Online Registration & OSA for WU BBE: Your Step-by-Step Guide
March 7, 2025 - Nicolas
Are you planning to study at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, specifically the Bachelor of Business and Economics (WU BBE)?
This blog post covers the two crucial initial steps of the WU BBE selection procedure: online registration and the Online Self-Assessment (OSA). Important change for 2026/27: the OSA is now completely ungraded and does not influence your ranking in the selection procedure—unlike in 2025 and earlier, where the subject-specific part was graded and counted towards your final score. My name is Nicolas Olsa, a current WU student in his last year who’s been through it all by myself and now I am helping dozens of prospective BBE students to prepare them in the BBE Insider program. This text covers some things I wish someone had told me when I was applying.
To follow along, open this blog on one side of your screen and the registration tool on the other, and let’s walk through this process together!
1. Before You Begin: Check Requirements
Important Documents
Before diving into the registration process, make sure you know which documents you will need in general, you won't need to provide everything just yet, you should already start the online registration before you got everything. Visit WU’s website at Admission & Application Requirements. Once there, choose:
- Bachelor’s Program
- Business and Economics (BBE)
- Your Educational Background
The website will then guide you through the requirements. In Step 1: Requirements, you’ll see an overview of eligibility criteria for studying WU BBE. These requirements must be met by the time you start your actual admission (which occurs after the entrance exam, around September), but it’s recommended to have them in order as soon as possible.
2. WU Online Registration Step-by-Step
From March 2, 2026, to May 19, 2026, you can register for the WU BBE selection procedure. Even if you’re currently in your last year of school and don’t have your secondary school leaving certificate yet, you can still complete the registration. You’ll just need to provide the certificate by the time of admission (starting in July).
Here’s a concise outline of the registration process:
2.1. Start the Registration
Go to the WU BBE online registration tool by clicking the button provided on WU’s website or directly via this link.
Click “Set up a new account.”
Enter your email address and choose a secure password.
Check your email inbox for a message titled “WUniverse account activation.” Click on the link in the email.
On the page that opens, tick the checkbox to finalize your account creation.
Click either “return to application” or use the same link again to log in with your new credentials.
2.2. Provide Personal Details
Enter your personal information and click “Continue.”
Austrian Applicants: You will be asked for your social security number. If you don’t provide it, you cannot complete the registration. Non-Austrian Applicants: You will not be asked for this number.
Mailing Address Tip: WU rarely sends hard-copy documents by mail, so don’t stress too much about your exact mailing address—just ensure it’s valid if needed.
2.3. Upload a Profile Picture (Optional)
- If you already have a good photo ready, upload it to save yourself from using WU’s photo booth later—where lighting may be less than flattering! (I look like a monster on my student ID-card picture; my head was so read, one can tell I went to WU at 40°C...)
- If you do upload, don’t forget to press “Upload selected image” before clicking “Continue.”
- This step is not required to finalize the online registration; you can skip it for now and come back later.
2.4. Select the Program and Provide Education Details
Choose “Business and Economics (BBE)” as your program of study.
Fill in details about your current or previous education. You do not need to upload your final high school diploma at this time if you haven’t received it yet.
Approximating graduation dates is fine. If you already have your certificate, feel free to upload it.
Click “Continue.”
2.5. Finalizing the Application and Paying the Fee
- Survey Section: After the subject-specific parts, there's a short survey section. This is entirely separate and does not affect your application in any way.
- Austrian Applicants Only: You might need to complete a short Statistics Austria survey. After that, look for "Selection procedure BBE 2026/27."
- Confirm that “Program BBE selected” shows a green checkmark.
- Next, pay the €50 registration fee. Payment can be done via telebanking, EPS online bank transfer, or credit card. If you’re paying close to the May 19 deadline, credit card or EPS are best to ensure faster confirmation.
- Once payment is processed, you’ll see a green checkmark confirming the fee is received. You can sign out and return to the tool anytime.
3. WU BBE Online Self-Assessment (OSA)
Unlike in previous years, the OSA is now completely ungraded and does not count towards your ranking in the selection procedure. It is a mandatory step you need to complete, but your answers will not affect your admission chances. Plan around 1 hour and 15 minutes to go through both parts of the OSA at a comfortable pace. If you want to start preparing for the entrance exam early, the BBE Insider Free Sample Paper is a great starting point.
3.1. Accessing the OSA
Return to the registration tool.
Click “Completion of Online-Self-Assessment.”
Agree to the sworn statement at the beginning. You’ll find general information about WU, the BBE program, and the structure of the OSA.
The OSA consists of two parts: a general information section about WU and the BBE program, followed by subject-specific questions on English, Mathematics, and Economics & Business. Take your time going through everything—there is no pressure since the OSA is completely ungraded.
Note: You can log in and out as you wish during the OSA. WU recommends doing everything in one go, but it’s technically possible to revisit certain sections.
3.2. What to Expect
- English Language Skills: Reading comprehension (25 statements), vocabulary, grammar, and English-in-use questions (35 statements). This section is often the most time-intensive, so keep an eye on the timer in the top right corner.
- Mathematics: Six sets (30 statements total) covering basic to slightly advanced math topics, often presented through graphs and charts. The topics overlap with the twelve areas tested in the entrance exam.
- Economics and Business Fundamentals: 30 statements testing your understanding of business basics and modern business buzzwords (e.g., ESG, CSR, SDGs).
3.3. Timing
- Subject-Specific Sections: Here are some estimates how long it approximately takes to finish the OSA. English Language Skills (15 min), Mathematics (20 min), and Business/Economics Fundamentals (15 min). The survey about 20 - 30 min. In total, you should plan for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the OSA.
- The deadline to complete the OSA is May 28, 2026 (12:00 noon CEST). Don’t leave it until the last minute in case of technical issues!
- Once you finish, you'll receive feedback on your performance in each section. This is purely informational — it gives you a sense of where you stand, but it has no impact on your application ranking.
3.4. Technical Issues?
- If you can’t continue the OSA for any reason, try re-clicking the OSA link in the registration tool.
- If problems persist, email bbe.selectionprocedure@wu.ac.at with your OSA ID (found in the footer of your OSA window). Make sure to do this well before the May 28 deadline.
4. What Comes Next?
Once you’ve completed the OSA, you have the rest of the selection procedure ahead:
Keep an eye on your email for any updates from WU regarding the next steps.
Since the OSA is completely ungraded, your entrance exam performance is what really counts. Use the feedback from the OSA to identify areas where you might need extra preparation, and start studying early so you're fully ready on exam day.
Familiarize yourself with the in-person exam format by practicing with the BBE Insider Sample Paper and take Mock Exams to get comfortable with the question types. The entrance exam takes place on June 30, 2026 at VIECON – Vienna Congress & Convention Center.
5. Prepare for the Entrance Exam with BBE Insider
Now that registration and the OSA are taken care of, it's time to focus on what truly matters: the WU BBE entrance exam. The BBE Insider WU BBE Entrance Exam Preparation Course gives you tailored advice on how to prepare for all three topics tested in the exam: English, Mathematics, and Business & Economics. The course is fully self-guided, so you can study at your own pace and structure your preparation the way that works best for you. Everything you need is included in one place—no searching for scattered resources. And if you're not satisfied, there's a 15-day money-back guarantee, though less than 1% of students ever take the refund offer because they really like our course.
Pro Tip: Since the OSA is ungraded, your entrance exam is the single biggest factor in the selection procedure. Start preparing early, use the OSA feedback to identify weak spots, and invest your energy where it counts most.
Final Thoughts
Completing the online registration and the Online Self-Assessment are necessary milestones on your way to WU Vienna. With the OSA now completely ungraded, the real game-changer is your performance on the entrance exam. Make sure you stay on top of deadlines, use the BBE Insider Entrance Exam Course to prepare effectively, and if you want personalized guidance, check out our 1-on-1 mentoring.
Good luck with your application, and I hope to see you soon at the Vienna University of Economics and Business!
