EPM Math Exam at VWU: Format and How to Prepare

The EPM exam (Ergänzungsprüfung Mathematik) tests whether your math knowledge matches the level of an Austrian Matura graduate. It is set by the Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten (VWU) and required for most technical, natural science and economics programs at Vienna's universities, with a separate format offered in Graz. Here is how the exam works, which topics come up, and how to plan your preparation.

Format: written and oral parts

The written part runs 3 hours: 9 to 10 problems split into Teil A (3 basic problems) and Teil B (6 to 7 more advanced ones). EPM is a free-response exam: you write out full solutions on paper, there is no multiple choice. Only a simple, non-programmable calculator from the official approved list is allowed (for example a Casio FX-82MS or TI-30XIIS), along with the official Formelsammlung (formula collection) without personal notes or inserts.

The oral part takes about 20 minutes and only happens if you passed the written part: you get 15 minutes to work through 2 to 3 simplified problems, then explain your solution to a three-person committee. Scoring at least 3/4 of the bonus points on the written part can sometimes exempt you from the oral. To pass overall you need at least 50% in Teil A, at least 50% in Teil B, and at least 50% combined.

Topics you will actually see

EPM covers a handful of major blocks: combinatorics and probability (conditional probability, the binomial distribution, four-field tables), sequences (arithmetic and geometric progressions), functions and calculus (curve sketching, inflection points, asymptotes of rational functions, exponential growth and decay), integrals (antiderivatives, substitution, integration by parts, the area between curves), and vector geometry (lines and planes in 3D space, point-to-plane distance, the law of sines and cosines). A separate block covers word problems on optimization, both geometric and economic.

Grading and resits

The final grade uses a 5-point scale: 1 (very good), 2 (good), 3 (satisfactory), 4 (sufficient), 5 (insufficient). A grade of 5 means you did not pass; up to four resits are allowed.

How to prepare

VWU courses spend little time on actual exam-style problems, so even if you attend one, plan to prepare for the exam itself separately: work through real past papers under time pressure and keep returning to the topics where you lose points. VWUPass's EPM trainer has 35+ real past exams and thousands of practice problems across every topic with instant checking. The probability topic is free without registration; full access is €39 a month.