The eighth-grade exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty) is the first major external exam in a Polish pupil’s life – and often the first real source of stress for the whole family. Its result largely decides which secondary school (liceum or technikum) your child can get into. Below we have gathered the essentials in one place: what is on the exam, how long it lasts, how admission points are calculated and how to plan revision sensibly.
What is the eighth-grade exam?
The exam is prepared and run by the CKE (Central Examination Board – Centralna Komisja Egzaminacyjna) together with regional examination boards, known as OKE (in Warsaw – OKE Warszawa). It is taken by every pupil finishing year 8 of Polish primary school (szkoła podstawowa).
Three things worth knowing from the start:
- You cannot “fail” the exam – there is no pass mark. Results are given as a percentage and as a percentile.
- Taking it is compulsory. A pupil who does not sit the exam (and is not exempted by the OKE director) does not complete primary school and repeats the year.
- The result does not affect finishing school, but it is crucial for admission to secondary school.
Which subjects? And what about a fourth subject?
The exam covers three subjects: Polish, maths and a modern foreign language.
For several years the law provided for a fourth exam in an elective subject (biology, chemistry, physics, geography or history). Its introduction was repeatedly postponed and in 2022 an amendment dropped it altogether. The CKE announcements for 2027 list only three subjects.
Dates and timings in 2027
According to the CKE director’s announcement of 20 August 2026 (in Polish), the exam takes place in May, and each paper starts at 9:00.
| Subject | Main session | Additional session | Time (standard paper) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polish | 10 May 2027 (Mon) | 9 June 2027 | 150 minutes |
| Maths | 11 May 2027 (Tue) | 10 June 2027 | 125 minutes |
| Modern foreign language | 12 May 2027 (Wed) | 11 June 2027 | 110 minutes |
Pupils receive their results and certificates on 6 July 2027. The additional session is for those who could not sit the exam in May for health or other unforeseen reasons.
You may have heard about moving the exam to April – that change was part of an amendment to the Education Law which the President vetoed. In 2027 the exam is still held in May.
What each paper looks like
Polish
The paper contains closed and open questions testing reading comprehension, knowledge of set texts (lektury obowiązkowe) and grammar. The final task is an essay: pupils choose one of two topics – a creative text (e.g. a story) or an argumentative one (e.g. a discursive essay). It should be at least 200 words long.
Maths
Closed and open questions covering the primary curriculum: numbers and operations, percentages, algebraic expressions, equations, geometry and word problems. Calculators are not allowed on the standard paper. Pupils need a black pen and a ruler; any drawings are done in pen.
Modern foreign language
The options are English, French, Spanish, German, Russian or Italian – but only a language the pupil studies at school as a compulsory subject. Parents declare the choice by 30 September of the exam school year. The paper tests listening, reading, use of language and writing a short text.
How the result affects liceum and technikum admissions
In admissions to secondary schools a candidate can score up to 200 points: up to 100 for the exam and up to 100 for the school report.
Eighth-grade exam (up to 100 points):
- Polish: percentage score × 0.35 (max. 35 points),
- maths: percentage score × 0.35 (max. 35 points),
- foreign language: percentage score × 0.3 (max. 30 points).
Example: 80% in Polish, 70% in maths and 90% in English gives 28 + 24.5 + 27 = 79.5 points.
School report (up to 100 points) – final grades in Polish, maths and two subjects chosen by the particular school (top grade celujący – 18 points, bardzo dobry – 17, dobry – 14, dostateczny – 8, dopuszczający – 2), plus, among other things, a report with distinction, competition achievements and community work.
The takeaway: the exam is half of the available points, but year 7 and 8 grades matter a lot too. Detailed admission rules and deadlines are announced by the regional education authority (kuratorium oświaty), and each school decides which subjects it scores.
A realistic preparation plan from year 7
There is no need to cram for two years. Consistency and a well-paced plan are enough.
| Period | Focus |
|---|---|
| Year 7, September–December | Diagnose and fill gaps from years 4–6 (fractions, percentages, spelling); read set texts regularly |
| Year 7, January–June | First exam-style tasks, short written forms, steady vocabulary work in the foreign language |
| Summer after year 7 | Light revision, reading, contact with the foreign language (films, books, podcasts) |
| Year 8, September–December | Past papers, work on the weakest topics, first mock exam |
| Year 8, January–April | Full timed papers, an essay every 1–2 weeks, revision of set texts |
| Final 2–3 weeks | Calm revision, no new material; sleep and routine |
Subject-by-subject tips
Polish
- Check the CKE exam requirements to see which set texts are covered, and read them as you go – a summary is not enough for strong arguments.
- Practise essay planning: thesis, arguments, examples from set texts, conclusion.
- Spelling and punctuation are marked – short dictations every week help.
Maths
- Show your full working – in open questions marks are also awarded for the correct method.
- No calculator: practise written calculations and estimating answers.
- Common traps are percentages, units and word problems – read each question twice.
Foreign language
- Practise listening every day, even for 10 minutes.
- Learn vocabulary by topic (home, school, health, travel and so on).
- In the writing task, cover every point in the instructions – these are easy marks that are often lost.
Pupils from abroad: what accommodations are available?
Foreign pupils sit the exam alongside their classmates but may receive accommodations described in the CKE announcement on accommodations for 2026/2027 (in Polish). They are granted on the basis of a positive opinion of the school’s teaching council (rada pedagogiczna).
If limited knowledge of Polish makes it hard to understand written texts, a pupil may receive, among other things:
- adapted Polish and maths papers (for Polish, the marking criteria are adapted too),
- extra time: up to 195 minutes for Polish and up to 165 minutes for maths (110 minutes for the foreign language),
- a separate room,
- a teacher reading longer texts in the Polish paper aloud (if the teaching council recommends it),
- a bilingual dictionary (in the foreign language exam – not a dictionary of that language).
A separate group are pupils with adjustment difficulties linked to previous schooling abroad. They sit the standard paper but may have, among other things, a bilingual dictionary, a separate room, Polish open questions marked using the criteria for pupils with specific learning difficulties and – if they used it earlier at school and this is documented – extra time.
In the 2026/2027 school year the school informs parents in writing about the accommodations granted by 20 November 2026, and parents confirm by 25 November 2026 whether they will use them. Talk to your child’s form tutor as early as possible.
FAQ – parents’ most common questions
Can you fail the eighth-grade exam?
No. There is no pass mark – the pupil simply has to sit it.
What if my child is ill in May?
They sit the additional session (9–11 June 2027). The school will help with the application.
Do mock exams count?
No. Mock exams are only diagnostic, but they are very useful for showing what to work on.
Are competition winners exempt?
Yes. Laureates and finalists of subject olympiads, and laureates of subject competitions at regional level or above, are exempt from that subject and receive the top score in it.
Where can I find official information?
On the CKE website (schedule, announcements, guides and past papers) and at your child’s school.
How we can help
At Sowa we prepare pupils for the eighth-grade exam in maths, Polish and English – in person in Warsaw and online. We run mock exams every month so you can see real progress. Our teachers can also explain difficult topics in Ukrainian and Russian.