University admission in Azerbaijan: scores, groups and specialty choice

Question 1

How do university entrance exams work in Azerbaijan?

Accepted Answer

Admission to specialties in groups I to IV has two stages: for this year's school leavers, stage one is the 11th-grade final exam (up to 300 points), and stage two is the block exam in three subjects of the chosen group (up to 400 points). The total of both, up to 700 points, decides the competition when specialties are chosen. Group V has no second stage: it uses the final exam result together with an aptitude exam.

Question 2

What are the stages of university admission in Azerbaijan?

Accepted Answer

Roughly: in late winter you confirm an online application on the site of the State Examination Centre (DİM), in spring you sit the final exam (stage one), from May to July the block exam with two attempts (stage two), and then you choose specialties online and DİM places applicants by score. A further round for places left empty follows at the end of summer. Exact dates are published each year on dim.gov.az.

Question 3

What is the block exam?

Accepted Answer

“Block exam” is the everyday name for stage two of the entrance exam. It is taken for groups I to IV in the three subjects of your group, for example biology, chemistry and physics in group IV. Its score (up to 400) is added to your final exam score, and the specialty competition runs on that total.

Question 4

What is the maximum score on the block exam?

Accepted Answer

400 points. Each subject gets a relative score of up to 100; the two subjects with a 1.5 coefficient then count for up to 150 each and the third, with a coefficient of 1, for up to 100: 150 + 150 + 100 = 400. Together with the 300 points of the final exam, the maximum total is 700.

Question 5

How many questions are on the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

The block exam has 90 tasks, 30 per subject, with 3 hours in total. Each subject has 22 closed tasks (multiple choice), 5 open tasks with a coded answer and 3 open tasks with a written answer: free-response problems in group I, and tasks built on a situation, a text or a source in the other groups. Stage one, the final exam, has 85 tasks: 30 in your language of instruction, 25 in mathematics and 30 in a foreign language. You can practise the closed-task style with OrujovAI's short DİM-format practice tests, which also show your weak topics.

Question 6

When are entrance exams usually held?

Accepted Answer

For this year's school leavers, stage one is the spring final exam: in 2026 the 11th-grade final exam took place on 9 and 15 March, split by zone. The block exam has two attempts; in 2026 the first was on 24 May (groups II and III) and 7 June (groups I and IV), and the second on 5 and 12 July. Graduates of earlier years sit stage one in April, and next year's schedule should be checked in DİM's calendar.

Question 7

How is the total admission score calculated?

Accepted Answer

In groups I to IV, the total is the stage one score (up to 300) plus the stage two score (up to 400), so the maximum is 700. In stage one, your language of instruction, mathematics and a foreign language are worth up to 100 each and are added without coefficients. In stage two, each subject's relative score is multiplied by its coefficient, 1.5 or 1, and the results are added up.

Question 8

How are the final exam and entrance exam scores combined?

Accepted Answer

They are simply added, with no conversion: 210 in the final exam and 280 in the block exam make 490. For this year's school leavers, the 11th-grade final exam result counts as the stage one result. Keep in mind that the final exam result stays valid for two years, the block exam result for one.

Question 9

How does DİM calculate scores?

Accepted Answer

Each subject first gets a relative score of up to 100, rounded to one decimal place. In the final exam, wrong answers cost nothing and written tasks count double; mathematics, for example, uses 25/8 × (2 × written points + correct coded answers + correct closed answers). In the block exam, a subject's score is (correct closed − a quarter of wrong closed + correct coded + 2 × written points) × 100/33, which is then multiplied by the subject's coefficient.

Question 10

How many points is one correct answer worth on the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

In the block exam, each correct closed or coded answer adds about 3.03 points (100/33) to that subject's relative score. In a 1.5-coefficient subject that is about 4.55 points towards your total, in a coefficient-1 subject 3.03. A fully correct written task is worth double, about 6.06, while in the final exam the value depends on the subject: a closed maths task, for example, is worth about 3.1 points.

Question 11

Do wrong answers lower my entrance exam score?

Accepted Answer

In the block exam's closed tasks, yes: each wrong answer cancels a quarter of a correct one, so 4 wrong answers wipe out 1 right answer. Wrong answers in open tasks (coded and written) cost nothing, and in the final exam mistakes never affect your score. So in the block exam it usually pays to answer when you can confidently rule out one or two options, while a blind guess is a gamble you can skip.

Question 12

How many points is an open question worth on the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

Each block exam subject has 8 open tasks. Five of them are coded-answer tasks (a calculation, a choice or a matching): a correct answer gives 1 raw point, about 3.03 relative points, and a wrong one costs nothing. The other three need a written answer and count double; at the end, points from both kinds are multiplied by the subject's coefficient.

Question 13

How many points is the written task worth on the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

Markers grade each written task against set criteria as 0, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1, and that mark is doubled. So one written task is worth up to about 6.06 relative points in its subject, or about 9.1 points towards your total in a 1.5-coefficient subject. The three written tasks together make up about 18 of a subject's 100 points, so even a partial solution beats a blank page.

Question 14

Which subjects get the 1.5 coefficient?

Accepted Answer

The first two subjects of each group: mathematics and physics in group I (both RK and Rİ), mathematics and geography in group II, Azerbaijani (or Russian) and history in group III (both DT and TC), and biology and chemistry in group IV. The third subject (chemistry or informatics, history, literature or geography, physics) has a coefficient of 1. Coefficients apply only to the block exam; final exam subjects are added without them.

Question 15

How do I calculate my admission score with a calculator?

Accepted Answer

For each subject you enter your correct and wrong closed answers, your correct coded answers and the points you expect from the written tasks, and the calculator applies DİM's formulas, coefficients and totals. Online calculators are unofficial and only give an estimate, because markers decide the written-task points. Your official score is the one DİM announces.

Question 16

How do I turn my test answers into a score?

Accepted Answer

For each block exam subject, take your correct closed answers, subtract a quarter of the wrong ones, add your correct coded answers and twice your written points, then multiply by 100/33. For example, 20 correct and 4 wrong closed answers (20 − 1 = 19), 4 correct coded answers and 2.5 written points (doubled to 5) give (19 + 4 + 5) × 100/33 ≈ 84.8. In a 1.5-coefficient subject that adds about 127.2 to your total; add up the three subjects and your final exam score to get the full total.

Question 17

Which subjects are in specialty group I?

Accepted Answer

Group I has two subgroups: RK tests mathematics, physics and chemistry, and Rİ tests mathematics, physics and informatics. In both, mathematics and physics carry a 1.5 coefficient and the third subject 1; you can also register for both subgroups, in which case you sit an extra informatics exam on top of the RK subjects. When a maths or physics problem has you stuck, OrujovAI's Solve walks you through it step by step.

Question 18

Which subjects are in group II?

Accepted Answer

Group II tests mathematics (coefficient 1.5), geography (1.5) and history (1). It covers specialties such as economics, business administration, marketing and tourism. The written tasks are built on a situation in mathematics and geography and on a source in history.

Question 19

Which subjects are in group III?

Accepted Answer

Group III has two subgroups: DT tests Azerbaijani (Russian in the Russian sector), history and literature, and TC tests language, history and geography. Language and history carry a 1.5 coefficient, literature or geography 1. If you register for both subgroups, you sit a separate geography exam on top of the DT subjects and compete in both.

Question 20

Which subjects are in group IV?

Accepted Answer

Group IV tests biology (coefficient 1.5), chemistry (1.5) and physics (1). It includes medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and biology-related specialties. In all three subjects the written tasks are built on a situation.

Question 21

What is group V and how is it tested?

Accepted Answer

Group V covers specialties that need special aptitude: music, fine arts, acting, directing, design, coaching, physical education teaching and others. There is no block exam: first, your final exam (stage one) score has to meet the competition conditions, and then you register for the aptitude exam in your chosen specialty and sit it. Where the aptitude exam is scored, the competition runs on its final score; where it is pass or fail, it runs on your final exam total.

Question 22

What is the RK group?

Accepted Answer

RK is not a separate group but a subgroup of group I, tested in mathematics, physics and chemistry. It covers most engineering specialties, mathematics, physics, geology and the teaching of those subjects, plus architecture with an extra aptitude exam. Computer science, information technology and similar specialties sit in the Rİ subgroup, which has informatics instead of chemistry.

Question 23

Which specialty group should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Start from the specialties you want, not the subjects: list them and check in DİM's specialty list which group each belongs to. Then judge honestly how strong you are in that group's two 1.5-coefficient subjects, since they weigh most in the block exam. If you are torn, you can sit two different groups in the two attempts and compete in both.

Question 24

Which group is the easiest?

Accepted Answer

No group is objectively easier: all have the same number of tasks and the same 400-point scale, and you compete only with applicants in your own group. The easiest group for you is the one where your strongest subjects carry the 1.5 coefficient. To find out, take short practice tests in the subjects of different groups and compare your results.

Question 25

Can I change my group later?

Accepted Answer

You choose the group when registering for each attempt, and you can sit a different group in the block exam's second attempt; if you meet the conditions, you then compete in both. You cannot, however, list specialties from a group you did not sit. When you retake the exam next year, you can choose any group.

Question 26

What do I need to take to study medicine in Azerbaijan?

Accepted Answer

Medicine is in group IV: the block exam tests biology (1.5), chemistry (1.5) and physics (1), on top of stage one with your language of instruction, mathematics and a foreign language. Biology and chemistry move your total the most, so they deserve most of your preparation. Medicine has traditionally been among the most competitive specialties, especially for state-funded places.

Question 27

Which group is law in?

Accepted Answer

Law is in group III's DT subgroup: the block exam tests Azerbaijani (or Russian), history and literature. Language and history carry a 1.5 coefficient, literature 1. When comparing past passing scores for law, look separately at the university, the language of instruction and whether the place is state-funded or paid, because the gaps can be large.

Question 28

Which group is economics in?

Accepted Answer

Economics is in group II: the block exam tests mathematics (1.5), geography (1.5) and history (1). Business administration, finance, accounting, marketing and management are in the same group. English-taught programmes can set an extra condition on your foreign language result, so read that year's competition conditions before specialty choice.

Question 29

What do I need to take to study computer science?

Accepted Answer

Computer science is in group I's Rİ subgroup: the block exam tests mathematics (1.5), physics (1.5) and informatics (1). Information technology, information security, data analytics and software engineering are there too. Minimum scores for entering the competition are announced again each year per specialty, so go by the current announcement rather than last year's figure.

Question 30

Which group is international relations in?

Accepted Answer

International relations is in group III's TC subgroup: the block exam tests Azerbaijani (or Russian), history and geography. Regional studies is in the same subgroup. TC differs from DT only in the third subject, so if DT specialties such as law also interest you, you can sit the extra geography exam and compete in both subgroups.

Question 31

What exams do I need to become a teacher?

Accepted Answer

Teaching specialties usually sit in the group of the subject you will teach: maths and physics teaching in RK, informatics teaching in Rİ, geography teaching in group II, and biology and chemistry teaching in group IV. History, Azerbaijani language and literature, foreign language and primary school teaching go through group III's DT subgroup, while music, fine arts and physical education teaching go through group V with an aptitude exam. Check the group of a specific specialty in DİM's list for the current year.

Question 32

What exams do I need for architecture or design?

Accepted Answer

Architecture is in group I's RK subgroup (mathematics, physics, chemistry), but you also need to pass an aptitude exam; in 2026, registration for it ran in the second half of July. Design is in group V: there is no block exam, and your final exam result and an aptitude exam count. DİM sets the aptitude exam conditions each year based on universities' proposals, so read that year's announcement before you start preparing.

Question 33

What is a passing score?

Accepted Answer

A passing score is the score of the last applicant admitted to a specialty (on state-funded or paid places) in that year's competition. Nobody sets it in advance: it comes from the number of places, who chose the specialty and how many points they scored. Don't confuse it with the minimum score needed to enter the competition: that threshold is announced beforehand, while the passing score is known only after placement.

Question 34

Why do passing scores change every year?

Accepted Answer

Because a passing score is not a fixed standard but the outcome of that year's competition. The number of places, the number of applicants and their scores, the difficulty of the exam, a specialty's popularity and the order in which applicants rank their choices all change from year to year. So last year's passing score is a guide, not a guarantee.

Question 35

When are passing scores announced?

Accepted Answer

Passing scores are published after specialty choice ends and placement results are announced. Specialty choice usually closes in mid-August (19 August in 2026), so main competition results come out towards the end of August. Results of the round for empty places are announced in September.

Question 36

Where can I see past years' passing scores?

Accepted Answer

The most reliable source is DİM's official site, dim.gov.az, which publishes passing scores by specialty, separately for state-funded and paid places and for the Azerbaijani and Russian sectors. Tables on other sites can contain mistakes or outdated numbers, so check the official document before an important decision. Always compare the same language of instruction and the same type of place.

Question 37

How many points do I need for medicine?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed number: it depends on the university, the language of instruction, whether the place is state-funded or paid, and that year's competition. Medicine has traditionally had some of the highest passing scores, especially for state-funded places. Look at past passing scores on dim.gov.az, but treat them as a guide rather than a promise for this year.

Question 38

Where can I get in with 500 points?

Accepted Answer

500 out of 700 is a strong result that gives you good chances in many specialties, including state-funded places. For the most competitive options, such as medicine and some English-taught programmes at leading universities, it may not be enough. Open the past passing scores for your group and build a list with both ambitious and safe choices.

Question 39

Is 400 points a low score?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your goal. A score of 400 usually meets the conditions for entering the competition and gives you chances in many specialties, especially on paid places and on state-funded places in less competitive fields. For the most popular specialties it is often not enough, so compare recent passing scores for the specialties you want.

Question 40

How do I know which university my score is enough for?

Accepted Answer

You cannot know for certain in advance, because passing scores only form after this year's specialty choice. The best approach is to compare the last two or three years' passing scores for the specialties you want, for the same language of instruction and type of place. Include specialties slightly above your score, about level with it and clearly below it, so you are not left without a place.

Question 41

What is the minimum score for a bachelor's place?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed threshold: DİM sets it every year in agreement with the Ministry of Science and Education, and only applicants who meet those conditions can take part in specialty choice. The threshold can differ by specialty, and some specialties add requirements such as an aptitude exam. Check the current year's figures in DİM's announcement on competition conditions before specialty choice.

Question 42

How many points do I need for a college?

Accepted Answer

Colleges admit on the basis of 9th or 11th grade: this year's school leavers compete with the score of the matching final exam, and graduates of earlier years with the result of a college entrance exam DİM holds in spring. Minimum conditions are published each year in DİM's college admission announcement, and passing scores vary widely by college and specialty. Some specialties also require an aptitude exam.

Question 43

How do I choose specialties on the DİM application?

Accepted Answer

After results are announced, you log in to your personal account on DİM's e-services site and fill in and confirm the online specialty choice application. For each specialty code you mark whether it is a state-funded or a paid place, and you can list the same specialty once as each. Placement follows your scores and the order you set. If you already studied at university at the state's expense, you cannot choose state-funded places.

Question 44

How many specialties can I choose?

Accepted Answer

In 2026, the bachelor's application allowed up to 15 specialty codes from the groups and subgroups whose competition conditions you met. If you want the same specialty as both a state-funded and a paid place, you enter its code twice, and it takes up two lines of the list. Filling the list with safe options lowers the risk of not being placed at all.

Question 45

When does the specialty choice happen?

Accepted Answer

Specialty choice runs after the block exam results are out, usually in August: in 2026 it ran from 12 to 19 August for all groups. A second choice, for empty places, comes a little later (28 August to 2 September in 2026). DİM announces the exact dates each year.

Question 46

In what order should I list specialties?

Accepted Answer

Put the specialty you want most first and continue in order of preference: the system places you in the first choice your score is enough for. So keep ambitious choices at the top, realistic ones in the middle and safe ones at the bottom. Don't list a specialty you would not want to study, because you could be placed there.

Question 47

What is a competition score?

Accepted Answer

The competition score is the score your specialty choices compete on. In groups I to IV it is the total of both stages (up to 700); in group V, depending on the specialty, it is either the aptitude exam's final score or your final exam total. When scores are tied, DİM uses extra indicators, in groups I to IV starting with the average of the final grades on your school certificate and then other measures such as your block exam score.

Question 48

What is the difference between state-funded and paid places?

Accepted Answer

On a state-funded place the state budget pays your tuition; on a paid place you pay it yourself. By law, the state guarantees free education only once at each level of higher education. For the same specialty, state-funded places usually have a higher passing score than paid ones, because more applicants compete for free places.

Question 49

How do I get a state-funded place?

Accepted Answer

You must mark the specialty as state-funded in your specialty choice, and your score must be high enough in that year's competition. If your score is borderline, list the state-funded place first and then the paid option of the same specialty, which gives you two chances. In your preparation, focus on the two 1.5-coefficient subjects, where every correct answer counts one and a half times.

Question 50

How does the second round for empty places work?

Accepted Answer

After the main competition, DİM announces the places left unfilled, and applicants who did not get a place can choose specialties online again. The principle is the same: you list the specialties whose conditions you meet in order of preference, and placement goes by score. In 2026 this round ran from 28 August to 2 September, at the same time as specialty choice for colleges on the 11-grade basis. Applicants placed in the main round who did not register at their university within 10 days are not admitted to it.

Question 51

Which specialties need an aptitude exam?

Accepted Answer

All group V specialties: music, fine arts and physical education teaching, coaching, acting, directing, cinematography, design, painting, sculpture, instrumental performance, singing, choreography and others. Architecture in group I and journalism in group III's DT subgroup also need one; for journalism you write an essay on one of the set topics. Only applicants whose exam score meets the competition conditions can register for an aptitude exam.

Question 52

Can I study at an Azerbaijani university in Russian?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the Russian sector you sit the exams in Russian: Russian is your language of instruction in stage one and the language subject in group III, and your foreign language can be English, German or French. You also need the required result in Azerbaijani as the state language: this year's school leavers take it as part of the final exam, while graduates of earlier years sit a separate exam and need a pass. Students from Azerbaijani-language schools who want Russian-taught specialties sit an extra Russian language exam.

Question 53

How do I register for the entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

This year's school leavers fill in and confirm the applicant's online application on DİM's site themselves, while graduates of earlier years fill it in and then hand it in person, with their documents, to a document acceptance commission. After that, you register separately for each block exam attempt, choosing your group. Taking part is paid, but the state covers the fee for certain categories of citizens set by law; check DİM's announcement to see who is exempt.

Question 54

When do I apply for the entrance exams?

Accepted Answer

The first application stage is in late winter: in 2026 it ran from 18 February to 5 March. Registration for the block exam's first attempt runs in the second half of April (16 to 29 April in 2026), and for the second in early June (1 to 8 June in 2026). The windows are short, so follow DİM's announcements closely.

Question 55

If I don't get in, can I take the exam again next year?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The final exam (stage one) result stays valid for two years: you can skip it next year, or retake it and choose at specialty choice which result to compete with. The block exam has to be taken again, because its result is valid for one year only. To build your year around weak topics, OrujovAI's Live Tutor has the Abituriyent Path, which covers the DİM subjects topic by topic with checkpoint quizzes.

Question 56

Can I choose specialties with last year's score?

Accepted Answer

Only with your stage one score: a final exam result can be used in the current and the following academic year. The block exam score is valid for one year, and under the rules an applicant who did not take part in that year's second stage cannot take part in specialty choice. Group V has no second stage, so you can compete with last year's final exam score, but you register for the aptitude exam again that year.

Question 57

Can I retake the entrance exam while already at university?

Accepted Answer

Under the student admission rules, students of universities, colleges and higher technical vocational schools (except those in their final year) cannot enter the admission competition. So a student who wants to start a different specialty through the exam has to leave their current studies first. Because the right to free study is given once per level, check with DİM and your university whether you could compete for a state-funded place again.