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Physics Exam

EPPh — Physics Exam

What's on the Erganzungsprufung Physik, how the oral exam works, and how to prepare.

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Exam Format

The EPPh is an oral commission exam. Physics does not have a separate written part, and the oral exam is based on the official VWU script.

Oral Exam

10-15 minutes + 15-20 minutes preparation
  • Simple calculations plus conceptual explanations and correct physics terminology.
  • Each question must reach at least 50% to pass.
  • The exam board consists of the course lecturer, another VWU teacher, and a university representative.

6 Topic Areas

Based on the official VWU script
  • Elementary Mechanics- Physical quantities, units, motion, force, energy, impulse, friction, vectors
  • Thermodynamics- Pressure, buoyancy, heat, heat capacity, ideal gases, kinetic theory, first law
  • Advanced Mechanics- Rotation, gravitation, elasticity, oscillations, waves, sound, surface tension, fluids
  • Electrostatics- Charge, Coulomb's law, electric field, voltage, capacitance, current, resistance
  • Electrodynamics & Magnetism- Magnetic field, Lorentz force, motor, induction, generator, AC, transformer
  • Optics & Modern Physics- Reflection, refraction, diffraction, polarization, lenses, X-rays, photoelectric effect

How the Exam Goes

1

Registration

You need a valid admission notice from a university in Vienna that explicitly requires the physics Ergänzungsprüfung.

2

Oral exam

The oral part lasts about 10 to 15 minutes after a short preparation time. The exam checks calculations, conceptual explanations, and correct terminology.

3

Retakes

The exam can currently be repeated four times. If the fourth repeat is failed, the study path ends.

Fees & Grading

Exam Fee

€46

Per exam attempt for Physics.

Grading Scale

1 (sehr gut) to 4 (genügend) — pass
5 (nicht genügend) — fail

1 = sehr gut, 2 = gut, 3 = befriedigend, 4 = genügend, 5 = nicht genügend.

Registration & Materials

You Need

  • A valid admission notice from a university in Vienna.
  • Attention to the registration deadline for each exam.

Official Materials

  • The official formula sheet may be used in the exam, exercises, and bonus tests.
  • There are 6 official script sections plus extra summaries such as units and the right-hand rule.

Exam Dates

VWU publishes scheduled exam dates. According to the current information for 2026, Physics exams are offered several times per semester.

Exam in April 2026

  • Registration: closed
  • Oral exams for all subjects: Monday, May 4, 2026 to Thursday, May 7, 2026
  • Certificate pickup: from Monday, May 11, 2026, 10:00 to 12:00 in the secretariat

Exam in June 2026

  • Registration: Friday, May 8, 2026 to Thursday, May 21, 2026, 12:00 CEST, online
  • Oral exams for all subjects: Monday, June 22, 2026 to Friday, June 26, 2026
  • Certificate pickup: from June 24 to June 26 and June 29, 2026, 10:00 to 12:00

Typical yearly rhythm

VWU states that there are usually 3 exam dates per semester: in winter semester around September, October or November, and January; in summer semester around March, April or May, and June.

Official exam info — vorstudienlehrgang.oead.at

EPPh FAQ

The EPPh is an oral physics exam based on the official VWU script. The exam includes simple calculations, explanations of formula relationships, and correct physics vocabulary across the 6 script sections.

No. The EPPh is oral only. There is no separate written exam.

The oral exam lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, plus around 15 to 20 minutes of preparation time.

All 6 official script sections matter: elementary mechanics, thermodynamics, advanced mechanics, electrostatics, electrodynamics and magnetism, and electromagnetic radiation with optics and modern physics.

According to the current VWU information, the Physics exam fee is 46 euros per attempt.

The exam can currently be repeated four times. If the fourth repeat is failed, the study path ends.

VWU publishes fixed exam dates. For example, the exam in April 2026 has oral exams from May 4 to May 7, 2026, and the exam in June 2026 has oral exams from June 22 to June 26, 2026.

Work through the official script, practice short oral explanations, and make sure you can do simple calculations, explain formula relationships, and use correct physics terminology. The official formula sheet may be used in the exam.

EPPh Trainer — Coming Soon

We're building a practice tool for EPPh — theory articles with interactive visualizations and 1500+ physics problems. Not ready yet, but it's on the way.

Coming Soon