RUG University College (UCG) OMPT requirements (2026): no maths test, and when you still need one

University College Groningen (UCG), the liberal arts and sciences college of the University of Groningen (RUG), does not require the OMPT for its BA/BSc Liberal Arts and Sciences. For the February 2027 and September 2027 intakes, neither the UCG application page nor the RUG programme page lists a mathematics subject, a maths certificate or a placement test among the admission requirements. Examify checked both pages, and the RUG list of certificates that lift a maths deficiency, on 27 September 2026.

The rest of this guide covers what is still useful: where the 55% figure you may have seen comes from, what UCG asks for instead, and which OMPT module you need if you add a second RUG programme to your application.

This page is about UCG in Groningen. University College Fryslân, part of Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden, is a different faculty and does ask for the OMPT for Data Science and Society. Its requirements are on the University College Fryslân page.

University College Groningen OMPT requirements by programme

UCG has one bachelor programme, so the table has one row. Inside it you choose a Sciences, Social Sciences or Humanities major, or build a Free Major with an academic advisor. The programme page describes options such as Health and Life Sciences and Neuroscience, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Law and International Business. None of them carries its own maths entry requirement on the pages we checked, unlike Amsterdam University College, which ties each major to a different OMPT module.

Where the 55% OMPT figure comes from

Search engines still show an older UCG page titled "Admission Requirements 2021/2022". Its indexed summary lists OMPT-A, B, D or E with a minimum of 55%, next to VWO Wiskunde, AP Calculus or AP Statistics at grade 3, AS or A-level Mathematics and IB Mathematics at grade 4. That URL now redirects to the current UCG application page, which has no maths section at all.

The university-wide page is just as clear. The RUG page "Accepted certificates to lift a deficiency" for 2026/2027, last modified on 8 September 2026, lists OMPT routes for Campus Fryslân, Economics and Business, Science and Engineering and Spatial Sciences. UCG is not on it.

The July 2026 version of this post called the 55% figure unconfirmed. We can now say it plainly: it belongs to an old admissions cycle. Do not book and pay for an OMPT just to apply to UCG.

One caveat. UCG says the conditions attached to an offer differ per applicant and are set out in your Decision Letter. If your letter ever names a maths certificate, the letter is what counts. Ask the admissions office (newstudents.ucg@rug.nl) before you book anything.

What University College Groningen asks for instead

Admission runs in two steps. First the Board of Admissions checks eligibility: a Dutch VWO diploma or an international equivalent, plus proof of English. If you are eligible, your motivation video plays the central role in the final decision. UCG is selective but not numerus fixus, aims to admit 135 students a year, and aims to tell you the outcome within 4 to 6 weeks of a complete application.

The American route is the only place a test score appears, and it is a diploma rule, not a maths rule. Three AP tests in any subject, or an SAT of 1300 or more, make a US diploma equivalent to VWO. IELTS and TOEFL results may not be older than two years, and you can apply before you have an English score, in which case the offer may be conditional on passing one.

If you are weighing where to spend preparation time, spend it on the video. The four prompts ask you to introduce yourself, describe your academic interests, explain why Liberal Arts and Sciences at UCG in particular, and say what you are proud of. The Board looks for a specific match to the programme and concrete examples, not a general wish to study abroad.

Which OMPT module matters if UCG is not your only application

This is where the OMPT comes back in. UCG is not a draw programme, and Studielink lets you apply to up to four programmes, so many applicants add a back-up. Several RUG bachelors ask for the OMPT when your diploma lacks the right maths subject, and the back-up programme's rule decides which module you sit. The figures below are from the RUG deficiency page and the Campus Fryslân admission page.

The full programme table with source links is on the University of Groningen page. Before you book, check whether your diploma already covers the maths. The same RUG page lists AP Calculus (grades 3 to 5), A-level Mathematics and IB Mathematics (grade 4) as alternatives, although the accepted IB course and level differ per programme, so compare your certificate with the back-up's own list.

These are the three modules that RUG back-ups use. The figures come from the official syllabi on omptest.org.

OMPT-A runs from Numbers and Algebra through Functions, Exponential functions and logarithms and Differentiation. OMPT-B adds Trigonometry and Integration to that list. OMPT-D adds Geometry as well and has far fewer, longer questions. The chapter lists are on the OMPT-A, OMPT-B and OMPT-D syllabus pages, and OMPT-A vs OMPT-D vs OMPT-E compares the modules side by side.

University College Groningen OMPT minimum score in context

UCG has no threshold because it has no test. It is the only Dutch university college in our data without a maths requirement, against 70% at Amsterdam University College and Erasmus University College. The old 55% would have sat at the bottom of the range, level with Radboud's 55% on OMPT-D and Hanze's 55% on OMPT-A. The RUG back-ups sit at 60%, which is lower than Utrecht's 75% on OMPT-A but comes with only two attempts per year at FEB and Spatial Sciences.

On OMPT-A, 60% means about 32 correct answers out of 52. On OMPT-D it means about 13 of 21, and Science and Engineering also wants 55% in every category, so one weak chapter can sink an otherwise passing score. The full comparison is in OMPT passing scores.

How to prepare if your back-up needs the OMPT

Keep the two applications separate in your head. UCG weighs your video and your English; the back-up weighs one maths score. The plan below is for the second.

1. Check your diploma first. If it already includes a maths certificate from the lists above at the required level, you need no OMPT for the back-up either.
2. Sit a full-length diagnostic mock in the module your back-up names, timer on and answers typed. The free OMPT practice test shows two of the harder questions per module in the real answer box; then take the full OMPT-A, OMPT-B or OMPT-D generation-1 mock.
3. Score it per chapter and give your first hours to the weakest ones. For OMPT-D, lift every category above 55% before you polish your strongest chapter.
4. Practise in the answer format from day one. The OMPT checks final answers with a computer algebra system, so a correct method with an ambiguous final answer earns nothing.
5. Book only once a second full mock lands at 70% or above. With a 60% minimum and two attempts a year, a first sitting that fails costs you half your chances for that year.
6. Record the UCG video in the same weeks, not after. It is the part of the UCG decision you control most.

How long does OMPT preparation take converts a diagnostic score into hours, and improve your OMPT score in 30 days gives a week-by-week plan.

Booking, deadlines and results for University College Groningen applicants

For UCG itself there is nothing to book. For a start on 1 February 2027, apply by 1 November 2026 with a non-Dutch diploma. For a start on 1 September 2027, registration opens on 1 October 2026, the Early Bird deadline is 15 January 2027 and the final deadline for all degrees is 1 May 2027.

For a back-up that needs the OMPT, book a slot at least 72 hours in advance. Results and the digital certificate arrive within 8 business days, about 12 calendar days. Take the back-up's own deadline from its programme page and count backwards: 12 days for one attempt, or about 38 days if you want one retake in reserve (12 for results, 14 to fix weak chapters and rebook, 12 for the second result). The booking steps are in how to book the OMPT.

Requirements can change between intakes, so check the UCG and RUG admission pages again before you apply. Examify is independent and not affiliated with the OMPT, SOWISO or any university.