Germany school entry calculator
When does school start? Choose your state to estimate standard entry and the school years through Class 10.
Choose your state
Your state determines the entry cohort. The comparison lists the last included sixth birthday, not the first day of lessons. A birthday after that boundary moves standard entry to the following year.
Latest sixth birthday for standard entry in that year
How school entry works
Your state determines the entry cohort. The comparison lists the last included sixth birthday, not the first day of lessons. A birthday after that boundary moves standard entry to the following year.
Primary school usually covers four classes; Berlin and Brandenburg generally have six. Secondary school types, transfers and qualifications vary. The calculator therefore models progression through Class 10 without promising a qualification.
Before you enrol
Registration, the school-entry health assessment and the first teaching day are arranged locally. Check the invitation from your responsible school. Moving between states can change the applicable entry rule.
What this estimate does not decide
Early admission and deferral have separate procedures. A birthday alone cannot determine readiness or an application outcome. Abitur, vocational training and other later routes need a separate plan.
Questions parents ask
Is the cutoff the first day of school?
No. It determines the birth cohort. Your school supplies the first teaching date.
Why does the table end at Class 10?
Later duration depends on the chosen track. Class 10 does not automatically confer a qualification or end all education obligations.
Can my child start earlier or later?
States provide different application procedures or specific choices. Ask the responsible school; the calculator assumes standard entry.
Are birthdays stored?
No. Calculation happens in your browser. A file contains the birthday only when you choose to print or download it.
Official sources
Sources checked: 2026-10-21 · 2026-10-21.1