Education in Croatia: school stages, the Dru017eavna matura and university entry
A guide to schooling in Croatia, secondary school types, the national exams, how grades work, and how to apply to higher education.
In short
Education in Croatia is organised nationally by the ministry responsible for education and science. Children go to primary school for eight years, then move to a secondary school of their choice. Students in general secondary schools (gymnasiums) finish with a national school-leaving exam, the Dru017eavna matura (often typed as Drzavna matura on the internet), and its results are the main basis for applying to universities and other higher education. The exam is prepared and run nationally by the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education (NCVVO), and applications go through one national online system.
School stages
- Pre-school education: Optional for most children and offered in kindergartens. The last year before school is a preparatory programme for children who are about to start primary school.
- Primary school (osnovna u0161kola): Eight years, usually from the age of six or seven. In the first four years one class teacher teaches most subjects, and from the fifth year teachers specialise by subject. Pupils study Croatian, mathematics, a foreign language, nature and society, history, geography, sciences, arts, music and physical education. Primary school is compulsory.
- Secondary school (srednja u0161kola): Three or four years, depending on the programme. Admission is based on school grades in the last years of primary school and, for some programmes, on extra tests.
School grades run from 1 to 5, where 1 is a fail (insufficient) and 5 is excellent. These marks matter because secondary grades count toward university applications.
Types of secondary school
- Gymnasium (gimnazija): A four-year general programme that prepares students for higher education. Some gymnasiums specialise in languages, sciences or classics.
- Vocational schools (strukovne u0161kole): Programmes of three or four years that prepare students for a trade or technical job. The four-year programmes also allow students to take the national exam and apply for higher education. The three-year programmes lead mainly to work, though students can continue with additional education.
- Art schools: Programmes in music, dance, the visual arts and design, in which students combine school subjects with specialised training.
The Dru017eavna matura and grading
The Dru017eavna matura is a set of written exams taken at the end of secondary education. Its first full run was in 2010. Croatian language, mathematics and a foreign language are compulsory. Croatian language, mathematics and foreign languages can be taken at a higher level (A) or a basic level (B), and the level a student chooses affects which higher education programmes they can apply for. Students may also take elective exams, such as biology, chemistry, physics, geography, history, informatics, philosophy, art history or music, depending on what they need for the programme they want.
The exams are set centrally and marked under national rules, and some parts, such as the school essay in Croatian, are marked by trained examiners. Results are reported by exam and level, and each programme can use them in its own way. The exam is normally held in two periods, in the summer and in autumn, which gives students a second chance. Students can also see the results in a national information system, where the results are linked to their application.
Applying to university
Applications to public higher education go through a national online system called Postani student. Applicants rank the study programmes they want in order of preference. Each programme sets which matura exams it requires, at which level, and how the results and school grades are weighted into one ranking. Programmes such as art, sport or architecture may add an aptitude test or a portfolio. Places are offered in rank order, and applicants whose rank is high enough for a higher choice get that offer first.
Higher education includes universities, with faculties and academies, and polytechnics and colleges of applied sciences (veleuu010diliu0161ta). The biggest universities are in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek, and there are also universities in Zadar, Pula and Dubrovnik. Studies follow the Bologna structure: a three-year bachelor's followed by a two-year master's, or an integrated programme of five or six years in subjects such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
Studying in Croatia as an international student
Students who hold a foreign school-leaving certificate normally need to have it recognised by the national agency for science and higher education (AZVO) before applying, and the entry rules differ between institutions. Many programmes are taught in Croatian, but a growing number are taught in English. Check the website of the university and of the national application system for deadlines and for the documents you need.
Practising on GetMyMockTest
These are practice questions we wrote for study. They are not the official exams, and we do not claim they match an exam's current format. Free practice for Croatia:
- Drzavna matura: mathematics, Croatian language and literature, and the history of Croatia, with timed tests and flashcards.
- Vozacki ispit (driving theory): traffic regulations and right of way, road signs and markings, and vehicle safety, with timed tests and flashcards.
- Croatian general knowledge: history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture.
- IELTS, TOEFL, SAT and IB Diploma: international exams that some Croatian students and international applicants also take.