Palacký Entrance Exam: Physics or Maths?

In short. Palacký tests biology and chemistry, then physics or maths: you choose. Applications for a September 2027 start are expected to open about 1 November 2026. The fee to apply was €80, as listed in August 2026. Other facts are for the 2026/27 cycle, unless marked "expected".

Physics or maths: which should you take?

You pick one of the two (2026/27).^[1] The faculty gives each a sample test. The big difference is what you can study from:

	Physics	Maths
Official topic list	Yes, in 9 blocks	No
Recommended books	Lazar; Curran; Orsay	Backhouse and Houldsworth
Sample test	Yes	Yes
Our practice	Covers it	Does not cover it

Our tip: try both sample tests with a timer. Then pick the one you do better in. Still unsure? Physics has a clear topic list to work through.

Every subject also expects basic maths and unit conversions. The faculty says so on its topic list.^[2]

Applying to Masaryk or Charles too? Physics works differently there:

The physics topic list

The official list has 9 blocks:^[2]

Block	What it covers
Units	SI units, multiples, conversions, dimensions
Mechanics and fluids	Motion, Newton's laws, work, energy, power, gravity. Pascal's law, pressure in liquids, Archimedes' law, flow and Bernoulli's equation
Heat and gases	Heat and temperature, the ideal gas equation, Dalton's and Avogadro's laws, surface tension, diffusion, osmosis, viscosity, changes of state
Waves and sound	Harmonic motion, sound, the ear, intensity level
Electricity and magnetism	Fields, potential, capacitors, Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws, resistors, semiconductors, electrolytes and Faraday's law, magnetic fields, AC, induction, transformers
Optics	The electromagnetic spectrum, light as a wave and as particles, the photoelectric effect, mirrors and lenses, the microscope, the eye, X-rays
Atoms	The atom and its nucleus, radioactivity, nuclear reactions
Measurement	Weighing, density, thermometers, electrical and optical measurement
General skills	Percentages, unit and angle conversions, basic functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric), basic geometry, physical constants

The three recommended books:

• Miriam Lazar, Let's Review Physics (Barron's, 2009)
• Greg Curran, Homework Helpers: Physics (Career Press, 2012)
• Jonathan Orsay, Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT Physics (2001)

Choosing maths? There is no topic list, only a book list: J. K. Backhouse and S. P. T. Houldsworth, Pure Mathematics 1 and 2.

Biology and chemistry

Biology has 16 official topics.^[2] They cover:

• the cell
• genetics, including Hardy-Weinberg calculations and gene technology
• the human body, system by system
• stem cells
• human diseases and a healthy lifestyle, including parasites
• ecology

The biology books are Campbell and Reece, Biology, and Mader, Human Biology.

Chemistry comes in five blocks: general chemistry, basic calculations, inorganic, organic and biochemistry. The recommended books are Chang and Overby, General Chemistry, and Ryan and Norris, Cambridge International AS and A Level Chemistry.

How hard is it? The faculty says its exam matches the level of the British school system (GCE), the system of A-levels.^[3]

The five free sample tests

The faculty posts a sample test for each subject (2026/27):^[1]

• Biology sample test (PDF)
• Chemistry sample test (PDF)
• Physics sample test (PDF)
• Maths sample test (PDF)
• English sample test (PDF), for the university's own English test

They show the style: you pick one answer from 4 or 5 options. They are sample tests, not past papers. We do not have past papers, and we do not sell them.

How to use them (our tips):

1. Do one test in one go. Note how long you take. Its General Medicine and admissions pages give no time limit, so ask the faculty.
2. Mark it. Write down each topic you missed.
3. Find each topic on the official list. Study it, then try again.

Do you need an English certificate?

Yes, unless you studied in English (2026/27 rules).^[1] Send one of these:

• Cambridge FCE or higher
• IELTS 6 or higher
• TOEFL 87 or higher
• another certificate on the faculty's list
• or pass the university's own English test

Did your school or university teach in English? Send proof, and you do not need the test.

Dates: the 2026 cycle, and 2027 expected

In the 2026/27 cycle:^[1]

• Applications opened on 1 November 2025.
• They closed on 31 July 2026.
• Exam sessions ran from January to August 2026.
• You applied at least two weeks before your chosen exam date.

For a September 2027 start, we expect (our estimate from the 2026 dates):

• Applications open about 1 November 2026.
• Exam sessions run from about January to August 2027.

Check the faculty's General Medicine page for the new dates. You can sit online, in Olomouc or in Tel Aviv. See your 2027 timeline for all three schools.

What it costs

As listed on the faculty's General Medicine page in August 2026:

• To apply: €80, paid online. It is not refunded.
• Tuition: €12,500 a year.

The same page listed about 80 expected places in English General Medicine.

What the faculty's pages do not give

Its General Medicine and admissions pages do not give the number of questions, the time or the scoring (2026/27). Ask the faculty before you plan. More in our Palacký guide.

Practice for Palacký, when it opens

When practice opens, it will cover biology, chemistry and the physics option, on the official topic lists. It will not cover the maths option or the English test. See when practice opens.

Written by the CzechMedPrep team. Exam facts from the faculty's General Medicine page, notice board, topic list and sample tests. We read them between 28 August and 5 October 2026.