Introduction
Final
Report
Conference
Issues
Conference
Rules
Report 1
Participating
countries
EURYDICE
Glossary
Admission
to HE
Austria
Issues
Q&A
Bulgaria
Description
Issues
Q&A
Czech Republic
Description
Issues
Q&A
Estonia
Issues
Q&A
France
Issues
Q&A
Germany
Issues
Q&A
Hungary
Description
Issues
Latvia
Issues
Lithuania
Issues
Q&A
Netherlands
Issues
Q&A
Poland
Description
Issues
Q&A
Portugal
Description
Issues
Q&A
Slovakia
Description
Issues
Q&A
Slovenia
Description
Issues
Spain
Description
Issues
Sweden
Description
Issues
United Kingdom
Description
Issues
Brief description of the upper secondary education system
Upper secondary general education in Bulgaria (ISCED'97 level 3A) can be divided into secondary comprehensive and secondary profile-oriented. Secondary comprehensive education can be attained at secondary comprehensive schools (duration of studies 3, 4 years) and profile-oriented schools (duration of studies 4, 5 years). Students can enter the profile-oriented schools upon completion of grade 7 or 8 after passing entry examinations, according to the profile of the school (Bulgarian language and literature, mathematics, humanities etc.).
General upper secondary education is provided by:
- secondary comprehensive schools (SCS), which cover: elementary school level – years 1 to 4; pre-secondary school level – years 5 to 8; and secondary school level – years 9 to 11.
- profile-oriented secondary schools with intensive foreign language instruction (foreign language schools), entry after completion of year 7 on the basis of a competition. These cover years 8 to 12 (13).
- profile-oriented secondary schools – entry after completion of year 8 (natural sciences and/or mathematics schools, humanities schools, sports schools, art schools, etc.). The school covers years 9 to 12 (13).
Tertiary education
Non-university type of higher education (ISCED level'97 5B) is provided by Colleges. College graduates with the educational and qualification degree of Specialist in... are entitled to practice their profession or to continue their education on the basis of their secondary school leaving qualification.
University type of higher education is provided by universities and specialized higher schools (academies, institutes) and covers the following degrees:
- First degree - at least a 4-years programme ending with a Bachelor's degree
- Second degree - at least a 5-years programme or one year after the Bachelor's degree ending with a Master's degree
- Third degree - at least a 3-years programme after covering the Master's degree ending with a Doctor's degree.
Upper secondary general education curricula
The level of teaching within the framework of general education is uniform for all secondary comprehensive schools. The subjects from the compulsory-elective and elective instructions are selected and taught according to the school's particular specialization.
At foreign language secondary schools (after grade 7), students pass a one-year course of intensive foreign language study, the so-called preparatory class, which ends with passing examination. There is no specific adaptation period provided for pupils in other schools. At each secondary school students may choose a set number of branches for more detailed study of a given subject (humanities, mathematics and physics, biology and chemistry, etc.). The teaching process is organized on a five-day week basis with the following workload (Table 1):
Table 1
| Classes | Compulsory instruction (A) | Compulsory – elective instruction (B) | Elective instruction (C) | Total per week (A+B) | Total per week (A+B+C) |
| Year 9 | 29 h. | 2 h. | 4 h. | 31 h. | 35 h. |
| Year 10 | 26 h. | 5 h. | 4 h. | 31 h. | 35 h. |
| Year 11 | 21 h. | 11 h. | 4 h. | 32 h. | 36 h. |
| Year 12 | 15 h. | 17 h. | 4 h. | 32 h. | 36 h. |
The knowledge and skills of the students are assessed by oral, written and practical forms of examination. The control is performed by the teacher throughout the academic year. The marks are recorded for each term and also for the school year.
The term and/or annual marks are calculated from at least three current marks.
National Grading scale
The knowledge and skills of the students are evaluated according to a six-grade system comprising the marks: excellent (6), very good (5), good (4), fair (3) and poor (2). The mark of (1) is not used for evaluation. An examination evaluated at least with the grade fair (3) is considered successfully passed.
Examinations at the end of upper secondary general education
Students at secondary comprehensive schools sit written matriculation examinations in:
– Bulgarian language and literature;
- an elective-comprehensive subject on their own choice (without Bulgarian language and literature) which is part of the compulsory-elective instruction in the last school grade.
- Bulgarian language and literature;
- the main subject related to the school profile; while the main subject is Bulgarian language and literature, students sit matriculation examination in the second main subject.
Certification at the end of upper secondary general education
After successfully completing the last year of secondary school and passing the written matriculation examinations a Diploma of secondary education is issued. The qualification must obligatorily mention the chosen branch of specialization.
The qualification includes:
- the marks of the matriculation examinations with an accuracy of up to 0.01 or the marks used for exemption from sitting the matriculation examinations;
- the average score of the marks (with an accuracy of up to 0.01) in the compulsory subjects in upper secondary education;
- the marks in the subjects from:
the profiled instruction in the grades from the upper secondary education. For the profile-oriented secondary instruction the accuracy is up to 0.01
the elective instruction in the grades from the upper secondary education, according to the curriculum.
The overall score for completed secondary general upper education is calculated with an accuracy of up to 0.01 as an average score of the marks in: Bulgarian language and literature; two foreign languages, mathematics; history; philosophy, physics, astronomy, chemistry; biology; geography. In case of sitting for matriculation examination the average score of the marks in the compulsory subjects in upper secondary education is replaced by the results from these examinations.
The overall score for completed secondary general upper education at the profiled schools with profiles: Fine arts, Music, Choreography, Christian art and Culture, Informatics, as well as at the sports schools is calculated as an average score of the marks in: Bulgarian language and literature; two foreign languages, mathematics; history; philosophy, physics, astronomy, chemistry; biology; geography as well as the mark in the main branch subject as follows: fine arts, music, choreography, history of arts, informatics, sports. In case of sitting for matriculation examination the average score of the marks in the compulsory subjects in upper secondary education is replaced by the results from these examinations.
Holders of secondary school leaving qualifications /Diploma of Secondary Education/ are entitled to continue their education on a higher educational level /university and non-university/, without restriction as to the choice of a higher education establishment. The secondary school leaving qualification gives also access to the labour market.
The qualifications, concerning secondary general education, are actually subject to various changes in compliance with the recent amendments to the National Education Act. The educational system as a whole is in a process of preparation for the implementation of the 12-years schooling model, combined with compulsory matriculation examinations. To this regard, standards for educational degree, educational minimum and syllabus, as well as standards concerning the study content and assessment are in process of elaboration.
Admission requirements to higher education
Admission to higher education institutions is based on successful entrance examinations. The type and number of these examinations are determined by the higher education institutions and are closely linked to its respective profile.
The requirements for enrolment, depending on the type of the higher school and the subject you are going to read, comprise written competition exams (one or more), tests (varying in volume and structure in the different higher schools), and a diploma of completed secondary education. The autonomy of higher education institutions allows them to define themselves the requirements for enrolment every year. The procedure for application is determined on annual basis and made public in the reference manual of the higher school.
Admission of foreign students
Foreigners may apply for training in the higher education establishments of the Republic of Bulgaria under the existing interstate and intergovernmental programmes for educational, scientific and cultural exchange, or against payment on the part of the applicants.
The foreign applicants to study in the higher education establishments of the Republic of Bulgaria should have completed secondary education ensuring access to the higher schools in the applicant's country. The average marks of the special subjects in the diploma should not be under 62% of the maximum grade value. The special subjects shall be regarded as analogical to the subjects used for rating the Bulgarian applicants for enrolment at the higher education institution.
Foreigners shall be accepted on the basis of a documentary competition and in line with the additional requirements of the higher education establishments.
