Education in Hungary: school stages, the Erettsegi and university entry
A guide to schooling in Hungary, the eight-year primary school, secondary school choices, the Erettsegi exam, how grades work and how to apply to universities.
In short
Education in Hungary is organised by the state, and the national school-leaving exam is the Erettsegi (written érettségi in Hungarian), run by the Educational Authority. Children attend kindergarten from the age of three and begin school at about six or seven, and school attendance is compulsory until the late teens. Most students who want to enter a university take the Erettsegi at about eighteen or nineteen and apply through a central admissions service. Vocational schools and further training are a well-established second route.
School stages
- Kindergarten: Attendance is compulsory from the age of three, and children learn through play, songs and early reading skills.
- Primary school: Eight years, usually divided into a lower stage with one main class teacher and an upper stage with subject teachers. Pupils study Hungarian, mathematics, a foreign language, history, science, arts and physical education.
- Secondary school: Students choose between a general secondary school (gimnazium), which prepares for the Erettsegi and university, a technical school (technikum), which combines the Erettsegi with a vocational qualification, and a vocational school (szakkepzo iskola), which gives a trade qualification. Some general schools run longer programmes that start earlier, after year four or year six of primary school.
- Final year: Students in the general and technical schools prepare for the Erettsegi in their last year.
The Erettsegi and grading
The Erettsegi is the main school-leaving exam. Every candidate must take exams in five subjects: Hungarian language and literature, mathematics, history, a foreign language and one subject of their own choice, such as biology, physics, chemistry, geography, informatics or a second language. Most subjects can be taken at two levels, the intermediate level and the advanced level. The advanced level goes deeper and is often required by universities for competitive courses.
Written papers are set centrally and marked by teachers using official marking guides. Many subjects also have an oral part, which is held at school before a committee. The result in each subject is reported on a five-point scale, with a minimum result needed to pass, and the certificate records every subject and level. Exams are held in two periods, in May and June and again in autumn, and a candidate who fails a subject can retake it. Results are issued in summer.
University entry
Applications for most courses go through a central admissions service, which publishes the rules and runs the online application. Applicants list their choices in order of preference. Admission points are calculated from two parts: a score based on the school grades, and a score based on the Erettsegi results in the subjects the course specifies, with extra points for advanced-level results and for language certificates. Some courses add a practical test, an aptitude test or an interview, for example in arts or sport. Each university publishes the points needed in previous years, but these change from year to year.
Higher education follows the Bologna structure. A bachelor's degree takes three to four years, and a master's degree takes one and a half to two years. A few fields, such as medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science, are taught in a single long programme. Many universities are state-funded, and students are admitted either to state-funded places or to self-funded places, depending on their points. Several universities also offer full degree programmes in English and other languages for international students.
Vocational and further education
Students from technical and vocational schools can obtain trade qualifications and enter the labour market, and those who pass the Erettsegi can continue to higher education or to post-secondary vocational courses. Employers often cooperate with schools on training and work placements, and adults can obtain qualifications in vocational training centres.
Studying in Hungary as an international student
Students from outside Hungary who plan to study at a Hungarian university usually need to show a recognised school-leaving qualification and, for courses taught in English, proof of English. Some scholarship programmes support international students. Rules differ between universities, so always check the course page and the international office of the university where you want to study.
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 Hungary:
- KRESZ (driving theory): traffic regulations, road priority rules, road signs, signals, markings and vehicle safety procedures, with timed mock tests and flashcards.
- Erettsegi: mathematics, Hungarian language and literature, and the history of Hungary, with timed tests and flashcards.
- Hungarian general knowledge: history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture.
- IELTS, Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma: international exams that many Hungarian students and international applicants also take.