Didn't graduate high school but still want to go to uni?

How can I prove that I meet the requirements for studying at university?

•    Austrian school-leaving qualification (Matura) or equivalent
•    Higher education entrance examination (Berufsreifeprüfung)
•    Limited higher education entrance qualification (Studienberechtigungsprüfung)
•    Professional qualification and supplementary examination (if you apply to a university of applied sciences [FH])

Higher education entrance examination 

If you’re an apprentice, you can take the higher education entrance exam during – or after – your vocational training. This qualification is equivalent to an Austrian school-leaving qualification (Matura). If you pass the higher education entrance examination, you can apply for a place on any university or university of applied sciences degree programme.

Requirements for the higher education entrance examination

•    Minimum age: 19
•    You must have completed your initial vocational training – e.g. apprenticeship, school for intermediate vocational education (Berufsbildende Mittlere Schule), or school for healthcare and nursing (Schule für Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege)

Which exams make up the higher education entrance examination?

•    German
•    Maths
•    One modern foreign language
•    Specialist subject

How it works: first, you need to apply to do the examination at a public secondary school (e.g. commercial college [Handelsakademie], higher technical college [höhere technische Lehranstalt], higher college [Höhere Bundeslehranstalt]). If you are accepted, you take the exams there. Alternatively, you can take three of the four examinations at a recognised adult education institution. The options include WIFI, BFI or a Volkshochschule adult education centre. Many of these also offer prep courses.

For more information about the higher education entrance examination, visit the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research adult education website (German only).

Limited higher education entrance qualification

This qualification only enables you to apply for a degree selected from a specific group of programmes. This means it is not equivalent to a school-leaving qualification or a higher education entrance examination. So you need to already have a good idea of what you want to study further down the line. The exam is adapted according to the degree programme you want to apply for.

Requirements for the limited higher education entrance qualification

•    Minimum age: 20 
•    You must have completed your compulsory education 
•    Previous knowledge related to the degree programme (you do not need to have any professional qualifications) 
•    EEA citizenship (i.e. all EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or equivalent status under higher education law

While the exam procedures differ from one university to the next, the subject matter covered will reflect your chosen degree programme. The best way to approach this is to contact the university where you would like to study directly. It’s important to remember that obtaining a limited higher education entrance qualification is not a guarantee of a place on the programme you want to attend. If you want to apply to a university of applied sciences, you will also have to complete the admissions procedure there. 

What you need to know about the limited higher education entrance qualification 

•    Five separate examinations
•    One certificate that enables you to study on a degree from your selected group of programmes anywhere in Austria

For more information about the limited higher education entrance qualification, visit the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research site on adult education (German only).

University of applied sciences: professional qualification and supplementary examination

There is another option if you want to study at a university of applied sciences. If you have completed a suitable apprenticeship or graduated from a school for intermediate vocational education (Berufsbildende Mittlere Schule), you have the opportunity to start studying for your bachelor degree if you pass a supplementary exam. The details of the exam depend on the degree programme you want to enrol on. 

Study place first, then the supplementary exam

One important point: before you do anything else, you need to apply for a place on the degree programme. This is because you can only sit the supplementary examination if your application is accepted.

Interested in doing your degree at IMC Krems? We’ll be happy to give you all the advice you need about the admissions procedure and the supplementary exam.

Prospective Student Advisory Service