Z exam - university entrance without Abitur
Z exam - university entrance without Abitur
Studying without a high school diploma? This is now possible in Lower Saxony in various ways.
The Z examination (also known as the Immaturenprüfung) is one of them.
Have you already learnt and worked in an academic appointment - and now want to study in a completely different direction? Switch from the commercial sector to education? After leaving school, you have decided to look after your children in your own household or have cared for relatives - and now you would like to make a career change, preferably to study chemistry? Have you already worked in various fields for a number of years and would now like to give your professional life a (different) direction - by studying environmental or social sciences? Have you always wanted to incorporate your passion for art and media into a degree programme, but first listened to the "voice of reason" and completed an apprenticeship in banking or retail?
No matter which (study) direction you are drawn to: You've come to the right place with your chosen degree programme:
With the Z examination / Immaturenprüfung, you can obtain a higher education entrance qualification for a subject of your choice at a university in Lower Saxony on the basis of your academic appointment or previous education recognised as academic.
At the University of Oldenburg, we have been successfully - and gladly! - through the Z-examination. We have therefore gained a lot of experience and are happy to support you in realising your dream of studying.
By the way:
The entrance examination or university entrance examination (Z examination for short) is correctly called: Examination for the acquisition of a subject-related university entrance qualification (after previous academic appointment). It is also (still) called the "Immaturenprüfung", which goes back to the development from the original university entrance examinations to the qualification to study at a university of teacher education (PH).
Admission requirements
What requirements do I have to fulfil to take part?
You can be admitted to the Z examination if you
- have (at least) a lower secondary school leaving certificate and
- have completed two years of vocational training and gained two years of professional experience in the training occupation (full-time) or
- (without any previous training) have already been employed full-time for five years.
Parenting periods or care in your own household count as full-time employment!
The following periods can also be counted towards the period of full-time employment:- Further completed vocational training,
- up to one year of military or alternative service,
- a voluntary social or ecological year,
- up to six months of internships (at least 4 weeks).
In the case of part-time employment (at least 50%), correspondingly more years of employment
must be proven, which add up to five years of full-time employment.
Note:
The academic appointments/occupations must be documented: You will need a confirmation for each activity, showing in particular the number of hours employed.
Purpose of the audit
Exam structure
What can I expect if I decide to take the Z exam?
The exam consists of two parts: The general and the specialised / special part of the Z examination.
General part
The general part (A part) comprises examinations in the subjects German/Politics and English as well as Maths OR Biology at Fachabitur level.
The state-wide preparation course for the general part is offered annually from the beginning of June by the adult education centre REGION Lüneburg in a predominantly online format.
Please contact Mr Ahmed Osman directly for further information:
Email:
Telephone: 04131 / 15 66 227
You can also arrange for a person with a university degree to supervise your exam preparation. Please enquire about the requirements at the State Examination Office at the:
Lower Saxony State Institute for School Quality Development (NLQ)
- The examination period is January/February after completion of the course or the personally supervised preparation (standardised dates throughout the state).
Note:
For the general part of the examination , a passed Fachabitur is recognised, in this case the preparation is omitted!
Once you have passed (or been credited for) the general part, you can be admitted to the subject-related part of the Z examination at your chosen university in Lower Saxony:
Subject-related / special part
The subject-related part (B part) consists of a written and an oral examination from the basic subject area of the chosen field of study or subject.
The examinations for the subject-related part are usually organised and conducted by the university at which the student will subsequently commence their studies. At the University of Oldenburg, we are happy to support you on your way through this part of the examination!
- The examination period at the University of Oldenburg is from April to June each year.
By passing the Z examination, you have acquired the subject-related university entrance qualification for the subject for which you have taken the examination. You can then apply for a place at the university for the following winter semester.
Registration
Where can I register for the Z exam?
To register for the Z examination, an application for admission must be submitted to the State Examination Office at the Lower Saxony State Institute for School Quality Development (NLQ).
The proposal - including a data protection declaration - can be found here:
Application for admission to the Z examination
Please pay particular attention to the proof of your periods of employment to be submitted with the proposal!
Theregistration deadline for the examination and the deadline for submitting the application for admission is
- for participants in the general part of the examination (preparation course or personally accompanied preparation): 1 October of the previous year and
- for participants who are recognised for the general part of the examination on the basis of the Fachabitur: usually at the end of the previous year for the subject-related part of the examination (by arrangement!).
Preparation
How can I prepare for the Z exam?
To prepare for the two parts of the examination (written and oral) as part of the subject-related part of the Z-examination at the University of Oldenburg, you will be informed and advised directly by the examiners.
To find the right degree programme for you or simply to get a taste of university life, you are welcome to use the following offers from the University of Oldenburg:
- Information on all study programmes and more in the InfoPortal Studium,
- Counselling sessions at the Central Student Advisory Service of the University of Oldenburg,
- initial insights and various information at the University Information Day,
- a visit to a taster programme or
- attending lectures as part of the C3L - Centre for Lifelong Learning guest lecture programme.
Legal basis
Which laws actually regulate the Z-test?
The legal requirements are laid down by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of Lower Saxony in the "Regulation on the acquisition of subject-related higher education entrance qualifications by examination (HZbPrüfVO)" of 17 December 2009.
This is based on the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG) (Section 18 (12)) and the Lower Saxony Administrative Procedure Act (NVwVfG) (Section 1 (3)).
You can find the ordinance with its specific location in the legal texts here:
