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The time has come on April 22nd: the Abitur exams at Bavarian grammar schools begin.
Around 29,000 students from public and state-recognized grammar schools, colleges, and evening schools are taking their exams this year. What’s special about this year is that it’s the first graduating class to complete their Abitur (university entrance qualification) under the new nine-year grammar school system (G9).
Minister of Education Anna Stolz emphasizes: “For me, it was crucial that our students in the new upper secondary school system, and thus also in their choice of subjects for the Abitur (university entrance examination), can set individual priorities according to their talents and interests. This is precisely what empowers them and offers them the opportunity to deepen their confidence in their own abilities. This makes our new upper secondary school system truly special. Furthermore, by achieving the Abitur, our students lay a solid foundation for their future educational path. The freedom for individual professional development is, in my view, one of the great strengths of the new G9 upper secondary school system and the new flexibility in the final Abitur examinations.”
G9 Abitur exams: What remains the same – what’s new
What remains: Five-subject high school diploma
As before, the Abitur examination comprises five subjects. Each candidate takes three of the five Abitur examinations in written form and two in oral form (colloquium). Three of the examinations are in subjects at an advanced level. These usually include German, mathematics, and another subject taught at a higher level (advanced course). Two further examination subjects are at a standard level.
This is new: Individual focus areas in the Abitur exam
Previously, students could choose from various foreign languages for their third advanced-level subject. Starting in 2026, with the introduction of the advanced-level course in the redesigned G9 upper secondary school system, the choice of subjects will extend to many more. From this year onward, natural sciences and social sciences will again be included in the Abitur examination at an advanced level. This allows students to individually focus on their five Abitur examination subjects and thus develop a stronger personal profile: In the G9 system, a natural science can be chosen instead of a foreign language for the Abitur. From 2026, it will even be possible not only to choose two foreign languages, but also, for example, two natural sciences or two social sciences subjects for the Abitur examination.
More flexibility in the examination formats
Another new feature is that only one of the two subjects, German and mathematics, must be taken as a compulsory written exam. This gives high school graduates more flexibility in choosing their written subjects.
Dates for the 2026 Abitur exams:
The written Abitur examinations will take place between April 22, 2026, and May 13, 2026. On April 22, the examinations will begin for students who have chosen biology (as an advanced course or at the basic level). The written examinations will conclude on May 13 with the examinations for the advanced courses (higher level) in Italian, Spanish, Greek, History, Geography, Politics and Society, Economics and Law, Religious Studies, Ethics, Computer Science, Physical Education, Art, and Music.
The oral Abitur examinations (colloquia) will take place between May 18, 2026 and June 12, 2026 .
The high school diplomas will be awarded on June 26, 2026 .
A comprehensive overview of dates and answers to the most important questions about the 2026 Abitur (university entrance exam) can be found at:
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