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Exam Review

Key Facts: BY Abitur Ethics (eA) Exam

1 of 4 tasks

Candidate's choice in the written Abitur (four proposed tasks; Teilaufgaben with/without text, erörternde and gestalterische elements)

ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik (Stand Juli 2025); GSO Anlage (Ethik)

270 min / 120 BE

Working time and maximum Bewertungseinheiten at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau (gA: 210 min / 100 BE)

ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik; GSO Anlage (Ethik)

13 May 2026

Written eA block date for 'alle weiteren Abiturprüfungsfächer' including Ethik Leistungsfach (KM Bayern Terminübersicht 2026)

KM Bayern, Aktuelles zur Abiturprüfung 2026

4-stündig Leistungsfach

Ethik eA is compulsory as Abiturprüfungsfach; written or oral examination possible

ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik

LehrplanPLUS Jgst. 12/13 eA

Curriculum basis of the first G9 Abitur 2026 (Profil- und Leistungsstufe, erhöht), including Eth12 1.2 Bereichsethiken

lehrplanplus.bayern.de, Gymnasium Ethik 12/13 (erhöht); ISB Implementierung LehrplanPLUS Ethik

300 / 900

Maximum Abitur points from the five Prüfungsfächer; at least 300 of 900 points required for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife

KM Bayern, Aktuelles zur Abiturprüfung 2026

100

Original English MCQ study items in this bank (not official format)

OpenExamPrep

Bavaria Abitur Ethik (eA/Leistungsfach) is a 270-minute constructed-response exam: one task chosen from four, max. 120 BE — not MCQ. Content follows LehrplanPLUS Gymnasium Jgst. 12/13 eA: ethical theories, Bereichsethiken (incl. media), anthropology, society/politics ethics, Erkenntnistheorie/freedom. This free English MCQ bank is a study adaptation only.

Sample BY Abitur Ethics (eA) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the BY Abitur Ethics (eA) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In LehrplanPLUS Leistungsfach Ethik, normative ethical theories primarily supply candidates with...
A.frameworks for justifying why an action counts as right or wrong
B.statistical averages of what most people in Bavaria currently prefer
C.legal statutes that automatically settle every moral conflict
D.purely private tastes that cannot be discussed in public
Explanation: Normative ethics offers reasoned models — virtue, duty, consequences, discourse, responsibility — for justifying moral judgments. At eA, students must compare these frameworks and apply them to cases, not merely report majority tastes or statutes.
2Plato's Idea of the Good functions in ethical theory primarily as...
A.the highest measure by which particular virtues and just institutions are oriented
B.a catalogue of consumer preferences in the marketplace
C.a refusal to rank any ends as better than others
D.a claim that only pleasure can be intrinsically valuable
Explanation: In Plato, the Idea of the Good is the supreme orientation for knowledge and virtue; particular goods and political arrangements are judged by their participation in it. It is not hedonism, preference listing, or value relativism.
3Aristotle's doctrine of the mean (Mesotes) holds that moral virtue typically...
A.lies in a context-sensitive intermediate between excess and deficiency
B.always requires maximizing total pleasure for everyone
C.consists solely in obeying a formal duty independent of character
D.is identical with legal compliance under positive law
Explanation: Aristotelian ethische Tugend is a hexis that hits the mean relative to us — courage between cowardice and recklessness. It is character-centered and situational, not pure hedonism, pure deontology, or mere legality.
4Kant's Grundformel of the categorical imperative requires that you act only on maxims that...
A.you can will as a universal law for all rational agents
B.maximize your personal advantage in the short term
C.match the customs of your immediate peer group
D.produce the greatest aggregate happiness in this particular case
Explanation: The universal-law formula tests whether a maxim can be willed without contradiction as a law for all. It is deontological: rightness tracks universalizability of the maxim, not personal gain, local custom, or case-by-case utility.
5Kant's Formula of Humanity (Selbstzweckformel) forbids treating persons merely as...
A.means to an end, without also respecting them as ends in themselves
B.citizens who may vote in elections
C.beings who ever experience pleasure or pain
D.members of any particular nation-state
Explanation: The Selbstzweckformel demands that humanity in oneself and others never be used merely as a means. Instrumental use is allowed only when the person's dignity as an end is simultaneously respected (e.g., fair contracts).
6Classical act utilitarianism judges an action by...
A.whether its consequences produce the greatest overall happiness or preference satisfaction
B.whether its maxim can be universalized as a law of nature
C.whether it expresses a virtuous character trait of the agent
D.whether it matches revealed religious commandments
Explanation: Act utilitarianism is consequentialist: the right act is the one with best overall outcomes (happiness/preferences). Universalizability is Kantian; character is Aristotelian; divine command is a different foundation.
7Rule utilitarianism differs from act utilitarianism mainly by...
A.evaluating the utility of adopting general rules rather than calculating each single act in isolation
B.denying that happiness has any moral relevance
C.requiring that every rule be willed as a Kantian duty
D.restricting moral concern to the agent's own family only
Explanation: Rule utilitarianism asks which rules, if generally followed, would maximize utility, then judges acts by those rules. It remains utilitarian (happiness-relevant) and is not automatically Kantian or egoistically restricted.
8A common Leistungsfach-level criticism of act utilitarianism is that it may...
A.justify sacrificing an innocent person if that somehow maximizes total utility
B.forbid all calculation of consequences under any circumstances
C.require agents never to consider other people's welfare
D.collapse into Plato's theory of Forms without remainder
Explanation: Critics argue that pure act utilitarianism can license rights violations when aggregate utility rises. It does not forbid consequence-calculation; it centers it. It is impartial, not egoistic, and is not a Platonist metaphysics.
9Habermas's discourse ethics locates moral validity primarily in...
A.norms that could win uncoerced agreement in an ideal discourse among those affected
B.the private conscience of a solitary ruler
C.the maximization of GDP as a proxy for the good
D.the unexamined traditions of a closed community
Explanation: Diskursethik treats justified norms as those that participants could accept under conditions of free, equal, and informed argumentation. It opposes authoritarian fiat, crude economic reduction, and uncritical traditionalism.
10In discourse ethics, a herrschaftsfreier Diskurs ideally excludes...
A.coercion, manipulation, and exclusion that block equal participation
B.all disagreement about normative claims
C.any reference to empirical facts
D.the possibility of revising one's initial opinion
Explanation: Herrschaftsfreiheit means power asymmetries should not distort who may speak and be heard. Disagreement, facts, and opinion-revision are all part of genuine discourse; coercion and manipulation are what must be excluded.

About the BY Abitur Ethics (eA) Exam

Ethik as Leistungsfach is a written (or oral) Abitur subject of the gesellschaftswissenschaftliches Aufgabenfeld in Bavaria, examined from 2026 under LehrplanPLUS Gymnasium for the new nine-year Gymnasium (G9). At erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau the candidate selects one of four tasks in 270 minutes for a maximum of 120 Bewertungseinheiten (GSO Anlage; ISB IlluPA). Compared with gA, eA adds the dedicated block Moralisches Urteil in den Bereichsethiken, expands Lernbereich 12.2 to Erkenntnistheorie, Freiheit und Determination, and expects stronger self-directed Vernetzung and AFB-III judgment. Content spans ethical theories, applied ethics (including media), philosophical anthropology, society and political ethics, and meaning/life-design questions. Tasks are Bavaria-specific, since the IQB common pools do not include Ethik. This free bank offers 100 original English MCQs for concept and knowledge practice only; it is not an official translation, not a simulation of the German-medium constructed-response exam, and not a substitute for official writing or Kolloquium preparation.

Exam sponsor: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Unterricht und Kultus (KM Bayern); Staatsinstitut für Schulqualität und Bildungsforschung (ISB) for LehrplanPLUS and illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Written Abitur at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau (Leistungsfach, 4-stündig): the candidate chooses one of four proposed tasks (GSO Anlage; ISB Übersicht Ethik, Stand Juli 2025). Tasks may include Teilaufgaben with and without text reference, erörternde parts (neu: partly materialgestützt), Gestaltungsanteil, and — under the erweiterter Textbegriff — literary texts, graphic novels, statistics, or song lyrics; lernbereichsübergreifende complexes can draw on several Lernbereiche of LehrplanPLUS Jgst. 12/13 eA (Theorie und Praxis des Handelns; Moralisches Urteil in den Bereichsethiken; Erkenntnistheorie, Freiheit und Determination; Recht und Gerechtigkeit; Sinnorientierung und Lebensgestaltung). Maximum 120 Bewertungseinheiten. Content basis is Bavaria-specific (ISB) — the IQB common task pools do not cover Ethik. As Leistungsfach, Ethik eA is a compulsory Abiturprüfungsfach (written or oral). This OpenExamPrep bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation — not an official translation, not a format simulation — and cannot replace German-language constructed-response or Kolloquium practice.

Time Limit

270 minutes at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau and 210 minutes at grundlegendes Anforderungsniveau, per GSO Anlage (Ethik) and the ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik. In 2026, written eA subjects beyond the named core subjects were scheduled on 13 May 2026 (KM Bayern Terminübersicht: 'alle weiteren Abiturprüfungsfächer – erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau'); oral Kolloquium weeks: 18–22 May and 8–12 June 2026.

Passing Score

Results are scored in Bewertungseinheiten (max. 120 at eA) and converted to Notenpunkte (0–15). Up to 300 of the 900 Abitur points come from the five Prüfungsfächer; the Allgemeine Hochschulreife requires a Gesamtqualifikation of at least 300 of 900 points (KM Bayern).

Exam / Certification Fees

No separate per-subject fee is published for regular school candidates; administration runs through the public Gymnasium pathway.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

28%

Ethical Theories

Deepened normative toolkit: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, utilitarianism, Diskursethik, and Jonas Verantwortungsethik with comparative evaluation at Leistungsfach level.

18%

Applied Ethics (Bereichsethiken)

Structured judgment in Bio-, Technik-, Wirtschafts-, and Umweltethik plus Popperian science criteria — the eA block Eth12 1.2.

16%

Philosophical Anthropology

Personhood, human nature models, socialization/role/status, and gender theory as they frame freedom and moral status.

20%

Society and Political Ethics

Rawlsian justice, Naturrecht/Rechtspositivismus, Strafzwecke, human rights, global justice, and eA case deepenings (e.g. Eichmann/Arendt).

12%

Media Ethics & Epistemology

Fair digital discourse, journalistic responsibility, manipulation, and Erkenntnistheorie claims that underwrite media and science debates.

6%

Exam Literacy

One-of-four task choice, 270 minutes and 120 BE at eA, erweiterter Textbegriff, Leistungsfach obligation, and Kolloquium structure.

Preparing for the BY Abitur Ethics (eA) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Results are scored in Bewertungseinheiten (max. 120 at eA) and converted to Notenpunkte (0–15). Up to 300 of the 900 Abitur points come from the five Prüfungsfächer; the Allgemeine Hochschulreife requires a Gesamtqualifikation of at least 300 of 900 points (KM Bayern).
  • Assessment: Written Abitur at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau (Leistungsfach, 4-stündig): the candidate chooses one of four proposed tasks (GSO Anlage; ISB Übersicht Ethik, Stand Juli 2025). Tasks may include Teilaufgaben with and without text reference, erörternde parts (neu: partly materialgestützt), Gestaltungsanteil, and — under the erweiterter Textbegriff — literary texts, graphic novels, statistics, or song lyrics; lernbereichsübergreifende complexes can draw on several Lernbereiche of LehrplanPLUS Jgst. 12/13 eA (Theorie und Praxis des Handelns; Moralisches Urteil in den Bereichsethiken; Erkenntnistheorie, Freiheit und Determination; Recht und Gerechtigkeit; Sinnorientierung und Lebensgestaltung). Maximum 120 Bewertungseinheiten. Content basis is Bavaria-specific (ISB) — the IQB common task pools do not cover Ethik. As Leistungsfach, Ethik eA is a compulsory Abiturprüfungsfach (written or oral). This OpenExamPrep bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation — not an official translation, not a format simulation — and cannot replace German-language constructed-response or Kolloquium practice.
  • Time limit: 270 minutes at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau and 210 minutes at grundlegendes Anforderungsniveau, per GSO Anlage (Ethik) and the ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik. In 2026, written eA subjects beyond the named core subjects were scheduled on 13 May 2026 (KM Bayern Terminübersicht: 'alle weiteren Abiturprüfungsfächer – erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau'); oral Kolloquium weeks: 18–22 May and 8–12 June 2026.
  • Exam / certification fees: No separate per-subject fee is published for regular school candidates; administration runs through the public Gymnasium pathway. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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BY Abitur Ethics (eA): Suggested Study Strategy

1Map eA Lernbereiche explicitly: Handlungstheorie/Normative Ethik, Bereichsethiken (12.1.2), Erkenntnistheorie/Freiheit, Recht/Gerechtigkeit, Sinnorientierung — Abitur tasks can cross several of them.
2For Bereichsethiken, rehearse a fixed Urteilsfindung grid (facts → affected parties → norms → options → decision → critique) rather than leaping to a gut verdict.
3Practise pairing theories at AFB III (Kant vs. utilitarianism; Diskursethik vs. Verantwortungsethik; Naturrecht vs. Positivismus) and stating strengths and limits.
4For anthropology and media, connect personhood/identity claims to responsibility and discourse fairness — eA rewards Vernetzung across Lernbereiche.
5For Recht und Gerechtigkeit, add eA deepenings (Eichmann/Arendt, Radbruch) to the Rawls/Strafzwecke core.
6Use the official ISB Ethik (eA) Beispielaufgaben with Lösungsvorschläge for full German-language rehearsal; use this MCQ bank only for concept checks.
7In the real exam, skim all four proposed tasks before choosing, and budget your 270 minutes roughly by the Bewertungseinheiten of the sub-tasks (max. 120 BE).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the official Bavarian Abitur in Ethik a multiple-choice test?

No. The official exam is German-medium constructed response: candidates choose one of four proposed tasks (GSO Anlage; ISB Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben). This bank is a free English-language MCQ study adaptation — not an official translation or format simulation — and cannot replace official writing or oral practice.

How long is the written exam at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau?

According to GSO Anlage (Ethik) and the ISB Übersicht Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Ethik: 270 minutes at eA (210 minutes at gA), with a maximum of 120 Bewertungseinheiten (100 at gA).

What is distinctive about Ethik as Leistungsfach (eA)?

It is 4-stündig, a compulsory Abiturprüfungsfach (written or oral), and adds Eth12 1.2 Moralisches Urteil in den Bereichsethiken plus Erkenntnistheorie within Lernbereich 12.2; ISB materials stress greater Selbstständigkeit, Vernetzung, and AFB-III demand than gA.

Which curriculum applies from 2026?

LehrplanPLUS Gymnasium, Profil- und Leistungsstufe (Jgst. 12/13) at erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau: Theorie und Praxis des Handelns; Moralisches Urteil in den Bereichsethiken; Erkenntnistheorie, Freiheit und Determination; Recht und Gerechtigkeit; Sinnorientierung und Lebensgestaltung.

Do the IQB common task pools apply to this subject?

No. In Bavaria the IQB pools cover only Deutsch, Mathematik, Englisch, Französisch (since 2017) and Biologie, Chemie, Physik (since 2025). Ethik tasks are Bavaria-specific, developed in the KM Bayern/ISB framework.

When was written Ethik eA scheduled in 2026?

KM Bayern lists 13 May 2026 for 'alle weiteren Abiturprüfungsfächer – erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau' (gA counterparts: 11 May 2026).

How does this subject count toward the Abitur result?

The written result (max. 120 BE at eA) is converted to Notenpunkte. The five Prüfungsfächer contribute up to 300 of 900 Abitur points; the Allgemeine Hochschulreife requires a Gesamtqualifikation of at least 300 of 900 points (KM Bayern).