Nearly 12,400 candidates sat the entrance exam for medical studies in Austria on Friday, competing for 1,900 spots at the medical universities of Vienna, Innsbruck, Graz, and at the medical faculty of the University of Linz. While demand remained high, universities advised against expensive prep courses, which they say do not improve chances of success.
A total of 15,668 people had registered for the eight-hour written test known as the MedAT. As in previous years, around 80 percent actually participated. The exam evaluates knowledge in key science subjects (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics), cognitive abilities, reading comprehension, emotional recognition, and social decision-making.
At least 95% of the human medicine slots are reserved for EU citizens, and 75% are specifically for applicants with an Austrian school-leaving certificate. There are no such quotas for dentistry.
Prep Courses No Advantage, Say Experts
Expensive prep courses don’t improve outcomes, said Anita Rieder, Vice-Rector for Teaching at the Medical University of Vienna, speaking shortly before the test in Messe Wien. “Data shows preparation is crucial—but not necessarily a prep course.” Instead, universities, provinces, and student unions (ÖH) offer free resources. According to surveys, around 30% took a course, but did not perform better.
Psychologist Martin Arendasy, who helped design the test, confirmed these findings. Speaking to Der Standard, he emphasized that performance was not significantly impacted by the type of preparation—paid or free.
In contrast, the Federal ÖH argued that access to costly prep options or tutoring gives some applicants an unfair advantage. ÖH Chair Selina Wienerroither called for expanding university capacities to ensure socially equitable access.
Vienna and Linz See Rising Applicant Numbers
Once again, Vienna attracted the highest number of candidates—6,183 for 772 places. “For about half, medicine is their dream study,” Rieder told APA. But she added, not all 16,000 registrants want to become doctors.
At Linz Medical Faculty, 1,654 people competed for 320 spots. Innsbruck had 2,422 applicants for 420 places, and Graz had 2,135 for 388.
More Austrians in Innsbruck, Declining EU Applicants
At Innsbruck Medical University, more Austrians than EU applicants registered for the first time, according to Vice-Rector Wolfgang Prodinger. Rieder noted a similar trend in Vienna: EU applications—mainly from Germany—have dropped from 20% to 15%.
Special Quota for Public Service Roles
For the second time, up to 85 places were designated for students committing to public-sector medical roles post-graduation. At MedUni Vienna, 34 such places were available. Applications rose from 280 last year to 400. Candidates in this category can qualify with fewer points but must later work for institutions like the public health insurance fund, the military, or hospitals.
Last year, some of these places remained unfilled either because applicants didn’t meet the lower threshold or scored too high and qualified for regular spots. In such cases, the spots were reassigned to the next-best performers.
