How many points do you get on your medical school exam? These colleges don't require a biology exam

• Not all medical schools require a biology exam, some also accept combinations of other subjects such as chemistry, physics or mathematics
• We checked where the biology exam is an option and not a requirement

Although the results of the 2025 Matura exam will not be known to graduates until July, universities are recruiting in full swing. This year's graduates, let us recall, had to take four written exams (in Polish, mathematics, a modern foreign language and at least one additional subject at an advanced level) and two oral ones - in Polish and a modern foreign language. Those who link their future with medicine were more likely to focus on the exam in: biology, chemistry, mathematics or physics.

The basis for admission to medical studies in Polish are most often the results of the high school leaving examination in biology and one or two of the three other subjects mentioned above.

This year, the biology exam in particular stirred up a lot of emotions among high school graduates . Many people were surprised by the test format and the selection of tasks. There was supposed to be no, as the young people called it, annual "sure things", especially the genetic cross. There were more questions testing the ability to think analytically and interpret data.

However, experts clearly liked this exam formula. Kamil Frankiewicz, a doctor of biological sciences, pointed out in an interview with Onet that "apart from minor exceptions, citing book knowledge was not enough to "score points". As an example of a good change, he gave the introduction of tasks requiring candidates to take a side with a specific interpretation of a biological fact and justify their position.

Although the overwhelming majority of universities, especially medical ones, require a biology matriculation exam, a few break from this rule. For example, the Medical University of Białystok counts the results of two optionally chosen matriculation subjects taken at an advanced level during recruitment. According to the rules adopted by the university, the biology matriculation exam is not mandatory, as the choices are: chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. Therefore, if a candidate for a student passes chemistry and mathematics better, these results will count in the recruitment process. 1% of the exam here corresponds to 1 ranking point. A year ago, the threshold for medicine at UMB was 166 points out of 200 possible on the first ranking list, and 153 on the last one.

The biology matriculation exam is not obligatory at the Pomeranian Medical University, the Medical University of Lodz (UMED) or the University of Zielona Gora. The universities take into account the results of the exam in any two of the four subjects - mathematics, biology, chemistry or physics. At the Pomeranian Medical University a year ago the last person on the list of those accepted obtained 143 out of 200 points in the recruitment process, at UMED - 308 out of 400, and at the University of Zielona Góra - 142 out of 200.

A slightly different approach, although also some room for maneuver, is left to high school graduates by the Collegium Medicum UMK in Toruń . The university requires a high school exam in biology or mathematics, and as a second subject (any subject) - biology or chemistry, or physics or mathematics. A year ago, the point threshold was 73.05 points out of 100 possible (the last person accepted obtained 78% in the extended high school exam in biology).

Importantly, each school individually determines the conversion factor for points from the matriculation exam when recruiting for studies. While some specify that 1% of the extended matriculation exam corresponds to 1 point (such as UMB or Collegium Medicum UJ) and divide it by the number of subjects taken into account after adding it up, others multiply the result of the extended matriculation exam by 2, for example, and calculate the result of the procedure according to the formula adopted for the field of study (Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce).

The point thresholds that entitle you to admission to studies at individual universities are determined by the number of qualification points obtained in the recruitment procedure. They are therefore created during the recruitment process, and their final shape is known only after the recruitment is closed.

We checked what scores allowed admission to medical studies last year. This year will be similar.