The Higher General Education Programme – stx

The Higher General Education Programme, Studentereksamen – stx, can be taken at an Upper Secondary School (Gymnasium) that offers the course

Read more and self-services

Start Optagelse.dk – apply to upper secondary education

To qualify for admission to the three-year course leading up to the Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate, students should normally have completed and passed the Lower Secondary School Leaving Examination, Folkeskolens Afgangsprøve, as well as complied with certain other conditions. Alternatively, students may be asked to take a centrally set entry examination and attend an interview at the Gymnasium.

Applications are made digitally on optagelse.dk.

The school and school counsellor will help students in years 10 or 11, class 9 or 10, complete their education plans and complete their application forms. The deadline for application is 13 March and students will receive a written response by 1 June.

Students who have already left school can complete an application form on optagelse.dk. Applications submitted before 13 March, will allow Gymnasiums time to assess the application alongside students who are applying directly from years 10 or 11, class 9 or 10.

The main objective of the course of study at a Gymnasium is to prepare students for Higher Education. In addition, the course is one of general education, where students learn to reflect and relate responsibly to their surroundings; people, nature, society, and on their own personal development. The course should also help students develop their creative and innovative abilities as well as their critical sense.

The Danish Gymnasium offers a broad syllabus based on the humanities and social and natural sciences, with a wide choice of subjects.

The first three months at Gymnasium consist of a Foundation course. After this, students choose specialisms from the courses offered by the Gymnasium.

Specialisms are chosen from the following subject areas: natural science, social science, language and art.

For students accepted through TEAM Danmark or who have been accepted on the Music Foundation Course (Musikalsk Grundkursus, MGK), or similar courses, the Upper Secondary course can be extended to four years.

There is also a two-year Upper Secondary course (Studenterkursus) with fewer compulsory subjects and where students choose their specialisms and electives that begin right at the start of their first year. This course has no foundation course.

Acceptance on the course can, at the earliest, be one year after the applicant has completed year 10 (class 9). Following an assessment of the student’s academic qualifications and abilities, the Gymnasium will decide whether the applicant can be offered a place.

During the course, students are given continual assessment grades - usually two or three time a year, and a final grade at the end of each module. During the course, students sit at least three examinations with an external examiner, including an oral exam based on a longer special assignment.

The final qualification (Stx) is considered passed if the average grade achieved is at least 2.0 on the 7-step scale.

Students who are dissatisfied with the teaching, examinations, including grades, course choices and electives, lack of special education or other educational support may address their complaints to the Principal.

Students who are dissatisfied with a decision taken by the Principal may in a number of cases, make a written appeal to the Principal who will pass this on to the Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet [Ministry for Teaching and Quality] with the student’s own comments on the case.

Before the case is sent to the Ministry, the student also has the right to comment. Students’ comments will then be sent to the Ministry.

Written by Ministry of Children and Education

Last updated: 30 June 2023

A part of