How to Prepare for VWU Exams in Vienna

If you want to study at a public university in Vienna but your school diploma was not issued in Austria, you will likely need to pass one or more Ergänzungsprüfungen (supplementary entrance exams) at the Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten, usually called VWU. These exams check whether your knowledge matches the level expected of an Austrian Matura graduate in a specific subject.

Which exam do you need

The exam or exams you need depend on your target degree program:

• EPM (Ergänzungsprüfung Mathematik): the math exam, required for most technical, natural science and economics programs. It is offered in Vienna and, in a separate format, in Graz.
• EPD (Ergänzungsprüfung Deutsch): the German language exam, required whenever your prior education was not in German. It covers reading, grammar, writing and an oral part.
• EPPh (Ergänzungsprüfung Physik): the physics exam, required for some technical and medical adjacent programs.
• onSET (C-Test): a shorter German placement test used for admission to certain programs and scholarships, separate from the full EPD.

Check the admission requirements of your specific program before you start studying: not every program asks for every exam, and some accept one exam as a substitute for another.

Planning your preparation

A good preparation plan has three parts. First, find out exactly which topics appear on your exam and in what proportion, so you do not waste time on material that will not be tested. Second, work through real past exam papers under timed conditions: this is the single best predictor of your actual exam performance. Third, revisit the specific task types where you keep losing points, rather than repeating tasks you already do well.

VWUPass covers EPM, EPD, EPPh and onSET with topic-based practice, real past papers and instant checking, so you can start from wherever your preparation currently stands.