Compare
Semmelweis or Debrecen? The two exams side by side
Every line comes from the schools' own pages. The source for each one is on the school's page.
| Fact | Semmelweis | Debrecen |
|---|---|---|
| The exam | Four tests of 20 minutes | Biology + chemistry or physics, 45 minutes each |
| Scoring | 1 point per right answer; a wrong answer loses part of a point | Scores are not shared; one of four outcomes |
| When to apply | Not published yet. Last year (2026): Applications were open from 12 January to 31 May 2026. | Apply by 15 May 2027 |
| Fee to apply | USD 400 | USD 150 + USD 350 exam fee |
| Tuition | Charged per semester | USD 16,900 a year |
| English | No English certificate is asked for. | The entrance exam page asks for no separate English certificate. |
| Sources | Full rules and sources | Full rules and sources |
Not covered yet: University of Szeged, University of Pécs.
Every fact comes from the school's own pages. The source for each one is on the school's page.
Show the full comparison, with every rule
| Fact | Semmelweis | Debrecen |
|---|---|---|
| The exam | Four online tests from home: Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, General English and Biomedical English. Each test has 20 questions in 20 minutes. You answer the questions in the given order. You use Safe Exam Browser, a locked browser, and Zoom watches you with camera and microphone on. An interview with an oral exam on your subjects follows. It is in person by default, with an online option. | A written test with multiple-choice questions, definitions and calculations. Biology is required. You choose Chemistry or Physics as your second subject. Each section takes 45 minutes. An oral exam in Biology and your second subject follows. The exam is in English. |
| Scoring | A correct answer is worth one point. A wrong answer loses part of a point, but the university does not say how much. No pass mark is published. Your score alone does not decide. A committee looks at the tests, the interview, your school grades, your motivation and your spoken English. It also weighs the university's own aims, such as diversity and gender balance. | Scores are for internal use only, and you are not told yours. The university looks at your overall performance. There are four outcomes: a first-year place, a place on the Basic Medicine Course (a preparatory course), rejection, or an offer of a different programme. |
| When to apply | Not published yet. Last year (2026): Applications were open from 12 January to 31 May 2026. | Apply by 15 May 2027 for September 2027 entry. The university says the application period opens later this year. Medicine and Dentistry can close early when many people apply, as they did for September 2026 entry, so apply early. |
| Exam dates | The university says exams are held once or twice a week, from early February to the end of June. You get the dates after you apply, and you book one on SEMAPHOR, the university's online portal. | Not published yet. Last year (2026): Debrecen does not publish exam dates. In 2026, Medicine and Dentistry stopped taking applications early for September 2026 entry, because so many people applied. |
| Fee to apply | USD 400 to apply. It covers your application and up to two exam sittings. After an offer, you pay a USD 2,000 deposit within 14 days. It is not refunded, and it counts toward first-semester tuition. The enrolment fee is USD 230. You get the USD 400 back only if you never submit the application, or withdraw before the deadline. Ask by 30 June. A refund takes 30 to 60 days. | USD 150 to apply, plus USD 350 for the entrance exam. |
| Tuition | Tuition is charged per semester, plus one-time fees. You can apply for a 50% reduction of the fee with a form, and the university may grant it. The page does not say who qualifies. | For students admitted in 2026/27: Medicine USD 16,900 a year, Dentistry USD 17,500, Pharmacy USD 8,000. The Basic Medicine Course costs USD 7,500. Health insurance, a medical checkup and a student card are included. |
| Who can apply | You may sit at most two entrance exams in one calendar year. The USD 400 fee covers both. You need to finish high school, or be in your final year: then upload your certificate by 21 August. You must be 18 by the end of May of your first year. The university prefers applicants under 30 when they apply. The English programme is for non-Hungarian citizens. There is no minimum GPA (grade point average). A science bachelor's degree (BSc) or higher, taught in English, in a field close to medicine, biology or chemistry, can bring an exemption. Ask for it by email after you apply on SEMAPHOR. The rules do not say here what it exempts you from, so ask the university. At acceptance you need a medical certificate. | With a bachelor's or master's degree, you may get a full or partial exemption from the exam. The interview is still required. |
| English | No English certificate is asked for. English is tested inside the exam: two of the four written tests are English tests. Your spoken English is checked at the interview. | The entrance exam page asks for no separate English certificate. The exam itself is in English. |
How to choose
Choose Semmelweis if
your English is strong: its written tests include General English and Biomedical English. Semmelweis runs them online, from home.
Choose Debrecen if
you would rather sit physics than chemistry, or want an exam with no separate English tests.
Apply to both
for two exams in one year. They are separate universities, each with its own fee.
Plans
Practice for one school, or both
Practice access opens in November 2026. One payment, VAT included.
Single-School Prep
€199
For one school: Semmelweis or Debrecen.
Biology and chemistry practice for your school
Every question explained
Your score by topic
Semmelweis + Debrecen Prep
€399
For both schools, in one plan.
Biology and chemistry practice for both schools
Timed for Semmelweis, multiple choice for Debrecen
Every question explained
Crash Course + Both Schools
€799
A live online course, planned for January 2027, plus both schools.
Live lessons on every part, the orals included
Recordings until the 2027 exam season ends
Everything in Semmelweis + Debrecen Prep
Access lasts until the 2027 exam season ends, after the last exam date for 2027/28 entry. All sales are final (Terms, section 2).
One exception: if we cancel the course, you get back the course part of the price, not the practice part, and we offer you a place in a later course where one exists (Terms, section 8). If you live in the EU and buy as a consumer, the mandatory consumer law of your country also protects you (Terms, section 12).
Questions
Questions about choosing
Can I apply to both schools?
Yes. They are separate universities, so you apply twice and pay two fees. Then you sit two different exams.
Are the two exams the same test?
No. Both test biology in English, but they differ.
- Semmelweis: Four online tests from home: Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, General English and Biomedical English. Each test has 20 questions in 20 minutes. You answer the questions in the given order. You use Safe Exam Browser, a locked browser, and Zoom watches you with camera and microphone on. An interview with an oral exam on your subjects follows. It is in person by default, with an online option.
- Debrecen: A written test with multiple-choice questions, definitions and calculations. Biology is required. You choose Chemistry or Physics as your second subject. Each section takes 45 minutes. An oral exam in Biology and your second subject follows. The exam is in English.
What does each school charge for tuition?
- Semmelweis: Tuition is charged per semester, plus one-time fees. You can apply for a 50% reduction of the fee with a form, and the university may grant it. The page does not say who qualifies. See the amount on its medicine programme page.
- Debrecen: For students admitted in 2026/27: Medicine USD 16,900 a year, Dentistry USD 17,500, Pharmacy USD 8,000. The Basic Medicine Course costs USD 7,500. Health insurance, a medical checkup and a student card are included.
What about Szeged and Pécs?
We have not researched their exams yet, so we state no fact about them. Their pages link each university's own exam page.