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LEW, LDEW and other exams

The Medical Examinations Centre (CEM) in Łódź runs the exams on which the licence to practise depends. Doctors, dentists and pharmacists with a diploma from outside the European Union can pass a verification exam instead of nostrification. Doctors and dentists also have to take the LEK or LDEK final exam, whichever route they choose.

ExamFor whomWhat it doesFormatFee
LEWdoctor with a diploma from outside the EUreplaces nostrification200 questions, 4 hours, pass mark 60%PLN 700
LDEWdentist with a diploma from outside the EUreplaces nostrification200 questions, 4 hours, pass mark 60%PLN 700
FEWpharmacist with a diploma from outside the EUreplaces nostrification200 questions, 4 hours, pass mark 60%PLN 650
LEK, LDEKdoctors and dentists, also after nostrification, LEW or LDEWrequired for a full licence to practise200 questions, 4 hours, pass mark 56%first attempt in Polish free of charge

Nurses, midwives, veterinarians, physiotherapists, paramedics and laboratory diagnosticians do not take a CEM exam to obtain the licence to practise. They need nostrification of their diploma and confirmation of their knowledge of Polish. The State Physiotherapy Exam (PEF) and the State Paramedic Exam (PERM) were abolished in 2022.

LEW: verification exam for doctors (Lekarski Egzamin Weryfikacyjny)

LEW is for doctors who obtained their diploma in a country outside the European Union. Passing the exam replaces nostrification of the diploma. The legal basis is Articles 6c–6h of the Act on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist and the regulation of the Minister of Health of 22 February 2021 (Dz.U. 2021 poz. 341).

Who can take the exam

  • A person with a doctor’s diploma issued outside the EU that entitles the holder to practise in the country where it was issued.
  • The studies must have lasted at least 5 years.

Dates and registration

  • The exam is held twice a year. You apply by 28 February (exam between 15 May and 15 June) or by 31 July (exam between 15 October and 15 November).
  • You fill in the application on the CEM portal (portalcem.ezdrowie.gov.pl). You then send the printed application, signed by hand, by post together with the diploma by 5 March or by 5 August.
  • The next exam will take place on 4 November 2026.

Diploma and translation

  • The diploma must be legalised by a Polish consul or have an apostille.
  • You need a sworn translation made in Poland or in another EU country.
  • Instead of the original, you can send a copy certified by a notary or by an authorised representative who is a lawyer (adwokat or radca prawny). CEM does not return documents.

How the exam works

  • The test has 200 questions, each with five answers to choose from. It lasts 4 hours.
  • To pass, you need at least 60%, which is 120 points.
  • The exam is taken in Polish only.
  • The questions cover internal medicine with family medicine, paediatrics with neonatology, general surgery with trauma surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine and intensive care, and psychiatry. They correspond to the Polish study programme.

Fee and result

  • The fee is PLN 700. You pay it within 5 days after the registration deadline, into the individual account generated with your application.
  • The number of attempts is not limited. CEM issues the certificate within 21 days.
  • CEM does not publish LEW pass rates. According to figures published by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita in June 2026, 14.5% of attempts by people with a diploma from Belarus and 8.5% of attempts by people with a diploma from Ukraine have been successful since 2021.

After you pass LEW

For a full licence to practise you also need a postgraduate internship (or its recognition by the Minister of Health), a pass in LEK and a pass in the Polish language exam held by the Supreme Medical Council (NRL).

Prepare for this exam on MedMigrant.com: questions with explanations, a timed exam mode and review of your mistakes. Go to MedMigrant.com

LDEW: verification exam for dentists (Lekarsko-Dentystyczny Egzamin Weryfikacyjny)

LDEW follows the same rules as LEW, but is for dentists with a diploma from outside the EU. The same dates apply, as do the PLN 700 fee, 200 questions, 4 hours and the 60% pass mark. The exam is taken in Polish only.

The questions cover conservative dentistry, oral surgery with maxillofacial surgery, prosthetic dentistry, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry and periodontology.

After passing LDEW, you need a postgraduate internship, LDEK and the Polish language exam.

Contact for LEW and LDEW: lew@cem.edu.pl, tel. 515 789 272 (Monday–Friday, 8:00–16:00). CEM portal matters: helpline 19 239, logowanie@cez.gov.pl.

FEW: verification exam for pharmacists (Farmaceutyczny Egzamin Weryfikacyjny)

FEW is for pharmacists with a diploma from outside the EU and, like LEW, it replaces nostrification (Art. 5(1)(7) of the Act on the Profession of Pharmacist). It is organised by CEM.

  • Test: 200 questions with five answers each, 4 hours, pass mark 60%.
  • Scope: biomedical foundations of pharmacy, physicochemical foundations of pharmacy, analysis, synthesis and technology of drugs, biopharmacy and the effects of drugs, and pharmaceutical practice.
  • Applications are submitted through the CEM portal by 28 February or by 31 July. The fee is PLN 650 and must be paid within 5 days.
  • The next exam will take place on 7 November 2026.

The licence to practise as a pharmacist is granted by the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council (Naczelna Rada Aptekarska). On the nostrification route, the act also requires at least 6 months of practical training in a pharmacy. The law does not say directly whether this requirement also applies to people who have passed FEW. Ask the Supreme Pharmaceutical Chamber (Naczelna Izba Aptekarska).

LEK and LDEK: final exams

The final exam for doctors (Lekarski Egzamin Końcowy, LEK) and the final exam for dentists (Lekarsko-Dentystyczny Egzamin Końcowy, LDEK) are taken by graduates of Polish universities and by doctors and dentists with a diploma from outside the EU after nostrification or after passing LEW or LDEW. Passing the exam is a condition for a full licence to practise (Art. 5(4) of the Act on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist).

  • You register only through the Training Monitoring System (System Monitorowania Kształcenia, SMK). An SMK account requires confirmation of your identity at a regional medical chamber (okręgowa izba lekarska).
  • Registration deadlines: by 15 July for the autumn session (September) and by 30 November for the spring session (February).
  • Test: 200 questions, 4 hours, pass mark 56%.
  • The first attempt in Polish is free. Each further attempt in Polish costs PLN 250, and the exam in a foreign language costs PLN 400.
  • Next sessions: LDEK on 10 February 2027, LEK on 20 February 2027.

The autumn LEK (5 September 2026) was taken by 11,141 people, and 566 of them scored below 56%. The autumn LDEK was taken by 1,216 people, and 110 of them were below the pass mark. CEM published the LEK results on 10 September and the LDEK results on 18 September 2026.

Prepare for this exam on MedMigrant.com: questions with explanations, a timed exam mode and review of your mistakes. Go to MedMigrant.com

Polish language exam

People with a diploma from outside the EU prove their knowledge of Polish to the self-governing body of their profession. People who completed their studies in Polish are usually exempt.

  • Doctors and dentists: an exam held by the Supreme Medical Council. It has four parts: a dictation, a test of understanding spoken Polish, an oral part with reading and understanding a text, and a practical part with taking a medical history and a conversation with a simulated patient. You need at least 55% in each part. The fee is PLN 500.
  • Veterinarians: an exam held by the National Veterinary Council (Krajowa Rada Lekarsko-Weterynaryjna), four parts, at least 55% in each. The fee is PLN 1,000.
  • Pharmacists: an exam held by the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council.
  • Physiotherapists: an exam held by the National Council of Physiotherapists (Krajowa Rada Fizjoterapeutów).
  • Paramedics: an exam held by the National Council of Paramedics (Krajowa Rada Ratowników Medycznych).
  • Laboratory diagnosticians: an exam held by the National Council of Laboratory Diagnosticians (Krajowa Rada Diagnostów Laboratoryjnych).
  • Nurses and midwives: their professional body does not currently hold a language exam. Knowledge of the language is confirmed with a document, for example a certificate from the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language (Państwowa Komisja do spraw Poświadczania Znajomości Języka Polskiego jako Obcego). The Ministry of Health has announced that a new act will introduce an exam held by the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives.

Specialisation exams

The State Specialisation Exam (PES) is taken during specialist training, that is, after you have already obtained the licence to practise. It is not a condition for nostrification. CEM holds PES for doctors, dentists, pharmacists, laboratory diagnosticians and physiotherapists, among others. For doctors, the test has 120 questions and a 60% pass mark, and SMK accepts registrations by 31 July or by 31 December.

Sources

Information as of 18 October 2026. Check the dates and fees on the CEM website before you register.