Poland's eighth-grade exam 2027: 10–12 May, results on 6 July

When the 2027 exam takes place

The timetable was announced by the director of the Centralna Komisja Egzaminacyjna (CKE, the Central Examination Board) on 20 August 2026. Pupils in year 8, the last year of Polish primary school, sit the egzamin ósmoklasisty (eighth-grade exam) on three consecutive days, always at 9:00.

• Monday 10 May 2027 — Polish;
• Tuesday 11 May 2027 — mathematics;
• Wednesday 12 May 2027 — modern foreign language;
• 9, 10 and 11 June 2027 — the termin dodatkowy (backup session), in the same order;
• 6 July 2027 — results, with certificates handed to pupils at school.

How long each paper lasts

In the standard paper Polish lasts 150 minutes, mathematics 125 minutes and the foreign language 110 minutes. Pupils entitled to extra time (for example on the basis of an opinion from a psychological and educational counselling centre or a special-needs statement) write for up to 195, 165 and 145 minutes respectively.

The exam is written only. Pupils take the foreign language they study at school as a compulsory subject. The options are English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian.

Backup session and exemptions

If a pupil misses the May exam, or has to stop it, for health reasons or another serious cause, they sit that subject in the backup session on 9–11 June at their own school. Tell the head teacher straight away and keep the evidence, such as a doctor's note.

In exceptional cases, when the pupil cannot sit the June session either, the director of the okręgowa komisja egzaminacyjna (OKE, regional examination board) can exempt them from that subject. The head teacher applies in agreement with the parents. Laureates and finalists of subject olympiads, and laureates of regional subject competitions in Polish, mathematics or a foreign language, are exempt from that subject and receive the top result.

What parents can still arrange

Parents submitted the deklaracja (declaration) naming the foreign language by 30 September 2026. The language can still be changed by a written notice to the head teacher no later than three months before the exam, which for the May session means early February 2027 at the latest. Confirm the exact day with the school office.

If your child needs adjusted conditions (such as extra time or a paper for visually impaired pupils), ask the form teacher or school counsellor whether the school already has the documents it needs. Adjustments are granted on the basis of an opinion, a statement or a medical certificate, and the head teacher sets them in advance.

Can you fail it, and what is the result for

There is no pass mark: the eighth-grade exam cannot be passed or failed. A pupil must sit it to complete primary school. Results are given as a percentage and on a percentile scale, which shows what share of all candidates in Poland scored the same or lower.

The result matters a lot in admissions to secondary schools (liceum, technikum and vocational schools): it gives up to 100 of the 200 points. Percentages in Polish and mathematics are multiplied by 0.35 and in the foreign language by 0.3. Our NaukoMapa guide to secondary-school points shows how to add up the rest, including grades and the czerwony pasek (certificate with distinction).

A plan for the coming months

The first check comes in December. CKE will release practice papers to schools: Polish on 14 December 2026, mathematics on 15 December and English on 16 December, each at 9:00. Taking part is voluntary, but the papers also appear on the CKE website, so a pupil can do them at home.

• November: put 10–12 May and 6 July in the family calendar;
• December: practice papers and a calm talk about what went well and what needs work;
• January: check the admissions timetable on your kuratorium (regional education authority) website;
• by early February: change the foreign language if needed;
• February–April: regular revision with past papers.