Pools of Abitur Exam Tasks

What are the Joint Pools of Abitur Exam Tasks of the Federal States? 🔗

In its role as a research institute of the German federal states, the IQB coordinates the development of joint pools of examination tasks for Abitur exams. The development of the pools is based on the educational standards for the General Higher Education Entrance Qualification, as well as additional agreements made in connection with the development of the pools (so-called “Begleitende Dokumente” or supplementary documents). The overall aim is to ensure consistent standards in the Abitur examinations across the German federal states and to maintain high quality.

Since 2017, the German federal states have had access to pools of exam tasks for Abitur exams in German, Mathematics, and English and French (continued from lower secondary level). Pools for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics have been available since 2025.

How are the tasks developed? 🔗

For each subject, a joint expert group with representatives from all federal states develops the Abitur examination questions. All group members bring extensive experience and a high level of expertise in developing examination tasks.

Each federal state sends one teacher per working group who is qualified to teach the relevant subject at general (academic) upper secondary schools (allgemeinbildende Gymnasien). In addition, up to two teachers represent the perspective of vocational upper secondary schools (berufliche Gymnasien) in each working group. Research scientists specialising in the relevant subject didactics and the relevant discipline advise the groups. The composition of the groups ensures that perspectives from all federal states, along with the latest insights from subject didactics and the relevant disciplines, inform the work.

To provide a sufficient number of high-quality exam questions for the pools each year, each federal state submits suitable task proposals. Based on these proposals, the expert groups develop the pool tasks.

How are the tasks used? 🔗

Prior to 2018, each federal state set their own Abitur exam dates for each subject. To enable the shared use of the pool tasks, the federal states have aligned the dates of the Abitur examinations in recent years. Since 2022, Abitur exams in German, English, French, and Mathematics have largely taken place on the same dates. This allows the pools to be used efficiently, as tasks can be shared across the federal states.

Since 2025, the Abitur exams in the natural sciences – Biology, Chemistry, and Physics – have also been scheduled on dates coordinated across the federal states. Exams take place on two fixed dates, with the pool tasks allocated between them.

Each federal state may use any of the pool tasks assigned to the relevant Abitur examination date in the subject concerned. A committee in each federal state decides which pool tasks to use in the Abitur exam in the state, and to what extent the state’s own tasks complement those chosen from the pool. The responsibility for Abitur examinations remains with the individual states.

The states have agreed not to alter the tasks taken from the pools.To ensure this, the states are aligning the conditions for their Abitur exams—for example, rules on permitted aids, as well as the structure and marking of the tasks.

When are the pools of Abitur exam questions published? 🔗

Once the Abitur exams for a given year have concluded, the IQB publishes the pool tasks used by the states on its website. This publication also includes materials for teachers, such as model answers and assessment guidance.

The tasks can be published only if the right holders have granted the necessary usage rights.

Evaluation 🔗

Research scientists at the IQB continuously evaluate how the pool tasks are used, supporting the expert groups in further developing both the tasks and the agreements in place. The evaluation results are published annually.