Registration for the test
You must register by email (elisabeth.brunner@ur.de) and select the examination period. For dates and registration deadlines for the next semester, see the block below.
Periods for the oral assessment exam:
- If starting in the winter semester in July (last week of the summer semester lecture period) or two to three weeks before the start of the winter semester lecture period.
- If starting in the summer semester in January/February (last week of the winter semester lecture period) or two to three weeks before the start of the lecture period in the summer semester.
You must specify your preferred examination period when registering for the examination.
Approximately two weeks before the examination, you will receive the date, time, and room for the examination, as well as the names of the three examiners.
Examination periods WS 25-26
1st period: July 21-25, 2025; registration deadline: June 30, 2025
2nd period: September 22-26, 2025; registration deadline: August 31, 2025
3rd period: October 13-17, 2025; registration deadline: August 31, 2025
Please indicate your preferred period when registering for the aptitude test.
Registration by email elisabeth.brunner(at)ur.de
Contents of the test
The oral examination is conducted by three examiners (botany, zoology, molecular biology) and lasts 30 minutes. The examination is usually conducted in German; upon request, the examination can also be conducted in English (please indicate this when registering for the examination).
The exam covers the content of the bachelor's degree program in biology (cytology, anatomy, physiology and systematics of animals, plants and microorganisms, ecology, neurobiology, ethology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, and the chemical and physical fundamentals of biology).
As an additional aid in preparing for the test, the Biology Student Council provides a collection of questions from previous aptitude tests. Please note that this list does not reflect the content of the test. It is merely a selection of questions from previous tests. Other and/or additional questions are possible.
Grading
The oral aptitude test is graded by the examiners on the basis of the applicant's skills that meet the requirements of the Master's program in Biology.
The overall grade is calculated from the grade of the oral examination (50%) and the grade of the Bachelor's degree (50%). The examination is passed with a minimum overall grade of 2.5.
A failed oral assessment exam can be repeated once.