3_1 HIGH SCHOOL (SŠ) ADMISSION PROCEDURE

Upon the completion of compulsory education, students may pursue their studies and apply to a high school.

The admission procedure varies according to the field of study. Applications to the 1st round must be submitted in February. It is possible to submit up to 3 applications. Two additional applications may be submitted to fields of study where a talent exam is included (arts, sports) in the admission procedure. The deadline for application submission is identical for all fields of study. Talent exam dates are specified by each school and must fall between mid-March and roughly mid-April. The applicants assign priority to the schools according to their preferences (the school at the top of the list being their most preferred one).
High schools with fields of study where a high school diploma (the Czech maturita) is awarded upon completion require the applicant to pass the unified entrance exam (JPZ) in mathematics and the Czech language and literature. Each applicant sits the JPZ twice. The better achieved result of the two attempts shall count. Some schools also require the applicants to pass the school part of the entrance exam, which may include a test in a foreign language, physical abilities, manual skills, etc. The dates are announced in the admission procedure criteria of the individual schools. The applicant is informed about the exact date of the school part of the entrance exam in the invitation to the entrance exam.

IMPORTANT DATES:

admission procedure criteria published on the schools‘ websites by 31 January (admission requirements for individual fields of study, e.g., medical certificate)
deadlines for application submission – 1st round:1 February to 20 February 2026
unified entrance exam for 4-year programs (completed by the maturita exam) – mathematics and the Czech language –2 dates in mid-April (10. 4. a 13. 4. 2026)

APPLICATIONS

Applications can primarily be submitted using the official web portal: https://dipsy.gov.cz/,
More information about the procedure can be found here:

Applications can primarily be submitted using the official web portal: https://dipsy.gov.cz/
More information about the procedure can be found here: www.prihlaskynastredni.cz

The following methods are possible:

electronic submission (verified digital identity – eGovernment Mobile key or Bank identity)
filling out the printed form and submitting it (including attachments)

! The report card must be produced as an attachment – it is now possible to upload it either as a scanned document or a non-certified copy.

1st round – 3 applications can be submitted (in addition, 2 applications to fields of study with a talent exam)
2nd and further rounds may be announced for specific fields of study if there are free places after the 1st round
2nd round – 3 applications – submitted in the second half of May; in the 2nd round (like in the 1st round), it is possible to submit up to 2 applications to fields of study with a talent exam

! Please note that in the 2nd round it is possible to apply to fields of study completed by the maturita (with the JPZ) only if the applicant had already applied to fields of study completed by the maturita in the 1st round and had already sat the JPZ

★ 3rd and further rounds – (July to August) – the number of applications is not limited

ADJUSTMENTS TO ADMISSION PROCEDURE

All applicants who attended (or have been attending) school abroad for at least 2 school years in the past 4 years (including the school year in which they are submitting the application) are eligible for adjustments to the admission procedure.
In such cases, an applicant can be excused from sitting the unified entrance Czech language and literature exam and replace it with an interview to verify their Czech proficiency. There is an interview for each field of study (thus, an applicant may have up to 3 interviews).
Applicants with temporary residence or special long-term residence are also eligible for additional time (25%) to complete the unified entrance exam and for a bilingual dictionary without the need to present a recommendation from a school counselling center. Other applicants are eligible for such adjustments upon presentation of a recommendation.
These adjustments can also be made to the school part of the entrance examination where applicable.

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION RESULTS AND ADMISSION TO HIGH SCHOOL

According to the results and placings of the applicants provided by the schools, CERMAT compares the scores of all the applicants to all the schools and assigns them to the schools. An applicant who earned enough points to be admitted to multiple schools will be automatically admitted to the school that they had assigned the highest priority.
The complete results will be published on 15 May 2026 in the electronic system and on the schools‘ websites.

HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSION REJECTED

Applicants who are not admitted to a high school in the 1st round may submit applications to the 2nd round and further.
In case an applicant is not admitted and has doubts about the correctness of the admission procedure, they may appeal against the decision within 3 working days after the publication of the results.
If a school has free places after the 1st round, a 2nd round of entrance exam may be announced (or more additional rounds) for the fields of study whose capacity has not been exceeded. The entrance exam criteria in these additional rounds may differ.