Format and requirements
Exam Format
The EPP 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
- 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
- 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
Registration
You need a valid admission notice from a university in Vienna that explicitly requires the physics Ergänzungsprüfung.
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.
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, 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 fixed exam dates. Physics is an oral exam only, held in the oral window shared by all subjects. The upcoming sessions from our exam calendar are listed below.
Dates for the next session have not been announced yet. Please check back soon.
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.