Education in Argentina: school levels, free public universities and national assessments
A factual overview of Argentine schooling, how public universities admit students through entry courses and the CBC of Buenos Aires, and the national learning assessment.
In short
Education in Argentina is governed by the National Education Law of 2006, and the provinces run most schools. Compulsory schooling starts in the final years of nursery education and continues to the end of secondary school. There is no single national university entrance exam. Each public university decides how it welcomes new students, and many use introductory courses instead of a selective test.
School levels
The system has four main levels. Initial education is for young children, and attendance becomes compulsory from the age of four. Primary school follows, and its length is six or seven years depending on the province. Secondary school then lasts five, six or seven years, again depending on the province and on whether the school is technical. Technical secondary schools add workshop training and award a technical title as well as the secondary certificate. The school year runs from around March to December, with a long summer break from December to February.
Schools are managed by the state (public), by private organisations, or by religious bodies that receive public support. Pupils who finish secondary school receive a diploma that opens the way to higher education. Higher education includes universities and non-university higher institutes that train teachers and technicians.
How universities admit students
Argentine public universities are free of tuition fees, and a national law prevents them from charging for undergraduate study. Because of this, admission is often organised as an entry period, not as a competitive test. Some of the main patterns are:
- Introductory cycle: the Universidad de Buenos Aires uses the Ciclo Basico Comun, usually called the CBC, a common first stage that students complete before moving to their faculty. Passing its subjects is what allows entry to the chosen career.
- Entry courses: many other public universities run a course of several weeks or months, called a curso de ingreso or curso de nivelacion, ending in an assessment.
- Limited places: a few careers, often in health sciences, add a selection exam because the number of seats is limited.
- Private universities: these set their own conditions, which can include interviews, placement tests and fees.
Foreign students can apply too, and they need their school certificates to be recognised by the education authorities before they enrol.
National assessments and professional exams
- Aprender: a national assessment of learning in subjects such as language and mathematics, given to students at selected school years. It is meant to give the authorities information about the system, not to rank individual pupils.
- Provincial and university assessments: marks in school and the entry course matter more for a student than any one national score.
- Professional titles: after university, graduates register with a professional council or college in their province for professions such as law and engineering.
Rules change between governments, so look at each university website for the current calendar and requirements.
Studying in Argentina
Spanish is the language of instruction, and the Rioplatense variety, with its distinctive use of vos, is heard in Buenos Aires and across the river in Montevideo. Many schools in large cities offer English as a subject from primary school, and some private bilingual schools teach in two languages. Students planning an international degree sometimes take IELTS or TOEFL for English-speaking universities, or the SAT, or follow the International Baccalaureate in an international school.
Practical study habits that suit the Argentine system include these:
- Treat the entry course seriously, because it is where many students first learn the pace of university study.
- Form a study group early. Lectures are large in the big public universities, and notes passed between classmates are a normal part of university life.
- Keep a printed or digital copy of the programa of each subject, since final exams are written against the programme of the term you attended.
- Practise writing short structured answers, as oral and written final exams called finales are common.
- Plan the calendar around the examination periods called mesas, when you register for each final in advance.
Mock tests in English help students who want to study abroad or who study in English at an international school, while questions in your home subjects are best revised from class notes and official programmes.
Preparing with GetMyMockTest
Argentina has free practice questions, timed mock tests and flashcard decks for national assessments, university admissions and international qualifications.
- Aprender: free Spanish-language practice for the national secondary assessment in language, mathematics and sciences.
- CBC UBA: free Spanish-language practice for Ciclo Basico Comun subjects of the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
- General Knowledge (GK Argentina): facts on Argentine geography, history, politics and culture.
- IELTS, TOEFL, SAT and IB Diploma: free English-language practice for students who plan to study abroad or follow an international curriculum.
Every question, explanation, mock test and flashcard deck is free.