OMPT-A vs OMPT-D vs OMPT-E (2026): differences, difficulty and which one you need

OMPT-A, OMPT-D and OMPT-E are three different exams with three different syllabi. OMPT-A is 52 questions in 120 minutes on algebra, functions and differentiation. OMPT-D is 21 long questions in 180 minutes that add trigonometry, geometry and integration. OMPT-E is 40 questions in 120 minutes that drop differentiation and add statistics and probability. You do not choose between them: your programme names the module, and the module sets your study plan.

This post compares the three on format, chapters, fee and pace, lists verified programmes for each, and explains what happens when a programme accepts two modules. Examify is an independent preparation provider and is not affiliated with the OMPT, SOWISO or any university.

OMPT-A vs OMPT-D vs OMPT-E at a glance

The table below uses the official syllabus pages on omptest.org and the provider's pricing page. "Topics" is the number of learning units in the syllabus; "suggested prep" is the provider's own estimate.

Two things stand out. OMPT-D has the most topics and the fewest questions, so each question chains several skills. OMPT-E has the fewest topics but the same 120-hour estimate as OMPT-D, because a quarter of its syllabus is statistics that most applicants meet for the first time.

What OMPT-A covers

OMPT-A covers eight chapters and 176 topics: Numbers, Algebra, Linear formulas and equations, Systems of linear equations, Quadratic equations, Functions, Exponential functions and logarithms, and Differentiation. It is the module most economics and business programmes ask for, and it is the base that OMPT-D builds on.

The chapters are not equal in size. Functions has 35 topics and Differentiation 34, together about 40% of the syllabus. Numbers (17), Linear formulas and equations (17) and Systems of linear equations (10) are small chapters most students already half know. The full list is on the OMPT-A syllabus page and on the official syllabus.

What OMPT-D adds

OMPT-D contains all eight OMPT-A chapters and adds three: Trigonometry, Geometry and Integration. That takes the syllabus to 11 chapters and 242 topics, the largest of the seven modules, and lifts the fee to €270 per attempt.

The other change is the question style. There are only 21 questions in 180 minutes, about 8.6 minutes each, because each one combines several topics. That is why the provider suggests about 120 hours of preparation, and why practising OMPT-D at OMPT-A speed produces rushed, half-simplified answers. The chapter list is on the OMPT-D syllabus page.

Programmes that require VWO Mathematics B or an equivalent, such as econometrics, computer science and data science, typically ask for OMPT-D.

What OMPT-E replaces and adds

OMPT-E keeps the first seven OMPT-A chapters (Numbers, Algebra, Linear formulas and equations, Systems of linear equations, Quadratic equations, Functions, and Exponential and logarithmic functions) and removes Differentiation. In its place come five statistics chapters, numbered 8 to 12 on the official syllabus: Descriptive statistics, Probability, Combinatorics, Random variables, and Common probability distributions.

Those five chapters hold 41 of the 161 topics, about a quarter of the syllabus. Someone who prepares from OMPT-A material covers chapters 1 to 7 well and walks into the exam with a quarter of the material unseen. If your programme asks for OMPT-E, give the statistics block its own week and work from the OMPT-E syllabus page or the official list.

At 40 questions in 120 minutes, OMPT-E gives 3.0 minutes per question, a little more room than OMPT-A.

Which programmes ask for which module

The programmes below are taken from Examify's verified university list, with the module and the published minimum score from each admission page. Follow the university link for the attempt rule and the source.

The pattern holds across the list: business and economics ask for OMPT-A, quantitative and science programmes ask for OMPT-D, and psychology and social science programmes are the main users of OMPT-E. Amsterdam University College is worth a note: it accepted OMPT-A for the Social Sciences major only until September 2025 and now lists OMPT-E, so an older forum answer can point you at the wrong module. The full list per country is on the universities page.

Which is harder: OMPT-A, OMPT-D or OMPT-E

OMPT-D is the hardest of the three on every measure the provider publishes: the most topics (242), the longest suggested preparation (about 120 hours) and questions that chain several chapters.

OMPT-E is harder than its 161 topics suggest. The provider gives it the same 120-hour estimate as OMPT-D, and the reason is the 41 statistics topics: candidates who have never studied probability distributions in a structured way have to learn them from scratch.

OMPT-A is the smallest syllabus and carries the shortest estimate, about 80 hours. Its difficulty is pace: at 2.3 minutes per question there is no time to rederive a rule, and a candidate who knows the material but works slowly leaves the last third of the paper blank.

The one score figure the provider publishes applies to all modules: students who worked through its learning materials scored 76% on average on their first attempt, and students who did not scored 40%. With most programme minimums between 60% and 75%, that gap decides the result more than the module letter does. A fuller breakdown, including where candidates lose points, is in how hard is the OMPT.

Can you take OMPT-A instead of OMPT-D?

No. The programme decides which module it accepts, and a certificate for the wrong module does not count.

Some programmes accept two modules, and then the choice is yours. In every verified case the programme sets a lower minimum on the larger module:

• Erasmus School of Economics, IBEB: OMPT-A at 70% or OMPT-B at 60%.
• VU Amsterdam, Economics and Business Economics: OMPT-A at 65% or OMPT-F at 60%.
• Radboud University, Artificial Intelligence: OMPT-E or OMPT-D at 55%.
• Radboud University, Biology: OMPT-A at 60 to 65% or OMPT-D at 55%.

The lower percentage on the bigger module is not a shortcut. It only pays off if you already know the extra chapters. For IBEB, OMPT-B adds trigonometry and integration; learning two new chapters for a single attempt costs roughly 20 extra hours and creates exactly the weak area a first-attempt-only rule punishes. Pick the larger module when the extra material is already familiar and your weak points are speed and precision, and the smaller one when the extra chapters would be new.

How to prepare for each module

The route is the same for all three modules: a timed diagnostic mock, per-chapter study on the gaps, then timing drills at your module's pace. What changes is where the hours go.

1. Take a full-length timed mock for your module before you study, and score it per chapter. Examify's free OMPT practice test shows the format: two of the harder questions per module in the real answer box.
2. For OMPT-A, spend most of the time on Functions and Differentiation, the two chapters that hold 69 of the 176 topics, and drill at 2.3 minutes per question from the second week. The full plan is in the OMPT-A guide.
3. For OMPT-D, plan 6 to 8 weeks unless your diagnostic is 55% or higher, give Trigonometry, Geometry and Integration their own block, and practise multi-step questions at the 8.6-minute pace. See the OMPT-D guide.
4. For OMPT-E, cover chapters 1 to 7 from the algebra side and give the five statistics chapters a dedicated week, since 41 of the 161 topics live there. See the OMPT-E guide.
5. Book the real exam only once a mock lands about 10 points above your programme's minimum. Each attempt is bought separately, results take up to 8 business days, and some programmes count only the first attempt.

The other four modules follow the same logic. OMPT-B is OMPT-A plus trigonometry and integration (64 questions, 150 minutes, 226 topics). OMPT-C is a lighter check of numbers, algebra, linear formulas and geometry (30 questions, 66 topics). OMPT-F concentrates on algebra, functions and differentiation at depth (21 questions, 180 minutes, 149 topics, €270). OMPT-G adds sequences, physics and chemistry for science tracks (26 questions, 180 minutes, 119 topics). Chapter lists for all seven are on the syllabus overview.

Requirements change between intakes, so confirm the module, the minimum and the attempt rule on your programme's admission page before you book.