Testing on and off the Ice

Admission evaluations at the Sports Academy are conducted strictly after March 30 each year (the end date of the hockey season), or during seasonal camps:

• Spring Camp (April)
• Summer Selection Camp (May and June)

For the 2025/2026 season, we will be scouting candidates born in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015—both boys and girls.

If, for any reason, you are unable to attend the pre-season team training for your age category from May until the end of June or participate in any pre-season camp, the final opportunity for a player to join the Academy is an individual TRY OUT during the second phase of pre-season preparation with their age group in August.

It is very important to understand that in order to sign a contract with the Academy and the team, you must arrive with a complete package of documents that will allow the child to be legalized in the European country as quickly as possible, along with a valid Schengen visa with a minimum validity of three months.

In addition to on-ice skills and physical fitness, the coaches also evaluate:

• Communication skills
• Attentiveness
• Openness
• Readiness for team play
• Ability to follow the coach’s instructions
• Logical thinking skills
• Stress resistance

All of these are assessed over a period of 7 days during:

• On-ice training sessions
• Gym workouts
• Athletic training sessions
• On playing fields
• Video analysis of games

Testing at the Gymnasium

All entrance state exams for admission to the International Hockey Academy (a private bilingual gymnasium) for candidates entering the Cadets or Dorast playing categories (1st gymnasium class of secondary school, 10th grade) must be taken strictly in March-April each year.

For this purpose, the child must come for a couple of days to prepare for and complete all exams. We will provide the child with:

• Full board accommodation with a host family
• Hockey training
• School attendance

For younger student-athlete candidates (grades 5 through 8), placement tests are conducted.

At the gymnasium, children are required to take:

• A Mathematics test (with questions in English)
• An English proficiency test (both oral and written)

The combined number of correctly completed tasks in both tests must be at least 70%.

Later, after finishing grade 8 at primary school, the student takes transition exams to enter the gymnasium, which include:

• Mathematics
• English
• Slovak Language

Once admitted to the 1st gymnasium class, the student will continue to receive secondary education for 5 years, after which they will obtain the "Vesvedčenie o maturitnej skúške" diploma.