Secondary schools

New middle schools

After completing Year 4 of primary school, children can go on to a new middle school (Neue Mittelschule - NMS). It lasts four years and offers both a basic and a more advanced general education programme.

Schools have different profiles and focuses, such as:

  • ecology
  • music and arts
  • natural science/technology
  • languages
  • IT etc.

Many new middle schools offer all-day programmes.

Viennese middle schools

Viennese middle schools (Wiener Mittelschulen) are a special type of new middle school. They offer additional features such as:

  • study skills coaching as a school subject
  • native speaker teachers
  • course-based system, i.e. different courses at different difficulty levels and with different purposes
  • choice of elective courses
  • the use of Europass, for example for pupils' job application portfolio

Further information

Vienna Board of Education: New middle schools (German)

Pre-vocational schools

Pre-vocational schools (Polytechnische Schule - PTS) can be attended after Year 8 and last one year. The curriculum of Year 9 or a voluntary Year 10 aims at:

  • deepening pupils’ general education
  • offering career guidance
  • offering basic vocational education

Pre-vocational schools prepare pupils who want to start an apprenticeship for their future lives - especially for their future professional lives. By offering special activities such as company visits, career exploration, and practice days at companies, external institutions and training workshops pre-vocational schools help their pupils choose the right career.

Pupils who successfully complete pre-vocational school can also transition to Year 2 of an intermediate VET school within the same area of specialisation or to Year 1 of a higher VET school without taking an entrance exam.

Further information

Vienna Board of Education: Pre-vocational schools (German)

What is an apprenticeship (Lehre)?

An apprenticeship starts by concluding an apprenticeship contract between an apprentice and an apprentice employer (the company where the apprentice training takes place).

Apprenticeships in Austria are organised in a dual system, i.e. training takes place on-the-job at the workplace and at a part-time vocational school (Berufsschule). About 80 percent of the apprenticeship time is spent at the workplace and 20 percent is spent at vocational school.

If your child wants to start an apprenticeship after completing compulsory schooling, make sure to look for an apprenticeship position in due time. Your school will also offer you more detailed information.

Part-time vocational schools (Berufsschule)

Part-time vocational schools offer apprentices a part-time job-specific education, providing them with the required basic theoretical skills during their apprenticeship. They support and complement apprentices' on-the-job training and general education. Apprentices have to attend part-time vocational school over the whole period the apprenticeship contract is in place. Depending on the job, apprenticeships take two to four years (usually three years) to complete.

Programmes at part-time vocational schools can be organised as follows:

  • full-year format (at least one full day or two half days at school per week)
  • course-like format (at least eight consecutive weeks)
  • season-based format (block teaching – within a particular season)

Further information

Vienna Board of Education: Part-time vocational schools (German)

Higher education entrance exam for apprentices

The "higher education entrance exam for apprentices" programme (Lehre mit Matura) enables all pupils of part-time vocational schools to take the higher education entrance exam for apprentices free of charge and also provides them with all necessary learning materials.

Contact

KUS - Kultur- und Sportverein der Wiener Berufsschulen: Higher education entrance exam for apprentices (German)
1150 Vienna, Hütteldorfer Strasse 7-17 / Trakt 1b
Phone: +43 1 599 16 95281
E-mail: berufsmatura-wien@kusonline.at

Intermediate vocational education and training (VET) schools

Depending on the type of school, intermediate VET schools (Berufsbildende Mittlere Schule - BMS) last one to four years.

Pupils who want to go to an intermediate VET school need to have successfully completed Year 8 and may have to take an entrance exam in the subjects of German, maths and one modern foreign language.

The major types of intermediate VET schools in Vienna are:

  • Schools for engineering professions (3 to 4 years)
  • Commercial schools
  • Schools for information technology, 1 year
  • Schools for the hotel and restaurant industry, 3 years
  • Schools for professions in business, tourism and the social sector:
    • Schools for economic professions
    • Schools for hotel management
    • Schools for social professions

Higher vocational education and training (VET) schools

Higher VET schools (Berufsbildende Höhere Schule - BHS) offer a sound general education as well as higher-level vocational education and training and are completed by taking the higher education entrance exam (Matura), which qualifies holders to study at universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges for teacher education, and academies. However, some degree programmes may require additional entrance qualifications. Specialist skills acquired by higher VET school graduates are recognised towards related programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences.

Higher VET schools can be attended by pupils who have successfully completed four years of a new middle school, four years or more of an academic secondary school, or a Year 9 pre-vocational school.

The major types of higher VET schools in Vienna are:

  • Secondary schools of technology (Höhere Technische Lehranstalt - HTL), 5 years
  • Secondary schools for business administration (Handelsakademie - HAK), 5 years
  • Secondary schools for professions in business, tourism, fashion, arts, and the social sector:
    • Secondary schools for economic professions
    • Secondary schools for tourism
    • Secondary schools for fashion, etc.
  • Early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher training colleges, 5 years

Further information

Vienna Board of Education: Intermediate and higher VET schools (German)

Academic secondary schools

The purpose of academic secondary schools (Allgemeinbildende Höhere Schule - AHS, also called Gymnasium) is to offer pupils a comprehensive and in-depth general education, providing them with the qualifications to enter a university programme later on.

Academic secondary schools comprise a 4-year lower cycle and a 4-year upper cycle and are completed by taking the higher education entrance exam (Matura). The school-leaving certificate of academic secondary schools qualifies holders to enter a university, university of applied sciences, university college for teacher education, and academies, and to start a career in public service.

Admission requirements

Children who want to transition from primary school to the lower cycle of an academic secondary school need to fulfil certain requirements in terms of achievement. They qualify for admission if they are graded "Good" ("Gut") or better in the subjects of German, reading, writing and maths in their final school report of Year 4 at primary school.

Children who are graded "Satisfactory" ("Befriedigend") in German and maths need a confirmation from their primary school stating that they meet the requirements for academic secondary schools. If they fail to obtain this confirmation, they can take an admission exam.

Generally, the curriculum of the first two years (Years 5 and 6) of the lower cycle is the same for all pupils at an academic secondary school. From Year 7 onwards, schools differentiate between a focus on classical and modern languages (Gymnasium), a focus on maths and science (Realgymnasium) and a focus on economics (Wirtschaftskundliches Realgymnasium). Some academic secondary schools also specialise in other subjects, such as sports etc.

All academic secondary schools in Vienna offer after-school care and lunch.

Upper-level academic secondary schools with a focus on maths and science (Oberstufenrealgymnasium - ORG)

In order to be admitted to an upper-level academic secondary school with a focus on maths and science pupils need to have successfully completed Year 8 at a secondary school. In addition, they may have to meet other admission requirements and/or take admission exams, depending on the type of school they have attended before.

Further information

Vienna Board of Education: Academic secondary schools (German)

Detailed information about the Austrian school system

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