Hesse Abitur PuW Bilingual EN GK exam-day guide
Hesse Abitur PuW Bilingual EN GK · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid ID document
Bring an official photo ID (Personalausweis or passport). Schools and exam centres in Hesse generally check identity at the start of written Abitur examinations; if you do not have a valid ID, confirm with your school in advance what substitute is accepted.
Admission notification / invitation letter
Bring the letter or slip from your school showing your candidate number, examination room, and start time. If you have not received one, confirm with the provider (your school's Oberstufenleitung) how admission is handled.
Permitted writing tools
Bring several blue or black ballpoint pens, spare cartridges, pencils, eraser, sharpener, and a ruler. Use the pen colour your school requires for examination scripts; if unsure, confirm with the provider.
Approved dictionary or glossary
For a bilingual Politics and Economics examination, check with your teacher which monolingual or bilingual dictionaries are admitted in your course. Rules on dictionaries vary between schools and courses, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Unmarked reference materials allowed by the course
Some courses permit a basic calculator or an approved text collection. Bring only items explicitly allowed for your course; confirm the exact list with the provider, because unpermitted aids can be removed and may be treated as an irregularity.
Water and a small snack
Bring a clear bottle of water and something light to eat during the break. Check with the provider whether drinks are allowed on the desk or only outside the examination room.
Watch (non-smart)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you manage time if the room clock is hard to see. Smartwatches and phones must stay switched off and stored away; confirm the provider's device rules.
Layered clothing
Examination rooms can be warm or cold. Wear layers you can remove or add without distracting others.
Plan your route and arrival time
Know the building, room, and how long the journey takes. Aim to arrive well before the start; confirm the provider's arrival and lateness policy in advance.
Review the task types and operators
Know the typical operators used in Hessian Politics and Economics tasks (describe, analyse, evaluate, discuss) and the material types (text, statistics, cartoon, chart). Practise matching your answer structure to the operator.
Prepare your materials checklist for each task
Decide in advance how you will annotate and structure your answers: material reference, analysis, evaluation. This is preparation, not something to bring, but it belongs in your exam-day routine.
Confirm all uncertain policies with the provider
Anything not stated clearly in your school's information - device rules, dictionary use, break arrangements, lateness - should be confirmed with the provider before exam day. Do not rely on hearsay from other candidates.
Plan the day
Review your course notes on core topics: political system of the Federal Republic (Bundestag, Bundesrat, Bundesregierung, Bundesverfassungsgericht, elections, parties), social structure and social policy, economic order and economic policy (Soziale Marktwirtschaft, competition policy, monetary policy, labour market), and European integration. For each topic, write a one-page summary containing key definitions, two or three data points you can cite accurately, and one example of a current controversy. Do not memorise figures you cannot verify; in the exam, describe trends and label sources instead of inventing numbers.
Complete at least one full timed practice using a past-style task set: one analysis of a text or data source and one discussion/evaluation task. Practise the three-step structure: (1) summarise the material and identify the issue, (2) analyse with course concepts, (3) evaluate with criteria and reach a reasoned judgement. Time yourself and note where you lose minutes.
Write a short list of sentence starters for each operator in German and English, since the examination is delivered in German but you are studying bilingually. Examples: 'Der Text thematisiert …', 'Die Daten zeigen einen Anstieg von … auf …', 'Aus wirtschaftlicher Sicht lässt sich argumentieren, dass …'. Keep the list for revision only; bring only materials the provider permits.
Confirm room, start time, and permitted materials with your school. Charge nothing that needs charging - phones must be off. Prepare your bag the night before with ID, pens, water, and any approved aids.
Do a final pass over your one-page summaries and operator list. Do not start new topics. Check the route and set two alarms. Sleep at a normal time; sleep matters more than one more hour of revision.
Decide how you will allocate the writing time. A common approach is roughly 10–15 percent for reading and planning, 60–65 percent for writing, and 15–20 percent for checking. Adapt this to the actual task count and time announced by the provider.
Eat breakfast, arrive with time to spare, switch off and stow your phone, and place only permitted materials on the desk. Read the instructions on the task sheet carefully before starting, including any choice between tasks.
Read all tasks and materials once. Mark keywords, identify the operator in each sub-task, and choose your task if there is a choice. Note the time you must stop writing each section.
For each task: state the issue, summarise the material with source references, analyse using course concepts and, where relevant, data from the material, then evaluate with explicit criteria. Use paragraphs and clear signposting. If you get stuck, move on and return; do not leave a task blank.
Check that every sub-task has been answered, that your evaluation reaches a judgement, and that your handwriting and numbering are clear. Correct obvious errors, but do not rewrite whole passages. Hand in all materials as instructed.
Rules to check
Bring and display your official photo ID if requested. If you lack valid ID, confirm with the provider in advance what alternative is accepted; do not assume a student card will suffice.
Keep phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices switched off and stored away as instructed. Using or even holding an unauthorised device during the examination can be treated as an irregularity; confirm the provider's exact device policy.
Use only the aids explicitly permitted for your course. If you are unsure whether a dictionary, calculator, or text collection is allowed, ask the provider before exam day rather than bringing it and hoping.
Follow the provider's rules on lateness and leaving the room. Arriving late or leaving early may be restricted; confirm the procedure with the provider in advance.
Breaks and movement during the examination are usually regulated by the invigilators. Raise your hand and wait for instructions rather than leaving the room on your own; confirm the provider's break arrangements.
Write in the language of the examination as instructed by your school. For a bilingual course, confirm with the provider whether answers may be written in English, in German, or in a specified mix, and follow that rule consistently.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the examination and do not bring unauthorised notes. Suspected cheating can lead to the examination being graded as failed or to exclusion from part of the examination; the exact consequences are set by the provider and the Hessian examination regulations.
Scoring follows the official assessment criteria for the course, including content, method, and judgement. Ask your teacher to explain how the operators and evaluation criteria are weighted in your course; do not rely on generic assumptions about points.