Education in Jordan: school stages, curricula and exams
A guide to Jordan's education system, basic and secondary cycles, Tawjihi examinations, and unified university admission.
In short
Jordan possesses a well-regarded educational structure directed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Compulsory basic education extends through Grade 10, after which students transition into academic or vocational secondary schooling. The crowning milestone of secondary education is the General Secondary Certificate Examination, widely known as the Tawjihi, which serves as the universal gateway to university placement. Alongside the national curriculum, private schools in Amman and major cities offer British, American, and International Baccalaureate frameworks, preparing students for exams including the Tawjihi, Cambridge A-Level, SAT, IELTS, and TOEFL.
School stages
The Jordanian educational framework consists of twelve formal academic years organized into two principal cycles: Basic Education and Secondary Education. The school year begins in late August or September and concludes in June, divided into two distinct academic semesters.
- Basic Education (Compulsory, Ages 6 to 16): Spans Grade 1 through Grade 10. This mandatory decade provides instruction across Arabic, English, mathematics, general science, social studies, Islamic education (or Christian religious study for Christian pupils), vocational education, and digital literacy. Continuous assessment and semester exams monitor pupil progression.
- Comprehensive Secondary Education (Ages 16 to 18): Covers Grade 11 and Grade 12. Placement into secondary tracks is determined by academic performance across Grades 8 through 10:
- Academic Secondary Stream: Students choose between the Scientific Stream (focusing on mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology) and the Literary Stream (focusing on advanced Arabic, history, geography, and humanities).
- Vocational Secondary Stream: Delivers specialized applied technical tracks, incorporating modernized BTEC vocational qualifications developed with Pearson in engineering, information technology, creative media, hospitality, and business.
State schools provide Arabic-medium instruction with standardized English language learning starting in early primary grades. Private schools offer bilingual or English-medium instruction.
Jordan also places strong emphasis on gifted education through institutions such as the Jubilee School in Amman. Founded by the King Hussein Foundation, the Jubilee School provides an advanced STEM curriculum, leadership training, and research apprenticeships for academically gifted secondary students selected through nationwide competitive testing.
Curricula in use
Jordan's private education sector features several international curricula recognized by the Ministry of Education's Directorate of Private Education.
| Curriculum | Who follows it | Main exams |
|---|---|---|
| Jordanian National Curriculum | Majority of students in public and private schools | Tawjihi (General Secondary) |
| British Curriculum (Cambridge / Edexcel) | Private academy students targeting UK and overseas universities | Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level |
| American High School Diploma | Independent private school students | American Diploma, SAT, AP |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) | Private institutions in Amman | IB MYP, IB Diploma |
| Technical BTEC Framework | Vocational track students in public secondary schools | BTEC National Diplomas |
The national curriculum emphasizes structured mathematical reasoning, Arabic linguistic mastery, and foundational sciences. International programmes prioritize continuous enquiry, independent investigation, and external board assessments.
Exams by stage
The examination system in Jordan transitions from school-based testing in the basic cycle to high-stakes national testing at the end of secondary school.
- Basic Cycle Completion: Grade 10 school examinations evaluate student aptitudes to determine eligibility for the academic scientific stream, academic literary stream, or technical vocational tracks.
- Tawjihi Examination: The General Secondary Certificate Examination is administered at the conclusion of Grade 12 under strict central supervision. Students sit standardized examinations in common compulsory subjects (Arabic, English, Islamic Studies, History of Jordan) and stream-specific electives (such as Advanced Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry for science candidates). The final Tawjihi result is an aggregate percentage.
- International Equivalency Testing: Students graduating from British or American tracks sit Cambridge A-Level or College Board SAT examinations, which are submitted to the Ministry's Equivalency Committee (Lajnat Al-Muadalah) to obtain official national equivalency.
University entry
Undergraduate admissions across Jordanian public universities are coordinated by the Unified Admission Coordination Unit (Wihdat Al-Qubool Al-Muwahhad), affiliated with the Higher Education Council.
Established public universities—including the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in Irbid, Hashemite University in Zarqa, and Yarmouk University in Irbid—allocate subsidized competitive seats (Qubool Tanafusi) based strictly on Tawjihi marks:
- Medical and Dental Faculties: Require competitive Tawjihi scores, as of 2026, generally reaching the highest competitive percentiles in the scientific stream.
- Engineering and Technology Faculties: Mandate competitive scores typically in the upper percentiles with strong mathematics marks.
- Parallel Admission (Al-Mawazi): Students with lower scores can seek admission through self-funded parallel programmes offered at public institutions.
Private universities and international degree programmes evaluate applicants based on minimum ministerial admission thresholds alongside standardized credentials. Proof of English proficiency via IELTS or TOEFL is required for direct admission to English-taught degree courses and exempts students from university English placement exams.
Jordanian graduates targeting competitive overseas scholarships—such as the Chevening, Fulbright, or Erasmus programmes—must demonstrate strong undergraduate GPAs and certified English proficiency scores.
In addition to classical comprehensive universities, Jordan established specialized institutions such as the German Jordanian University (GJU) in Madaba. Modeled on the German applied sciences system (Fachhochschule), GJU requires students to complete German language training alongside an obligatory fourth-year academic semester and industrial internship in Germany, preparing graduates directly for bilateral engineering and multinational industrial careers.
Professional and licensing exams
Doctors who want to practise in Jordan are licensed through the Jordan Medical Council. Medical graduates prepare for its licensing examination (JMLE). The format and rules can change, so check the council's website for the current requirements before you register.
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 Jordan:
- Tawjihi: practice questions in the scientific stream, with timed mock tests and flashcards.
- Jubilee School test: practice for the school admission test.
- University of Jordan English test: English proficiency practice, with timed mock tests.
- JMLE: clinical practice questions for medical graduates.
- Jordan general knowledge: geography, history and culture, and government and economy.
- British and international qualifications: Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level.
- University entry abroad: the SAT, IELTS and TOEFL.