there has been no traditional entrance test. Instead, there is an "open semester" (semestre aperto, often called the "filter semester" in the media). You enrol in the first semester, attend classes in three subjects and take exams in them. The results are used to build a national ranking.
In 2026/27:
For other programmes with a limited number of places, tests are organised by the universities – you'll find the dates and topics in the call for applications (bando) for each programme.
Whether you face an exam or an interview depends on the university and the programme. For example, for the University of Latvia's English-taught bachelor's in English, European Languages and Business Studies, applicants are ranked by their secondary school grades (including English, mathematics and the average), plus an online interview. Applicants from outside the EU also need a SAT score of at least 1200.
Standard programmes have no entrance exams – what counts is your school leaving certificate and your language skills. The exception is the master's in architecture: you add a portfolio of your work to your application.
For most programmes, admission is based on a ranking of your grades and final exam results. Some programmes add an entrance exam – in 2026 LAMA BPO held a spring session (16–31 March) and a main session (12 June – 21 July).
For English-taught medicine at Vilnius University you either take an online exam (fee €200) or submit a test score, e.g. IMAT (at least 50 points), BMAT or MCAT. Some international certificates, including the IB and A-levels, exempt you from the exam.
There are usually no traditional entrance exams – the university assesses your documents and, above all, your skills in the languages the programme is taught in. Some programmes have additional selection steps – you'll find the details on the programme's page.
Malta has no central entrance exam for international applicants. The institution checks whether your certificate and exam subjects meet the programme requirements – for example, the BA in History at UM requires a pass in history at Advanced Level.
Maltese applicants take the MATSEC exams. At UM, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the European Baccalaureate are treated like local qualifications.
Most programmes have no exam – you just need to meet the formal requirements. The exception is numerus fixus programmes: selection runs from 15 January to 15 April, and on 15 April you receive a ranking number that decides whether you are admitted.
In one year you can apply for no more than two numerus fixus programmes. For medicine, dentistry, dental hygiene and physiotherapy you can apply only once a year for each of these programmes.
First-cycle programmes admit secondary school graduates with the State Matura (Državna matura) or an equivalent – for international applicants, a secondary school leaving certificate that has been recognised (nostrified).
At UKIM most programmes have no entrance exam – what counts is your average secondary school grade. The exceptions are programmes that test knowledge and skills: architecture, dramatic arts, fine arts and music.
There is no national entrance exam. Many programmes have more applicants than places, and applicants are ranked mainly by their secondary school grades.
Arts programmes, e.g. in music, have their own deadlines and extra admission stages – the institution gives the details in the programme description.
In Poland, school leaving exam results replace entrance exams: Polish applicants are admitted on their matura results, and applicants with foreign certificates according to the university's rules – usually on the grades in their certificate. A university may hold an additional exam only when it needs to check:
Such exams cannot cover subjects that are part of the school leaving exam. Check the admission rules of your programme – for English-taught programmes they explain exactly how foreign certificates are assessed.
Every programme in the Concurso Nacional has its own provas de ingresso – exams in specific subjects that you have to pass. Portuguese applicants take the national final exams (exames nacionais).
If you finished secondary school abroad, you can use the results of your own school leaving exams instead, provided they meet three conditions: they are national in scope, they correspond to the subjects required for the programme, and they are on the list of exams accepted as substitutes. Exams taken from 2022 onwards are valid for 5 years.
You'll find the details and the list of exams on the DGES website.
Admission rules (admitere) are set by each institution and faculty – sometimes your school grades count, sometimes there is an exam. Check the admission regulations on your chosen faculty's website.
For medical programmes in English in Cluj-Napoca and Iași there is no entrance exam: the universities assess your documents and secondary school grades, and in Iași there is also an interview.
For bachelor's programmes every applicant takes an entrance exam, international applicants included. Its format depends on the programme – ask your chosen faculty.
Exams take place in summer: the first round is in June or early July, the second in early September, but only if places are still available. Applicants for master's and doctoral programmes take exams in September or October, if the faculty requires them.
The faculty decides on admission. For many programmes you take an entrance exam; at arts institutions, an aptitude exam.
Some faculties in Slovakia and Czechia replace or supplement their own exams with the National Comparative Exams (NSZ), run by the company Scio. They take place seven times a year, also online. The faculty's admission conditions tell you whether it accepts them.
There is no central entrance exam. If a programme has more applicants than places, the selection criteria published in the call for enrolment decide – check them for your programme.
For some programmes you also have to pass a Slovenian language exam before enrolling in the first year – the call for enrolment tells you whether this applies and when any additional tests take place.
Spanish school leavers take the PAU exam. As an applicant with a foreign certificate, you don't have to – your school average, converted by UNEDasiss, is the basis of your admission score (nota de admisión).
For competitive programmes, though, it's worth raising your score – by up to 4 points. You can take the PCE (Pruebas de Competencias Específicas) at UNED or sit the optional part of the PAU at a Spanish public university. Your two best grades count, in the subjects that carry the most weight for your chosen programme.
PCE in 2026: registration from 16 March to 28 April, exams in Spain from 25 to 29 May. September session: registration from 1 to 22 July, exams from 2 to 8 September.
In Sweden there are usually no entrance exams. If you meet the requirements, you compete for a place with the other applicants – usually on the basis of your secondary school grades.
The exceptions are arts programmes and some specialised programmes, where institutions may ask for a portfolio, sample work or an interview. Swedish applicants can also use the result of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (högskoleprovet), but it is held in Swedish. The programme description gives the details.
Most programmes have no entrance exams – your school leaving certificate is what counts. The exception is medicine: you register through swissuniversities by 15 February and take the aptitude test for medical studies (EMS).
Note: only some foreign nationals are admitted to medicine – among others, holders of a settlement permit (C) who live in Switzerland, or EU/EFTA citizens who work in Switzerland in a medical profession. If you come to Switzerland only to study, you usually won't meet these conditions.
The most important exam for international applicants is TR-YÖS (the exam for foreign applicants). It is organised by the state assessment centre ÖSYM twice a year, in Turkey and abroad. You can take it in Turkish, English, German, French, Arabic or Russian.
According to Study in Türkiye, state and foundation universities require a TR-YÖS score. In practice each university decides what it accepts. METU, for example, accepts TR-YÖS (a result in the top 5%), the SAT (at least 1200 points) or a school leaving certificate. Exam results are valid there for two years.
There is no single entrance exam – the university assesses your school results, personal statement and reference. For some courses, however, there are extra tests:
For art and design courses you usually send a portfolio or attend an audition.
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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