general information

The Vocational Matura (VM) is a national exam with a double qualification:

• a school leaving exam providing candidates with upper secondary vocational qualification,
• a condition for further education in (short-cycle) higher vocational colleges without any additional requirements.

With regard to tertiary education, the difference between the VM and the General Matura (GM) is as follows: candidates who have passed the GM can enrol in all higher education courses in either colleges or universities, while candidates who have passed the VM can only enrol in vocational higher education courses but not universities.

VM candidates wishing to enrol in university courses have to take one additional exam from the GM. The majority of university courses (but not all) allow for this combination (i.e. the VM plus one additional GM subject) and the GM subject may vary for different university courses, which is stated each year in the Call for Enrolment.