Panhellenic Exams 2027: The exam schedule

The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports announced the programme for the 2027 Panhellenic Exams on Friday 11 September 2026, giving candidates and their families the first specific dates for the school year now beginning. According to SKAI, exams for candidates from general upper secondary schools (ΓΕΛ) will start on Friday 28 May 2027, while for candidates from vocational upper secondary schools (ΕΠΑΛ) the start is set for Saturday 29 May 2027. As stated in the Ministry’s announcement, “the first subject will be, as is customary, Modern Greek Language and Literature” for ΓΕΛ candidates, while ΕΠΑΛ candidates will first be examined in Modern Greek. The ΓΕΛ exams are expected to conclude on Friday 4 June 2027, closing a ten-day cycle of examinations for the large majority of candidates.

The programme also sets out the dates for the special subjects, which concern candidates applying to schools with additional examination requirements, such as foreign languages, music subjects or drawing. According to Newsbomb, the special subjects will be held from 14 to 24 June 2027, while the practical trials for the Schools of Physical Education and Sport Science have been scheduled from 14 to 25 June 2027. This structure follows the established model of recent years, with the main exams taking place first and the special subjects following a few weeks later, making scheduling easier for both schools and examination centres across the country.

For final-year (Γ’ Λυκείου) students and their families, the early announcement of the programme serves as a reference point for planning the whole school year now beginning. Knowing the exact dates already in September, candidates can organise their study schedule, any tutoring preparation and rest time with greater precision, avoiding the uncertainty that often makes planning such a demanding year more difficult. The exams start at 08:30 in the morning and last three hours, with the exception of the Architectural Drawing subject, which lasts four hours due to its nature. Knowing these details in advance also helps parents plan practical matters, such as travel or time off work, especially in cases where examination centres are far from the candidate’s place of residence.

In the period ahead, final-year secondary school students are expected to receive more detailed guidance from their schools on the syllabus and examination format for each subject, while the Ministry of Education usually follows up with additional circulars on the process for declaring school choices and the points system. Until then, the programme announced on Friday 11 September 2026 remains the key planning tool for thousands of candidates nationwide, from Athens to the most remote islands. The attention of the education community now turns to the detailed examination syllabuses, which are expected to be announced by the Ministry at a later stage, as well as to tutoring school enrolments, which have already begun in many parts of the country.