Greek school year ends as EPAL exams wrap up; special course and sports aptitude tests begin Tuesday
Kindergartens and primary schools close for summer today, while vocational high school candidates sit their final specialty subjects. From Tuesday, special course and TEFAA sports aptitude exams run through 25 June.
End of school year for younger students
Monday 15 June 2026 is the last day of the school year for kindergartens and primary schools across Greece. Lower secondary schools (gymnasia) also finish their promotion and graduation exams today. The deadline for issuing lower secondary exam results is Thursday 18 June 2026.
EPAL candidates finish Panhellenic exams
Vocational high school (EPAL) candidates sit the final specialty subjects of the 2026 Panhellenic exams today. The three subjects are Elements of Refrigeration-Air Conditioning, Aircraft Engines, and Elements of Central Heating Design. These are the last exams for EPAL students who are not taking special or music courses; those who have chosen such courses will continue testing from Tuesday.
Special courses and TEFAA tests start tomorrow
Today also marks the start of the Health Examinations and Practical Tests for candidates (from both general and vocational high schools) who wish to enter Physical Education and Sports Science departments (TEFAA) in the coming academic year. Candidates can undergo the practical tests and health checks from today until 25 June 2026.
The special course exams (Eidika Mathimata) begin on Tuesday 16 June with the English paper and run through Thursday 25 June. The full schedule is set out below.
- English (10:00 AM)
- Free Drawing (8:30 AM)
- Linear Drawing (8:30 AM)
- German (8:30 AM)
- Music Perception, Theory and Harmony (10:00 AM)
- Music Performance and Interpretation (8:30 AM)
- French (8:30 AM)
- Italian (8:30 AM)
- Spanish (8:30 AM)
Exam schedule and logistics
Candidates taking special courses must arrive at examination centres by 08:00 for exams starting at 08:30, and by 09:30 for exams starting at 10:00. Foreign language exams last three hours, while Free Drawing and Linear Drawing each last six hours. For the music course "Music Performance and Interpretation", the vocal or instrumental exam lasts 4 to 6 minutes per candidate. The "Music Perception, Theory and Harmony" paper lasts three hours and 30 minutes in total.
