State Examination
The form and components of the state final examinations are specified in the study plans included in the accreditation documents for each study programme.
The rules for conducting these examinations are set out in Articles 37–45 of the Charles University Study and Examination Code and Articles 11–12 of the ETF Rules for the Organisation of Study.
NEW from the 2026/27 academic year!
Students in all study programmes may take the individual components of the state final examination separately (Article 37(2) of the Study and Examination Code; Article 11(2) of the ETF Rules).
Students are also entitled to time for written preparation before an oral component (Article 42(2) of the Study and Examination Code).
Bachelor’s Programme Protestant Theology
Description of the State Final Examination and Requirements for Taking Its Individual Components
1) Oral examination in the bachelor’s thesis discipline
The student chooses their thesis discipline when selecting the topic of their bachelor’s thesis, no later than 30 November in the third year of study. The chosen discipline is then recorded in SIS as their state final examination discipline; the student does not take a comprehensive examination in it.
The student chooses from eight disciplines: Old Testament, New Testament, Systematic Theology, Church History, Theological Ethics, Practical Theology, Philosophy, or Religious Studies.
New accreditation: To take this component of the state final examination, the student must complete the compulsory courses other than those relating to the bachelor’s thesis (88 credits) and obtain the minimum required number of credits from all groups of compulsory elective courses (62 credits). This amounts to 150 credits from compulsory and compulsory elective courses.
Old accreditation: To take this component of the state final examination, the student must complete the compulsory courses other than those relating to the bachelor’s thesis (106 credits) and obtain the minimum required number of credits from all groups of compulsory elective courses (38 credits). This amounts to 144 credits from compulsory and compulsory elective courses.
2) Oral examination in another discipline chosen by the student
The same requirements apply to this component:
New accreditation: The student must complete the compulsory courses other than those relating to the bachelor’s thesis (88 credits) and obtain the minimum required number of credits from all groups of compulsory elective courses (62 credits), for a total of 150 credits.
Old accreditation: The student must complete the compulsory courses other than those relating to the bachelor’s thesis (106 credits) and obtain the minimum required number of credits from all groups of compulsory elective courses (38 credits), for a total of 144 credits.
3) Defence of the bachelor’s thesis
New accreditation: To defend the bachelor’s thesis, the student must have passed both oral components of the state final examination, completed the compulsory Bachelor’s Thesis Seminar (10 credits), duly submitted the thesis, and obtained at least 20 credits from optional courses. The defence therefore requires at least 180 credits as prescribed by the study plan.
Old accreditation: To defend the bachelor’s thesis, the student must have passed both oral components of the state final examination, completed the compulsory Bachelor’s Thesis Seminar (10 credits), duly submitted the thesis, and obtained at least 20 credits from optional courses. The defence therefore requires at least 180 credits as prescribed by the study plan.
Conduct of the State Final Examination
Students draw a topic or question, or one is assigned to them by an examiner. They then have approximately 20–25 minutes for written preparation. Students should therefore arrive well before their examination is due to begin.
Examination Topics and Literature
Further information, examination topics and literature lists for the individual disciplines in the bachelor’s programme are available here:
(the content will be added soon)
Old Testament
New Testament
Church History
Practical Theology - old accreditation: for students who began their studies in the 2024/25 academic year or earlier
Religious Studies
Philosophy - old accreditation: for students who began their studies in the 2024/25 academic year or earlier
Registration for the State Final Examination
Students register through SIS for the state final examination (SFE) and for the defence of their bachelor’s or master’s thesis. The academic year schedule sets the deadlines for registration and thesis submission.
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The individual components of the SFE may be taken
separately. Students may register for an oral component before submitting their thesis, provided they meet the requirements for that component under their study plan.
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The thesis defence is the final component of the SFE. Before taking it, students must complete all remaining study requirements and obtain the total number of credits required to graduate. (Article 38 of the Charles University Study and Examination Code; Article 11 of the ETF Rules for the Organisation of Study.)
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Students must be enrolled in their studies when registering for the SFE or submitting their thesis.
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If a student cannot submit their bachelor’s or master’s thesis on time for a serious reason, they must submit a reasoned general application for an extension the term to the Student Affairs Office. The application must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and the Vice-Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. An extension does not change the deadline for registering for the defence: the student must register on time and provide the approved application. They may register for the other SFE components without having submitted their thesis.
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The next deadline for SFE registration and bachelor’s thesis submission is 15 December 2026, for examinations held from 25 January to 12 February 2027.
Withdrawal and Excuses for Absence
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Students withdraw from a registered examination date through SIS by the deadline shown for that date (normally no later than seven days before the SFE). If withdrawal is no longer possible and a student cannot attend, they must submit a written excuse before the examination through the Student Affairs Office. The chair of the examination board decides whether the excuse is valid.
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A student who does not attend an SFE or one of its components for which they have registered, without a valid prior excuse, is not graded and forfeits that attempt. A late excuse may be accepted only for serious reasons. The student must register again for a subsequent date. (Article 40(4) of the Charles University Study and Examination Code.)
Number of Attempts
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Students may take the SFE or any of its components no more than three times: one regular attempt and two resits. No additional resit is permitted. (Article 40(1) of the Charles University Study and Examination Code.)