Azerbaijan's 9th and 11th grade final exams: questions and answers

Question 1

What is the buraxılış (school-leaving) exam in Azerbaijan?

Accepted Answer

It is the final assessment at the end of 9th grade (general secondary education) and 11th grade (complete secondary education), run by the State Examination Centre (DİM). In both grades you sit three subjects: your language of instruction, maths and a foreign language, each worth up to 100 points. The 11th-grade result also counts as stage one of university admission.

Question 2

Which subjects are in the 9th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

Three: your language of instruction (Azerbaijani in the Azerbaijani sector, Russian in the Russian sector), maths and a foreign language. In the Azerbaijani sector the foreign language can be English, German, French, Russian, Arabic or Persian; in the Russian sector it's English, German or French. Pupils whose language of instruction isn't Azerbaijani also sit a separate exam in Azerbaijani as the state language.

Question 3

Which subjects are in the 11th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

The same three subjects, with the same choice of foreign languages as in 9th grade. The difference is in the tasks: 11th grade has more tasks that need a written answer, and from 2027 the foreign-language paper adds a paragraph-writing task. Russian-sector students also have a fourth, separate exam: Azerbaijani as the state language.

Question 4

How many questions are in the 9th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

The current model has 81 tasks: 30 in the language of instruction, 25 in maths and 26 in the foreign language. Four language tasks and ten maths tasks are open (in maths, 6 with a coded answer and 4 needing a full solution), and the last foreign-language task is a story based on pictures. DİM has said the same 9th grade model will be used in 2027.

Question 5

How many questions are in the 11th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

85 tasks: 30 in the language of instruction (10 of them written), 25 in maths (12 open) and 30 in the foreign language (7 written). In 2027 the language and maths papers stay the same, while the foreign-language paper becomes 26 tasks: 25 closed ones and one written task.

Question 6

What is the maximum score in the 9th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

300 points, up to 100 per subject. A subject score isn't a count of right answers but a scaled score from DİM's formula, so 100 means every task in that subject was fully correct. The Azerbaijani (state language) exam is scored separately and isn't part of the 300.

Question 7

What is the maximum score in the 11th grade final exam?

Accepted Answer

For most schools it's 300, up to 100 per subject; schools that teach in English have a different paper, with a maximum of 200. For applicants in groups I to IV, these 300 points are the first part of a 700-point total, and stage two supplies the other 400.

Question 8

What does the math part of the final exam include?

Accepted Answer

25 tasks in both grades: in 9th grade 15 closed, 6 with a coded answer and 4 needing a full written solution; in 11th grade 13, 5 and 7. Coded tasks have no answer options: you work out the answer (usually a number) and enter it on the answer sheet. Write full solutions step by step, because an incomplete but correctly started solution can still earn partial credit.

Question 9

How many English questions are in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

In 9th grade there are 26 tasks: 25 short ones on listening, reading, grammar and vocabulary (mostly closed, with a few matching or coded-answer tasks) plus a story based on pictures. In 11th grade the 2026 model has 30 tasks: 6 on a listening text, 16 closed tasks and 8 on a reading text, 7 of them written. From 2027 the 11th-grade paper has 4 tasks on a listening text, 8 on two reading texts, 13 closed grammar and vocabulary tasks and one written task.

Question 10

What is the “language of instruction” exam?

Accepted Answer

It's the exam in the language your school teaches in: Azerbaijani in the Azerbaijani sector, Russian in the Russian sector and Georgian in Georgian-medium schools. It has 10 tasks on language rules and 20 on two texts. Give the texts their share of your revision, since two thirds of the tasks are about them.

Question 11

How many points do I need to get my school certificate?

Accepted Answer

None. DİM's Q&A section says plainly that the certificate (attestat) is issued whatever your final exam result, and a 9th grader can go on to 10th grade. The points matter later, in college admission and in stage one of university admission.

Question 12

What is the pass mark for the final exam?

Accepted Answer

There's no such threshold for the certificate. When people talk about pass marks (keçid balı) they usually mean admission scores for college and university programmes, which aren't fixed: they form anew each year from the number of places and how applicants score. Whether there's a minimum score to compete at all, and what it is, is set by that year's admission rules, not by an old figure.

Question 13

How are final exam points calculated?

Accepted Answer

Each correct closed or coded answer earns 1 raw point, and the mark for a written task counts double. The raw score is then scaled to 100 with DİM's formula, for example (2 × written-task marks + closed-task marks) × 100 / 40 for the 11th-grade language of instruction. The three subject scores are added up, to a maximum of 300.

Question 14

How many points is an open question worth in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the subject, but a written open task is always worth twice a closed one. In the 11th-grade language of instruction a closed task gives 2.5 points and a written one up to 5; in 11th-grade maths closed and coded tasks give 3.125 each and a full solution up to 6.25. A coded task, like a closed one, earns either full marks or nothing.

Question 15

How is the written task in the final exam graded?

Accepted Answer

Examiners engaged by DİM mark written answers against set criteria and give each task 0, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or full marks, so a partial answer can still score. The criteria and sample answers are shown with the results, and DİM also publishes its general criteria in special issues of the Abituriyent journal. Compare your work with them before you appeal.

Question 16

Do wrong answers cancel out right ones in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

No. DİM's official answer is that in both the 9th and 11th grade exams wrong answers don't affect the points for correct ones, so there's no reason to leave a closed task blank. Stage two of the university entrance exam is different: there, wrong answers on closed tasks do cost points, so don't mix up the two rules.

Question 17

When is the 9th grade final exam held?

Accepted Answer

In recent years mostly in April, on several dates by zone: in 2026 they were 5, 12 and 26 April. Your date depends on your school's zone and is printed on your admission slip. DİM announces the next year's dates in its annual schedule; the 2026 schedule came out on 22 January.

Question 18

When is the 11th grade final exam held?

Accepted Answer

In recent years in March: in 2026 it took place on 9 and 15 March depending on the zone, while in Nakhchivan it was moved from 15 March to 19 April. Your admission slip shows your date, and the next year's exact dates appear in DİM's annual schedule.

Question 19

How long does the final exam last?

Accepted Answer

All three subjects are taken on one day in a single sitting without a break; in 2026 the exam started at 11:00 in both grades. Check the exact length in advance with your school or in DİM's instructions. At home, do full papers in one go so you learn to split the time between subjects and keep some for transferring answers.

Question 20

How do I find out where my exam will be?

Accepted Answer

The building and your arrival time are printed on your exam admission slip (İmtahana buraxılış vərəqəsi). In 2026 DİM announced that slips could be printed roughly one to three weeks before each exam. Look the building up on a map in advance and work out how long the morning journey takes.

Question 21

How do I print my exam admission slip?

Accepted Answer

Once DİM announces it, you can print the slip through the DİM service on the e-gov.az portal; if you don't know your work number (iş nömrəsi), look it up at eservices.dim.gov.az/sagird/infosh.aspx. Schools can print slips for all their students too. If an exam's date or place changes, DİM asks candidates to print the slip again, so keep an eye on announcements in the days before.

Question 22

What can I bring to the exam?

Accepted Answer

Two documents are required: the admission slip and the original of your ID. If your ID card has no photo, you also need a stamped letter from your school with a 3x4 cm photo attached. In 2026 some pupils ran into trouble after forgetting their ID or school letter, so pack your documents the night before.

Question 23

What happens if I'm late for the exam?

Accepted Answer

You won't be let in: admission to the building ends 15 minutes before the start, and nobody is allowed in after that. In 2026 the exam started at 11:00 and entry closed at 10:45. Be there by the time on your slip and allow for delays on the way.

Question 24

Are phones and watches allowed in the exam?

Accepted Answer

No: mobile phones, smartwatches and other communication devices, calculators and other electronics, external storage devices, and also notes, dictionaries, tables and bags can't be brought into the building. The ban is enforced: at the 5 April 2026 exam, four 9th graders were removed after phones were found on them. Leave your phone at home or hand it to whoever comes with you before you go in.

Question 25

When are final exam results announced?

Accepted Answer

Usually a few weeks later, because written answers are marked by hand; DİM gives an estimated timeframe on exam day. In 2026 results of the 9 March exam came out on 17 April, and those of the 5 April 9th grade exam on 1 May. Follow the news on DİM's website for the exact day.

Question 26

How do I check my final exam result with my ID number?

Accepted Answer

Once results are out, enter your work number (iş nömrəsi) and your ID card number or FİN on DİM's results page (in 2026, eservices.dim.gov.az/2026/netorta). You can also get your score by texting your work number to 7727 from an Azercell, Bakcell or Nar line. The result shows your score per subject and an image of your answer sheet, and for 11th grade the marking criteria for open tasks as well.

Question 27

When are the correct answers published?

Accepted Answer

Very soon: DİM publishes the correct answers to closed and coded tasks on exam day or the day after, and for the 11th grade exam it also explains every task. Marking criteria for written tasks come later, with the results. Comparing the answers with your own notes lets you estimate your score.

Question 28

How do I appeal a DİM exam result?

Accepted Answer

After results are announced, DİM opens a short registration window and you appeal with an online form on apelyasiya.dim.gov.az: in 2026, for the 9 March exam, it ran from 10:00 on 20 April to 17:00 on 22 April. You give the task number and explain your complaint with reference to the marking criteria; forms without real content are not accepted. If you miss the window, you can't appeal later.

Question 29

Can an appeal change my score?

Accepted Answer

Yes: if the commission finds a marking error, the score is corrected, and after the 2026 11th grade exams DİM corrected the results of 1,394 students. Each appeal gets a written expert opinion, and you're told the decision by SMS. Answers not marked on the answer sheet as the instructions require are not re-examined.

Question 30

What happens if I fail the final exam?

Accepted Answer

You can't really fail it: you finish school even with a low score. The score still shapes your options, since it's the main criterion for college admission and part of your total for university. According to DİM's official answer, an 11th grade graduate with a low score can still sit the entrance exam for groups I to IV.

Question 31

Can I retake the final exam?

Accepted Answer

You don't need to for the certificate, and there's no second final exam in the same year apart from the additional sitting for those who missed it with a valid reason. To improve your result for university, the following year you can sit stage one for previous years' graduates (in 2026 it was on 19 April). Final exam results stay valid for two years, so after a gap year your old result still counts.

Question 32

Can I take the entrance exam without a school certificate?

Accepted Answer

11th graders sit the final exam, which is stage one, before they leave school and get the certificate whatever their score, so this rarely comes up. To apply to university you need complete secondary education or higher, such as a college diploma, so you can't go straight to a bachelor's programme after 9th grade. After 9th grade the route is college.

Question 33

How does the 11th grade final exam affect university admission?

Accepted Answer

For this year's graduates, the final exam result counts as stage one of the entrance exam, so there's no separate stage one to sit. In groups I to IV those 300 points are added to stage two (the block exam, up to 400), and places are awarded on the 700-point total. For group V and for colleges, admission is based on the final exam score plus an aptitude exam where required.

Question 34

Can I get into university with my final exam score?

Accepted Answer

Not for groups I to IV: the final exam is only stage one, and stage two in the group's three subjects is compulsory. For group V programmes that need special abilities (music, fine art or sport, for example), places go by the final exam score plus an aptitude exam. Registration for the aptitude exam is separate, so check the dates in DİM's schedule.

Question 35

Can I enter a college with my final exam score?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For students finishing school this year, college (secondary specialised education) admission is based on the final exam: the 9th grade score after 9th grade, the 11th grade score after 11th. You register in the period DİM announces (18 February to 5 March in 2026), and some programmes also require an aptitude exam. Because final exam results stay valid for two years, last year's graduates can compete with theirs, while earlier graduates take a separate college entrance exam run by DİM.

Question 36

Can I get into a lyceum with my 9th grade results?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the lyceum: admission to lyceums and gymnasiums usually starts in the lower grades and uses the school's own exam, and any places in 10th grade are announced by the school itself. Check that school's conditions or the Ministry of Science and Education's announcements. Colleges are where the 9th grade final exam score is used directly.

Question 37

What is the difference between the final exam and the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

Everyone finishing 9th or 11th grade sits the final exam: three subjects, up to 300 points, recorded on the certificate. The entrance exam is only for university applicants: in groups I to IV the 11th-grade final exam counts as stage one, and stage two has 90 tasks in the group's three subjects, up to 400 points. Another difference: wrong answers cost nothing in the final exam but do cost points on stage two's closed tasks.

Question 38

What is a mock final exam?

Accepted Answer

It's a practice exam in the real format and under time limits: it shows your level and teaches you to pace yourself. DİM publishes past exam tasks with explanations and prints sample tasks for the model in special issues of the Abituriyent journal; schools and courses run their own mocks too. OrujovAI's /exam has DİM-format tests at a “9th grade final” level, but they're multiple choice only, so practise coded and written tasks with DİM's material.

Question 39

How does the final exam work in the Russian sector?

Accepted Answer

The structure is the same, with the tasks in Russian: Russian as the language of instruction, maths and a foreign language (English, German or French). Azerbaijani is also tested on its own, as the state language, on 3 May in 2026. It pays to prepare for it through the year rather than in the last month.

Question 40

Do Russian-sector students take an Azerbaijani language exam?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 9th and 11th graders at schools that don't teach in Azerbaijani sit a separate exam in Azerbaijani as the state language. University applicants need a pass (“məqbul”) in it: in 2026 this year's graduates passed with a scaled score of 50 or more. Those who got “qeyri-məqbul” could take a second exam on 21 June.

Question 41

What topics come up in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

The topics are listed in DİM's final exam programmes for each subject; the 2027 programmes went up on its website in September 2026. They're built on the school textbooks, and DİM doesn't include anything outside them. Don't trust lists of “questions that will definitely come up”: the papers are kept secret until the exam.

Question 42

What are the reading-text questions like in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

The language of instruction paper has two texts with 10 tasks each: 8 closed and 2 written in 9th grade, 5 closed and 5 written in 11th. They test reading comprehension, such as the main idea, the meaning of words and phrases, and facts and conclusions from the text; give written answers as full sentences based on the text. The foreign-language paper also has tasks on listening and reading texts.

Question 43

Do I have to write an essay in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

There's no classic essay in 9th grade, but the last foreign-language task is a short story based on pictures. The current 11th-grade model has no essay either; from 2027 the foreign-language paper adds a paragraph of at least 100 words, answering a question and backing your opinion with facts and reasons. The language of instruction paper has short written answers about texts, not an essay.

Question 44

Are there exam accommodations for students with disabilities?

Accepted Answer

Yes. At the 2026 final exams, for example, pupils with disabilities sat in separate rooms, and those with severe impairments had an individual invigilator. Documents confirming the disability have to be submitted in advance, so sort this out with your school and DİM well before the exam.

Question 45

What happens if I'm sick on exam day?

Accepted Answer

DİM holds an additional exam for 9th and 11th graders who missed theirs for a valid reason: in 2026 it was on 6 September. Tell your school straight away and ask which document confirms your reason. The additional sitting can fall after the university entrance exams, so an 11th grader should ask DİM how it affects their admission plans.

Question 46

What happens if I'm caught cheating in the exam?

Accepted Answer

Rule-breakers are removed from the exam: at the 9 March 2026 exam, 12 students were removed for breaking the rules. Using a phone, a smartwatch or help from a neighbour all count. You can lose your whole result for a couple of points, so it isn't worth it.

Question 47

How does the final exam result appear on the certificate?

Accepted Answer

The certificate shows your annual grades for the final school year and the points you scored in each subject of the final exam. The exam doesn't change your annual grades; the two are shown separately.

Question 48

How are school grades and the final exam connected?

Accepted Answer

Not directly: the annual grades on the certificate come from in-school assessment, while DİM sets the exam score. Top grades with a low score, or the reverse, can happen, because the exam tests the whole course in one timed sitting. A certificate with distinction takes both into account; ask your school or check the Ministry of Science and Education's rules for the exact criteria.

Question 49

Do I need to register separately for the final exam?

Accepted Answer

A pupil at school doesn't register personally: the school provides the data, DİM assigns a work number and you just print the admission slip. External candidates and graduates from earlier years have their own registration procedure. If your details are wrong (name, foreign language), tell your school straight away.

Question 50

Can I take the final exam as an external student?

Accepted Answer

Yes, DİM holds a separate final exam for people completing the final assessment externally: in 2026 it was on 19 April for 11th grade and on 17 May for 9th grade. DİM states that only people who have completed nine years of education can take the 11th grade external route. Check the Ministry of Science and Education's and DİM's announcements for how to apply.

Question 51

Can I use a calculator in the final exam?

Accepted Answer

No, calculators and other electronic devices are banned, so you'll be working everything out by hand. Practise without a calculator at home as well: fractions, percentages, roots and estimation should be quick. On coded tasks, put your answer back into the problem; it's a simple way to catch a mistake.

Question 52

Do they give scratch paper in the exam?

Accepted Answer

You can't bring your own, since notes, tables and bags aren't allowed in; work things out in the blank space of the question booklet. Those notes aren't marked: only the answers you transfer to the answer sheet count. Transfer your answers while you still have time.

Question 53

Where can I find reliable information about the final exams?

Accepted Answer

The official source is DİM's website, dim.gov.az, which publishes the exam schedule, programmes, correct answers, results and appeal announcements. Its Q&A section (Sual-cavab) answers common questions, and a few days before each exam it posts a notice for candidates listing the documents to bring. Always check social media “news” against DİM's own announcement.

Question 54

Can I see past exam questions on the DİM website?

Accepted Answer

Yes: after each exam DİM publishes the tasks used, with correct answers, as PDFs by sector and variant, and for 11th grade with an explanation of every task. You won't find practice material closer to the real thing, in format or in difficulty. A problem you didn't understand can be worked through step by step on its own.

Question 55

What can I do with my 9th grade final exam result?

Accepted Answer

With the certificate you can continue into 10th grade, and the exam result is used for college admission: for this year's graduates, places are awarded on the final exam score. Vocational education is another route, with its own admission rules. When choosing a programme, past years' admission scores give an idea, but they change every year.

Question 56

How do I contact DİM with a question about the final exam?

Accepted Answer

DİM's website has a Q&A page (Sual-cavab) and an “Ask a question” service (eservices.dim.gov.az/infoservice); you can also call 1653 or write to info@dim.gov.az. For wrong personal details or a valid reason for missing the exam, go to your school first. A result can only be challenged through the online appeal form.