What you need to know about the Abitur examination

We have talked about what the “Abitur” is but to understand it fully, parents and students need also be aware of the examination process. That is why, today we are talking about the procedure, preparation and content of the “Abitur” examination in Berlin.
 

The “Abitur” in Berlin is completed with 5 exams:

• three written exams: advanced courses and 3rd exam subject
• an oral exam: 4th exam subject
• presentation exam or written elaboration: 5th exam component

Three written exams

The three written exams last between three hours for basic courses and five hours for advanced courses. The “Abitur” 2023 dates for the individual subjects are the same throughout Berlin. The following subjects are examined centrally, i.e. independently of the school:

• Mathematics
• German
• Foreign languages
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Geography
• History
• Political education

An oral exam

The oral exam is a decentralised, individual examination and is taken in the basic course. Only two semesters are examined as follows:

1. a semester of your choice and
2. the last (4th) semester (or choice of teacher for social sciences)

Here, students need to think carefully about which semester they choose. If, for example, the student chooses the 3rd semester, the content of the oral exam will only cover the last year (3rd/4th semester). This is usually easier material to remember since it is more recently taught. 

Tasks

The teacher creates two tasks:

1. Knowledge/material-based
2. Discussion-oriented

The student has 20 minutes to prepare for the oral interview afterwards.

The course of the exam

After the tasks have been handed out, there is a preparatory phase followed by the oral exam. Usually, 2-3 teachers are present during the exam, including the teacher who last taught the subject.

1. Delivery of the two tasks
2. Preparation time (20 minutes) under supervision
3. Exam (20 minutes)
   1. independent lecture
   2. discussion panel

Presentation exam

The 5th exam component of the “Abitur” can take two alternative forms:

1. students who want to work on a topic for a longer period of time or want to contribute a competitive performance should take the form of the “special learning achievements”.
2. other students should take the form of the “presentation exam”.

Structure of the exam

The presentation exam can be carried out as an individual or in a group of up to four students. It consists of:

• written exam (choice of topic)
• presentation
• exam interview

The presentation usually lasts 30 minutes as an individual exam, while in group examinations the duration increases by 10 minutes with each additional student.

We hope this article helps you and your teenager understand and prepare even better for the “Abitur” examination. If you want to find out more about Mentora Gymnasium, you can make an appointment and visit our school or take part in one of the regular open days we host.