Education in Lithuania: school stages, the Brandos atestatas and university entry
A guide to schooling in Lithuania, the maturity certificate and state exams, how marks work, and how students apply to university through LAMA BPO.
In short
Education in Lithuania is organised nationally. The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport sets the policy, and the National Agency for Education prepares and organises the national exams. Schooling is compulsory until the age of sixteen, and the language of teaching in most schools is Lithuanian, with schools for national minorities that teach in Polish, Russian and other languages. Young people who complete the full twelve years of general education receive the Brandos atestatas, the maturity certificate, and students who plan to go to university take national state exams to show their level. Applications to most universities and colleges go through one joint admission system, LAMA BPO.
School stages
- Pre-school and pre-primary education: Children can attend kindergarten from an early age, and a year of pre-primary education before school is compulsory in the year before they start grade one.
- Primary school (pradinÄ— mokykla): Grades one to four, for children from about seven to ten. Pupils study Lithuanian, mathematics, a foreign language, the world around us, arts, music and physical education.
- Basic education (pagrindinÄ— mokykla): Grades five to ten. Pupils add subjects such as history, geography, biology, physics, chemistry and a second foreign language. At the end of grade ten, pupils take a national test, the achievement check of basic education, and receive a certificate of basic education.
- Secondary education (vidurinÄ— mokykla or gimnazija): Grades eleven and twelve, usually in a gymnasium (gimnazija), which in many schools also covers grades nine and ten. Pupils choose a programme and a set of subjects, and they prepare for the maturity exams.
- Vocational and higher education: Pupils can also attend vocational schools. After the Brandos atestatas they can study at a college (kolegija), which gives professional bachelor degrees, or at a university, which offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
Marks and the maturity exams
Marks in schools run from 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest and a pupil must reach at least 4 to pass a subject. The Brandos atestatas is awarded after the pupil has completed the secondary programme and passed the required maturity exams. These are of two kinds: state exams, which are written and assessed centrally, and school exams, which are prepared and assessed at the school. The state exam in Lithuanian language and literature is compulsory for all, and pupils choose further subjects such as mathematics, a foreign language, history, biology or physics. Which exams are required can change from year to year, so students should check the current rules of the National Agency for Education.
Results of the state exams are reported on a point scale, and the certificate lists the results together with the final school marks. The state exams can also be taken again in a later year if a candidate wants to improve a result.
University admission through LAMA BPO
Most Lithuanian universities and colleges take their applicants through the joint admission system run by the association LAMA BPO. Applicants submit one online application and list their choices in order of preference. Places are awarded on a competitive score, which is calculated from the results of the state exams in subjects set for the chosen programme, each with its own weight, and from the final marks of the Brandos atestatas. Some programmes also set a minimum level in particular subjects, and creative programmes may require extra tests or portfolios. Some places are funded by the state and others are fee-paying.
Universities and international students
Vilnius University, founded in 1579, is the oldest and largest university. Other well-known institutions include Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Mykolas Romeris University and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Many universities offer programmes taught in English, and international students apply through the institutions or through special channels, with proof of English instead of the Lithuanian exams.
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 Lithuania:
Brandos atestatas: mathematics, Lithuanian language and literature, and history of Lithuania, with timed tests and flashcards.
Lithuanian general knowledge: history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture, with a source given for each fact.
KET driving theory: road traffic rules, priority, road signs, signals, and vehicle safety for the category B theory test (Regitra), with timed tests and flashcards.