The TU Delft Aerospace Engineering selection is challenging, but not because every question requires extremely advanced mathematics or physics. The real difficulty comes from a combination of: a broad syllabus; limited time; unfamiliar problem-solving questions; First-Year Aerospace material you need to learn independently; and the fact that you are competing for a ranking, not simply trying to pass. If your Mathematics and Physics foundations are already strong, the selection is very manageable with focused preparation. If those foundations are weak, the exam becomes much harder because there is relatively little time to relearn them once the official Aerospace material is released. Here is what makes each part difficult. How Difficult Is the Mathematics? For many applicants, Mathematics is the section where speed matters most. The expected knowledge is largely pre-university mathematics rather than university-level mathematics. Typical topics include: functions and graphs; algebra; logarithms and exponentials; trigonometry; vectors; differentiation; integration; geometry. The concepts themselves may therefore look familiar. What makes the questions harder is that you need to recognise the required method quickly. You may understand differentiation perfectly but still lose time if it takes you too long to identify which rule to use, simplify an expression or manipulate an equation. What should you be able to do? You should reach the point where common operations are almost automatic: rearranging equations; differentiating standard functions; recognising useful substitutions; manipulating trigonometric expressions; working with vectors; estimating whether an answer is reasonable. If basic algebra still takes significant effort, fix that before worrying about advanced selection tricks. How Difficult Is the Physics? Physics is less about memorising a large number of formulas and more about identifying the correct physical principle. Typical areas include: kinematics; Newton’s laws; forces; work and energy; momentum; circular motion; oscillations and waves; electricity; magnetism. A common mistake is searching immediately for an equation containing the variables given in the question. A better approach is: Understand the situation → identify the principle → choose the equation → calculate For example, a problem that looks complicated may become simple once you recognise that energy is conserved. The mathematics involved is often not particularly advanced. The difficulty lies in knowing what to do. How Difficult Is the First-Year Aerospace Material? This section is difficult for a different reason. TU Delft gives applicants specific material from the Aerospace Engineering first-year curriculum to study before the selection exam. Recent material has covered areas such as: aerodynamics; flight mechanics; aircraft structures; spacecraft and launch vehicles; orbital mechanics. Unlike Mathematics and Physics, the exact First-Year syllabus can change from year to year. TU Delft may change the chapters, lectures or aerospace topics included in the selection. That means memorising an old selection syllabus months in advance is not necessarily a good use of your time. Instead: Before the new material is released: learn recurring aerospace fundamentals. After the material is released: prioritise the official syllabus immediately. At DelftPractice, we use the same approach. We keep the recurring fundamentals available beforehand and update the First-Year preparation when TU Delft publishes the new selection material. The Bigger Problem: Time This is where many otherwise strong students struggle. In the recent 2026 format, the academic selection exam consisted of three timed multiple-choice sections: Section Time Approx. Questions Mathematics 30 min 20 Physics 30 min 20 First-Year Aerospace 30 min 30 That works out to roughly 90 seconds per question in Mathematics and Physics, and even less for the Aerospace section. You obviously will not spend exactly 90 seconds on every question, but it illustrates the problem. A question you can solve in five minutes at home may still be a bad question to spend five minutes on during the selection. You need to know when to: solve immediately; estimate; eliminate answers; skip temporarily; return later. This is why doing only untimed textbook exercises is not enough. Do You Need to Know Everything? No. You need strong coverage of the syllabus, but chasing perfect knowledge is usually less useful than becoming reliable on the fundamentals. For Mathematics and Physics especially, a student who can solve familiar concepts quickly and accurately can outperform someone who knows more theory but works slowly. For example, you should immediately recognise relationships such as: Kinetic energy ∝ velocity² or Lift ∝ velocity², assuming the other terms remain constant. If velocity doubles, the quantity becomes four times larger. That type of reasoning can answer some multiple-choice questions without a full calculation. How Much Does the Selection Change Each Year? Not every part changes equally. Mathematics: relatively stable The exact questions change, but the expected mathematical foundation remains broadly similar from year to year. TU Delft’s published selection syllabi base the Mathematics and Physics requirements on Dutch VWO pre-university knowledge. Physics: relatively stable The same applies to Physics. The problems change, but the fundamental topics remain reasonably predictable. First-Year Aerospace: more variable This is where larger syllabus changes can occur. The selected chapters and lectures may change each year, which is why TU Delft publishes a separate First-Year syllabus for candidates. This gives you a fairly simple preparation strategy: Prepare Math and Physics early.Prepare Aerospace fundamentals early.Adapt to the exact First-Year syllabus when it is released. How Do You Know If You Are Ready? A useful test is not simply whether you can solve a question. Ask yourself whether you can: Mathematics Solve standard calculus, algebra, trigonometry and vector problems without constantly checking formulas. Physics Look at a problem and quickly recognise the physical principle involved. Aerospace Explain the concepts rather than only remembering equations. Timed Practice Complete mixed questions without your accuracy collapsing under time pressure. If you understand everything when studying but your timed scores are much worse, you probably do not need significantly more theory. You need more timed problem-solving practice. When Should You Start Preparing? There is no need to wait for TU Delft to release the First-Year material. Before January Focus mainly on: Mathematics; Physics; core aerospace concepts. These are the areas where early preparation actually helps. Once TU Delft Releases the

TU Delft Aerospace Engineering is a numerus fixus Bachelor’s programme with 440 places. That means meeting the academic entry requirements is not enough on its own. Applicants also complete a separate selection procedure and receive a ranking number. If you are applying for the 2027 intake, here is what you need to know. Key Dates 15 January 2027, 23:59 CET — application deadline through Studielink Late January — TU Delft selection platform normally opens January–March — matching and selection activities March — selection exam 15 April 2027 — ranking numbers are released Within 14 days of an offer — deadline to accept your place 1 September 2027 — start of the academic year The exact dates for the 2027 selection activities have not yet all been published. For reference, in the 2026 selection cycle, the Digital Learning Environment opened on 23 January and the selection exam took place on 11 March. What Does TU Delft Give You for the Selection? After applications close, TU Delft gives candidates access to its Digital Learning Environment (DLE). This normally includes: Mathematics preparation material Physics preparation material practice questions a Math & Physics level test programme and matching information self-reflection activities First-Year Aerospace Engineering study material the syllabus showing which First-Year topics are examinable The most important distinction is that Math and Physics are relatively predictable, while the First-Year Aerospace material can change between years. The Three Main Academic Areas 1. Mathematics The Mathematics section is based largely on the level expected before entering university. Typical topics include: algebra functions logarithms and exponentials trigonometry vectors differentiation integration graphs and geometry The individual questions change each year, but the underlying syllabus stays relatively stable. That means there is little reason to wait until January before preparing Mathematics. 2. Physics Physics works in much the same way. Important topics typically include: kinematics Newton’s laws forces work and energy momentum circular motion oscillations and waves electricity magnetism Again, the exact questions change, but the fundamental Physics knowledge expected from applicants does not change dramatically from one year to the next. This makes Math and Physics the best subjects to prepare well in advance. 3. First-Year Aerospace Engineering Material This is the less predictable part of the selection. TU Delft releases specific First-Year Aerospace Engineering material relatively close to the selection period. Recent selections have included topics from areas such as: aerodynamics flight mechanics aircraft performance structures and materials launch vehicles orbital mechanics The material may include selected textbook chapters, TU Delft material and video lectures. However, the exact chapters and topics can change each year. So preparing only from an old syllabus is not a good strategy. The better approach is to understand the core first-year aerospace concepts early, then switch your focus to the official 2027 material as soon as TU Delft releases it. What Changes From Year to Year? A useful way to think about the selection is: Mathematics — mostly stable The questions change, but the expected knowledge remains broadly similar. Physics — mostly stable The same applies here: question style and emphasis may vary, but the fundamentals remain consistent. First-Year Aerospace Material — more variable TU Delft may change: selected chapters lectures topics emphasis between aerospace disciplines This is also why DelftPractice updates its Aerospace selection material once the new TU Delft syllabus becomes available. Before that point, we focus on high-probability core topics and recurring first-year concepts, rather than pretending that last year’s syllabus will automatically be identical. What Was the Recent Exam Format? The exact 2027 format will be confirmed by TU Delft. For reference, the 2026 selection exam contained three multiple-choice sections: Mathematics — 30 minutes Physics — 30 minutes First-Year Aerospace Engineering — 30 minutes That makes time management an important part of preparation. Knowing how to solve a problem is not always enough. You also need to recognise the right approach quickly. What Should You Prepare Before January? Before TU Delft releases the new material, focus mainly on: Mathematics Strengthen algebra, trigonometry, vectors, calculus and equation manipulation. Physics Make sure mechanics, energy, electricity and general problem solving are solid. Core Aerospace Concepts Build familiarity with recurring topics such as: lift and drag aerodynamic coefficients basic flight mechanics aircraft performance structures orbital mechanics The goal is not to memorise last year’s material. It is to make sure you are not starting from zero when the official syllabus arrives. What Should You Do Once the 2027 Material Is Released? Once TU Delft publishes the First-Year syllabus, that should become your main reference. At that point: Read the official syllabus carefully. Identify what has changed from previous years. Study the required material. Practise questions specifically on those topics. Move toward timed mixed practice before the exam. DelftPractice follows the same process. We keep Mathematics and Physics preparation available throughout the year because those foundations remain relatively stable, and we update the Aerospace section when TU Delft releases the new selection syllabus. Don’t Ignore the Matching Activities The selection process also contains matching activities designed to introduce you to the programme and help you assess whether Aerospace Engineering is a good fit. These can include: programme information first-year course information Math and Physics level testing self-reflection activities These activities are compulsory parts of the selection process, even when they do not directly determine your final ranking. How Does the Ranking Work? The selection is not simply pass or fail. Applicants are ranked against each other. On 15 April 2027, you receive your ranking number through Studielink. If your ranking falls within the available places, you can receive an offer. If you are initially outside the cutoff, you may still receive an offer later if other applicants: choose another university decline their offer fail to accept within the deadline do not complete enrolment So a ranking slightly above the initial capacity does not automatically mean you are out.  How Is the Selection Scored? Your ranking number is based on two components: Component Weight Academic Aptitude Assessment 40% Selection Exam 60% The Academic

Getting a high score on the TU Delft Aerospace Engineering entrance exam does not automatically guarantee admission. Your final ranking depends on more than your performance in mathematics, physics and aerospace-related questions. TU Delft combines academic performance with an assessment of academic aptitude to determine your position among other applicants. Understanding the difference between these components is important, particularly because a very strong exam result would most likely compensate for a weaker aptitude assessment, which is basically random if you ask me. 1. How is your ranking number determined? Under TU Delft’s published selection regulations for the 2025–2026 intake, the final ranking is determined by two selection criteria: Selection criterion Weight Academic Aptitude 40% Academic Performance 60% Academic Aptitude assesses characteristics associated with studying successfully at university. In the documented procedure, this includes a Study Motivation Test (SMT) and the MPT-Study personality assessment, which examines behaviour in study-related situations. Academic Performance is assessed through the Selection Exam, covering mathematics, physics and material from the first year of Aerospace Engineering. The results of these components are combined to establish a ranking among candidates. The weighting percentages do not mean that TU Delft simply adds together raw percentages from the tests. 2. Your ranking is relative to other applicants One of the most important features of the selection procedure is that there is no universal entrance-exam score that guarantees admission. Unlike an ordinary school examination, where achieving a predetermined grade may be sufficient to pass, TU Delft uses the selection results to distinguish candidates competing for a limited number of places. For the 2025–2026 intake, Aerospace Engineering had 440 available places and approximately 3,400 applicants. This does not mean that every applicant completed the entire procedure. Students may withdraw, miss compulsory assessments or fail to satisfy other requirements. Your ranking number therefore depends on your performance relative to the other eligible candidates, rather than simply whether you achieved a particular percentage. A score that is competitive in one admission cycle might correspond to a different ranking in another. 3. How are the mathematics and physics results assessed? The mathematics and physics sections assess whether applicants have sufficient foundational knowledge to follow an engineering degree. An important detail in TU Delft’s published selection documentation is that mathematics and physics results are treated categorically rather than necessarily being converted directly into a proportional contribution from every individual mark. This means you should not assume that obtaining 80% in mathematics instead of 70% automatically produces a predictable increase in your final weighted score. The exact score conversion and the performance of the other candidates matter. For this reason, calculating your own likely ranking from raw practice-exam percentages is unreliable. 4. Does the motivation or personality assessment really matter? Yes. Academic Aptitude represented 40% of the final ranking under the documented procedure. The assessment is not simply a formality. It can materially change a candidate’s overall ranking, even when their Selection Exam result is strong. A real example illustrates this. In July 2026, the Dutch Council of State published a judgment concerning an applicant who challenged their TU Delft Aerospace Engineering ranking for the 2025–2026 intake. According to the judgment, the applicant had performed above average on the academic performance assessment but below average on the academic aptitude tests. Their final ranking number was 881, outside the programme’s 440 available places. The case demonstrates that a slightly above-average academic performance alone is not sufficient to guarantee admission. It also confirmed that TU Delft uses an external assessment organisation, NOA, to help develop and evaluate the aptitude tests. 5. Do school grades, extracurricular activities or motivation letters count? Under the published 2025–2026 procedure, previous school grades and extracurricular activities were not used directly to calculate the ranking number. The selection was based on the specified assessments, rather than on a general evaluation of each applicant’s CV. Similarly, the compulsory self-reflection undertaken during the matching phase was not graded and did not contribute to the ranking. This distinction matters: Matching phase: Compulsory activities intended to help students understand the programme and assess their own suitability. Selection phase: Graded assessments used to establish the final ranking. Completing the matching phase was necessary to proceed, even though its assignments did not contribute points to the ranking. Eligibility requirements and the completion of mandatory activities remain separate from the final ranking calculation. 6. What ranking number do you need to get accepted? For the documented intake with 440 available places, candidates within the initial capacity could receive an offer, provided they met the remaining admission requirements. However, ranking outside the initial 440 did not automatically mean that admission was impossible. When applicants decline or do not accept their offers within the required period, places can become available to candidates further down the ranking. For example, a candidate ranked 510 might subsequently receive an offer if sufficient places become available. This is only an illustration, not a prediction of how far the ranking will move. The actual number reached varies by admission cycle. Historical ranking movements should never be treated as a guaranteed admission threshold. 7. Can you calculate your own ranking in advance? Not reliably. Even knowing that Academic Aptitude contributes 40% and Academic Performance contributes 60% is insufficient to calculate a ranking number. You would also need the official scoring transformations, the treatment of individual test components and the distribution of scores among the other candidates. For instance, two candidates might achieve similar percentages on the academic exam yet receive noticeably different overall rankings because of their aptitude assessments. Equally, two students with similar overall assessment results could be separated by relatively small score differences in a competitive cohort. The safest interpretation is that practice-exam percentages are useful for tracking your preparation, not for predicting a precise ranking number. 8. What happens after the ranking numbers are released? Candidates normally receive their ranking number through Studielink on 15 April. Those offered a place must accept it within the specified deadline, generally two weeks. If an offer is not accepted, the