Upper-level Gymnasium students prepare for the Abitur examinations, successful completion of which allows them to attend a university or a polytechnic college. Students spend the 12th and 13th years of Gymnasium preparing for the Abitur , taking a certain number of courses from three domains, math and sciences, languages and the arts, and history and others. The Abitur qualification is based on the combined results of students' course work during the 12th and 13th years of Gymnasium and the exam itself. Access to Higher Education. Successful completion of the Abitur allows students access to all institutions of higher education.
Alternative routes do exist for gaining access to higher education.
Training and Certification Teacher training in Germany comprises two main parts, academic study and practical training. There are some differences between the programs geared towards primary and secondary teaching, as well as between teaching in the Hauptschule , the Realschule , the Gymnasium , or a vocational school. Teaching candidates' academic preparation culminates with a first examination administered by the Land. Upon completion of practical training, teaching candidates spend 18 to 24 months in the classroom receiving practical training. Practical training culminates with a second examination, after which candidates are granted a teaching credential.