Entrance Examinations

ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS

Entrance Examinations

Semmelweis University puts a great emphasis on selecting outstanding applicants for enrollment and training. Therefore, we persist on undertaking written examination tests followed by personal interviews, which allows us to reliably estimate the knowledge, skills, motivation and personality of the applicants.

Due to the pandemic, Semmelweis University organizes online entrance examinations as follows. Applicants can take the entire online entrance examination using their own computers at home.

• Multiple choice written tests in Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, General English and Biomedical English will be taken online using the University’s educational platform at the announced dates before the interviews. Each test consists of 20 questions, and they have to be answered in the given order. One answer option can be selected at each question. Only one answer option is correct. Fragment points (one third or one fourth depending on the number of answer options) are subtracted for incorrect answers. Marked an answer options can be modified until jumping to the next question. Once moved on to the next question, one cannot return to any earlier question, either answered or unanswered again. Calculator can be used during the test in Medical Chemistry. Each test (Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, General English and Biomedical English) must be finished in 20 minutes. The time that remains at the end of a test cannot be used for lengthening the time of another test. The answers can be submitted when all the questions have been answered, and the answers are automatically submitted when the time of the test is over. Applicants are requested to stay alone in a room and stay joined a Zoom video conference throughout the time of their test writing, keeping with their web camera and microphone permanently on.
• The interviews will be carried out using Zoom at the announced dates after the written tests.

Exams are going to be held regularly from the beginning of March till the middle of July, once or twice a week in general. The exact dates and times are going to be announced for the applicants having submitted their application(s) in SEMAPHOR online application system. More specific final details and instructions will be sent to our applicants having signed up to an exam.

Contents of the Entrance Exams

You have the opportunity to try the sample version of the online written test as follows.

Main Specific Subjects for the Entrance Exams
for the Faculties of General Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences

The main scientific fields covered by the exams are as follows:

1. Evolution: chemical and biological aspects

2. Chemical background in Biology: structure of atoms; chemical bonds; ionic compounds and molecules; solutions; types and energetics of chemical reactions; acid-base reactions; redox reactions; inorganic constituents of living organisms; hydrocarbons; organic compounds containing oxygen or sulphur; organic compounds containing nitrogen; carbohydrates; amino acids and proteins; lipids; vitamins; nucleic acids.

3. The cell and its organization (morphology and function): Prokaryotes (bacteria) and Eukaryotes (focus on cilia and flagella, cell wall, cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosome, mitochondrion, ribosome, centriole, nucleus, nucleolus).

4. From cells to tissues of different structure and function.

5. Cell division: mitosis and meiosis.

6. Anabolic and catabolic pathways regarding nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids (bioenergetics included).

7. The physiology of living organisms: respiration, ingestion and digestion, excretion, circulation, endocrine and neural regulation, immune-biology, locomotion.

8. Reproduction and development of animals.

9. Viruses.

10. Genetics: Mendelian inheritance, human genetics.

Note: Knowledge of English terminology is required in all of these areas!

• Topics from Medical Biology (pdf)
• Topics from Medical Chemistry (pdf)

Recommended Textbooks

Evaluation

The applicants’ performance at the entrance examinations is evaluated by the Admission Committee of the University. The Board makes decisions regarding admissions on the basis of the skills, knowledge and attitude judged by the performance at the entrance examination and by the former scientific record of the applicants revealed by the documents attached to their applications. The University’s strategic aims, including those regarding geographical and cultural diversity and gender balance are also considered.

Registration

Applicants have to register (sign up) for the entrance examinations in SEMAPHOR after having submitted a valid application (and paid the Admission Procedure Fee). Registrations can only be withdrawn before the deadline for registration to the given examination. The absence of a registered applicant at the entrance examination is not considered as the withdrawal of registration but as an examination attended without valuable result.