Cermat (aka Czech Hunger Games) 101
Things I learned the hard way so that you don't have to.
Everybody Lies
Do not trust elementary school feedback. Current state of things is extremely sad where a report card with samé jedničky speaks absolutely nothing.
Elementary school curriculum is inadequate - it is too shallow and does not scratch the surface of the tricky Cermat questions. For kids to have a fighting chance it is on parents to bridge the gap.
Location, location, location
If you have been fighting tooth and nail to stay in Prague or Brno to offer your family the best opportunities - I have bad news for you. The situation in Prague is absolutely horrific - 5218 kids for 1741 spots in year 2026 with an average public gymnasium having 8-10 kids competing for a single spot.
Brno comes second in this rating.
The farther from those 2 regions you are - the easier it is to get in without massive consequencies to your family's mental and financial health. For more details about number of application vs number of slots in your region please check this interactive schools map.
Choose your legendary trio
You will need to choose up to 3 schools:
- dream school
- strong second choice (less points required than #1)
- safety net (significantly less points required than #1)
NOTE: Shooting for the stars is fine with option #1 but I strongly recommend keeping it real for #2 and #3. The best trial exam score the kid achieves by February is a good benchmark.
You can use the interactive map and compare statistics for previous years to try and predict the score needed. But to make an informed final choice you should also triple check the actual number of students the school plans to enroll for the next school year (will be published on the school website by the end of January).
All applications must be submitted via DiPSy by a strict Feb, 20th deadline. To access DiPSy legal guardians need some form of electronic identification (like Bank ID or Datova schranka).
Exams will be held for 2 days in April at the schools you chose. Each day will start with a 70-minute long Maths exam followed by a 60-minute long Czech exam with an up to 1.5 hour long break in-between. If the school conducts any additional exams they will take place separately from Cermat exams on a different day.
Some children may be eligible for time extention upon submitting a recommendation from Pedagogicko-psychologická poradna (PPP) together with the DiPSy application. If the time extension is approved by PPP (will need a supporting document like a doctor's note confirming ADHD\dyslexia\etc or proof of previous studies outside the Czech Republic) then time extension will be applied to both Maths and Czech exams.
The best result of 2 Maths exams and the best result of 2 Czech exams are taken as the final score.
NOTE: Parents are not allowed into the building, kid's photo ID is mandatory.
The hardest part is still to come after exams though. While the correctly filled model answer sheets are published on the Cermat website the day of the exam, the actual test scores won't be known for good 28 days.
After 4 week wait is over the test scores together with scanned answer sheets will be uploaded into DiPSy. Scanned test sheets allow you to control the final score calculation; if you find a mistake - next 2 days are reserved for in-person test results examination nahlížení do spisu and filing appeals. After that schools will publish registration numbers of students actually enrolled, final results will be published in DiPSy at 00:00:00 am sharp, exactly 30 days from the last exam.
Trip down memory lane
Cermat exam complexity fluctuates year to year. Ex. 78 points scored in 2024 (simple tests) can't be compared to the same result in 2025 (complex math) or 2026 (balance finally achieved). Use matematicka beruska archive to find out the normalized score for a particular year.
Entry criteriums can also change - some schools have additional rounds of exams / interviews / give bonus points for certain Olympiads. Make sure that you take this into consideration when comparing results as those non-Cermat parts can make up for 40% of the max final total.
Study materials, tips & tricks
Previous Cermat tests can be found at the official website, there is also a configurable interactive training option. There are no solutions published though.
Maths
For 8 year gymnasium run almost every problem can be solved with plain equations (keep in mind this is usually not a technic taught at elementary schools until the 6th grade!).
If you have the luxury of extra time I highly recommend this exercise book to get into the right mindspace. Don't be scared away by cyrillics, RU -> EN google translation is more than decent!
Matematicka beruska has a list of recommended paperback materials as well.
It is also worth checking out the previous years of Matematicka Olympiada, especially if you are looking to improve the 14th task solving rate.
Czech
Unless you are a family of Czech native speakers with a great support system and home schooling opportunities - unfortunately you will be looking at private tutors / courses.
Anyway it is good to know that Czech tests for the 5th graders are not conceptually different from the 7th graders which gives you more training options.
Trial runs
I highly recommend to do a couple of trial exam runs (google zkouska nanecisto Cermat) for the child to get a hang of things - how to fill the exam sheet / requirement to outline each line of geometry solution with a pen / proper way of correcting answers / time management strategy / etc. As a bonus you will also be provided with actual solutions to the trial run test and may also receive additional task sheets to solve at home.
Trial runs also give a general idea how your kid copes with stress.
Plan B
Things didn't go as planned, now what?
Second round
Sometimes not all available spots are filled in the first round of exams. However more often than not this is the case of private schools with non-negligible tuition costs.
You can apply for the second round via DiPSy. There will be no Cermat revanche though - the Maths/Czech score from the first round will be used; most schools that announce second round will schedule additional exams and/or interviews.
Třídy s rozšířenou výukou jazyků nebo matematiky [8G, 6G only]
Search for elementary schools that have one special class with extensive Maths or Foreign language studies. To enroll there you will need to send an application and pass an entry exam. For further details you should contact the chosen school, just keep in mind that application deadline is often before the final Cermat results are published.
Switch schools [8G, 6G only]
The general approach and quality of education differs drastically between schools. You may find some inspiration among Mensa-friendly schools or various Olympiads' leaderbords (like Matematicka Olympiada).
You are not alone
Cermat year is an extremely stressful experience. A typical elementary school will not provide children any kind of additional support (if they do - it is a privilege, please value that and cherish those teachers!).
However there are communities where other invested parents are sharing tips and tricks and supporting each other. Emimino forum has an annual thread dedicated
to this year's Cermat exams (google prijimacky na gymnazia emimino) - like year 2026 or
year 2025.
Although majority of Czech politicians prefer to ignore the problem with inadequate school capacities - there is a campaign to add more 4 year school spots in Prague. TL;DR the idea is that the city would pay chosen private schools tuition for 1500 kids who got decent Cermat scores but just happened to miss the bar because it is so high.