Debrecen Entrance Exam: Sample Test vs Real Exam

In short. Debrecen publishes a sample test for each subject. Most applicants from 2023 to 2026 say the real biology paper is much harder. So learn the 16 biology topics in depth. And apply early: medicine closed early in 2026.

Want the checklist below as a PDF? The free PDF has:

• the 16 biology topics and the chemistry list, with boxes to tick
• oral topics applicants report
• hard words explained

Get the free checklist

How the exam works

• The written test is in English. For English certificate rules, check Debrecen's application page.
• Biology is required. For the second subject, you choose chemistry or physics.
• In 2026, each section took 45 minutes.
• Expect multiple choice, definitions and calculations.
• An oral exam in biology and your second subject follows.
• Debrecen does not publish exam dates. Ask the university in writing when and where you sit.
• You never see your score. You get one of four outcomes.

When to apply: early

For September 2026, Debrecen stopped taking medicine applications early. It said it had an exceptionally high number of applications.

The final deadline for September 2027 is 15 May 2027. Do not wait for May. Apply as soon as the window opens. Check the application page to see if it is open.

Applying costs USD 150, plus USD 350 for the exam (2026). See the fees page.

The official sample tests

Debrecen publishes a topic list and a sample test for each subject.

• Biology: topics, sample test
• Chemistry: topics, sample test
• Physics: topics, sample test

Each sample has the same shape:

• It has two parts.
• Each part starts with 10 multiple-choice questions. Each question has five options, A to E.
• Short written tasks for points follow.

The written tasks differ by subject.

Biology:

• name the parts of a figure
• a genetics calculation
• describe a process from a figure
• a graph problem
• a true-or-false table

Chemistry:

• names and structures
• unit conversions
• terms matched to definitions
• gas-law calculations
• drawing isomers and filling gaps

Physics:

• drawing forces
• explaining a law
• reading a resistance from a graph
• true-or-false statements
• stating laws exactly
• a gas problem

The samples give no time limit, no total score and no pass mark.

Our practice will cover the multiple-choice part of biology and chemistry. The written tasks are not simulated. Use the official samples for those.

What applicants say about the real paper

These are reports from applicants on Reddit, from 2023 to 2026. They are not official facts.

• Biology was much harder than the sample. Applicants say this again and again. Three 2026 applicants said the sample was very easy next to the real exam.
• University-level biology. A 2025 applicant listed hormones such as cortisol and thyroid hormones. Meiosis came up in detail, plus homeostasis and the immune system.
• Genetics. Another 2025 applicant met family-tree questions and Mendel's laws, then DNA in depth. A third called a sex-linked cross over two generations very hard.
• Chemistry felt easy. Most called it school level. In 2023, one applicant said it was mostly mole calculations and redox.
• Not everyone agrees. In 2026, one applicant found the exam on the easy side, even the biology.
• Time is tight. One 2025 applicant said there were many questions, plus fill-in and short answers.

The lesson: study the 16 topics at university level. Debrecen recommends US university textbooks:

• Biology: Life: The Science of Biology (Sadava and others, 8th edition)
• Chemistry: Chemistry by McMurry and Fay (6th edition)

The 16 biology topics: a checklist to print

Each topic has three boxes:

• Know: tick when you know the topic.
• Explain: tick when you can explain it out loud.
• Revise: tick topics you must go back to.

The titles below are short versions of the official ones.

Topic	Know	Explain	Revise
1. The eukaryotic cell: organelles, structure, function	☐	☐	☐
2. Metabolism: glycolysis, biological oxidation, photosynthesis, enzymes	☐	☐	☐
3. DNA: structure, genetic code, replication	☐	☐	☐
4. Cell division I: chromosomes in mitosis	☐	☐	☐
5. Cell division II: meiosis	☐	☐	☐
6. Genetics I: alleles, monohybrid crosses, co-dominance (both alleles show)	☐	☐	☐
7. Genetics II: X-linked inheritance, dihybrid crosses, linkage (genes inherited together)	☐	☐	☐
8. From DNA to protein: translation, mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes	☐	☐	☐
9. The human respiratory system	☐	☐	☐
10. The human circulatory system	☐	☐	☐
11. The human digestive system	☐	☐	☐
12. The human excretory system	☐	☐	☐
13. Homeostasis: the nervous system	☐	☐	☐
14. Homeostasis: hormones and the endocrine system	☐	☐	☐
15. Skeletal muscle and movement	☐	☐	☐
16. Immunity: humoral and cellular responses	☐	☐	☐

The chemistry list is long, so here it is in three groups.

General chemistry:

• atoms and electron configuration
• moles and equations
• bonds and molecular shapes
• gases and solutions
• equilibrium, acids and pH
• thermochemistry and Hess's law
• redox

Inorganic chemistry:

• hydrogen and oxygen
• the halogens and noble gases
• nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur
• carbon
• the main metals and transition metals

Organic chemistry:

• hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds
• alcohols, phenols and ethers
• aldehydes and ketones
• carboxylic acids and their derivatives
• nitrogen compounds
• isomers

Get all of this as a printable PDF. It also has:

• the Semmelweis biology and chemistry lists
• oral topics applicants report

Get the free checklist

Chemistry or physics?

Both are official options. Each has its own topic list and sample test. Most applicants call chemistry easier than biology. One 2025 applicant called physics very easy.

The physics list has six groups:

• mechanics
• thermodynamics
• vibrations and waves
• electricity and magnetism
• light and optics
• modern physics

It names College Physics by Serway and others (9th edition) as its textbook.

Pick the subject your school taught in more depth. Our practice covers chemistry only. Physics is not included.

Scores, outcomes and costs

• No score: Debrecen keeps scores internal. You get one of four outcomes. One is the Basic Medicine Course, a paid preparatory course, not a first-year place.
• Costs (all paid to the university): USD 150 to apply and USD 350 for the exam (2026). Medicine tuition was USD 16,900 a year (2026/27).

Both are explained in Debrecen pass mark and results, with the questions to ask Debrecen before you accept.

The oral exam

An oral exam in biology and your second subject follows the written test. Applicants describe it like this:

• In 2025, one applicant met two examiners, one per subject. It opened with "tell us about yourself".
• Topics included homeostasis, blood sugar, digestion, the heart and DNA replication (2025).
• One 2025 applicant said examiners pick a topic from a list. Then they ask questions on the spot.
• In 2026, one applicant said the examiner moved fast. So keep your answers short and clear.

Our practice does not simulate the oral. Practise explaining each topic out loud. That is what the second box in the checklist is for.

Semmelweis or Debrecen?

Many applicants apply to both. The two exams are very different:

• Semmelweis: four 20-minute online tests from home, two of them in English. Then an interview with an oral exam.
• Debrecen: biology plus chemistry or physics, 45 minutes per section. Then an oral exam in both subjects.

See the side-by-side table. Applying to Semmelweis too? Read the Semmelweis sample test, topics and how to prepare.