High school students in Egypt taking their exams - file
CAIRO - 9 January 2025: The Egyptian Ministry of Education announced an alternative diploma system for high school, to be first implemented starting next year 2026.
The new system is translated from Arabic as the “Egyptian Baccalaureate system.”
The current high school system, also known as "Thanaweya Amma," has always been known to be stressful for students and parents alike, especially during exams, despite the system has been changed several times in a bid to reduce this pressure. The pressure is obvious given the competition for faculties that require high grades in the science and literature branches. Throughour the year, students, supported by their parents, work dligently to achieve the highest possible grades, all in pursuit of their dreams of being admitted to their desired colleges.
In the below lines, et answers all questions regarding the new system:
- When will the Egyptian Baccalaureate system be implemented?
It will be applied next academic year to first-year secondary school, students who are currently studying in the third year of preparatory level.
- What is the new Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
The philosophy of the new system is based on providing multiple opportunities for the student to improve his/her total grades in the second and third years of secondary school, and also work on developing thinking, criticism and creativity skills, and integrating scientific, literary and artistic subjects.
- Will the students still be obliged to choose either literary or scientific study in the new Egyptian Baccalaureate?
There will be no scientific and literary branches in the Egyptian Baccalaureate secondary school.
- Will it be applied to all students in schools across the Arab Republic of Egypt?
It will be applied to students at public schools, language schools and private schools. It is an alternative system to the current secondary school, meaning that students who obtain an Egyptian certificate will be subject to the Egyptian Baccalaureate system, and therefore students of international schools, Egyptian Nile schools and students of IPS schools will not be subject to the Egyptian Baccalaureate.
- How is the study in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
The years of study in the Egyptian Baccalaureate are divided into 3 years: the first secondary year, the second secondary year, and the third secondary year.
- What are the scientific tracks in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
The Egyptian Baccalaureate system includes 4 scientific tracks:
1- Medicine and Life Sciences track
2- Engineering and Computer Science track
3- Business track
4- Arts and Literature track
The subjects in the first year of secondary school include:
Religious Education - Arabic Language - Egyptian History - Mathematics - Integrated Sciences - Philosophy and Logic - First Foreign Language, in addition to two subjects outside the total, which are the second foreign language and programming and computer science.
The subjects in the second year of secondary school in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system include 4 subjects, 3 of which are basic subjects, which are: Arabic Language, Egyptian History and First Foreign Language, in addition to a specialty subject, the student chooses one subject as follows:
The subjects in the third year of secondary school are 3 subjects:
- How many attempts and exam opportunities does the student have in the new system?
The student takes more than one attempt, up to about 4 attempts in the second secondary grade and 2 attempts in the third secondary grade, where the highest grades in these attempts are calculated.
- What does the student's evaluation mean in the second and third secondary grades?
It means the return of what is called improving the total grade, but with multiple exam opportunities, the student pays L.E. 500 ($9.8) per subject after the first attempt, which is considered free.
- What are the most prominent changes that have occurred in the academic subjects?
The subjects of Religious education and the second foreign language are now added to the total grade if the student chooses the second language subject for the arts and humanities major/track.
- How many years is available for the student to study in the Egyptian Baccalaureate?
The student will spend a maximum of 4 years in this stage.
- How is the total grade calculated in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
The score of each of the 7 secondary school subjects is calculated out of 100 points, and the student's final total is the sum of the scores obtained for each subject.
- How are the student's exam attempts calculated in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
As for multiple attempts, all the attempts the student submitted are calculated and all the scores of the attempts are recorded. Then the academic year in which the student submitted each attempt is determined as part of each student’s database, which is then sent in full to the Coordination Office, which will take it from there.
- How does the student take the exam opportunities in the Egyptian Baccalaureate?
Students have two opportunities to take their exams during each academic year, in May and July, for the subjects of the second secondary grade. While for the subjects of the third secondary grade, they can take the exams, in the months of June and August.
Students taking the exam for the first time don’t pay any fees, while after that, they pay a fee of L.E. 500 ($9.8) for each exam.
What are the most prominent features of the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
Speaking about the advantages of the alternative high school system, we will discuss four main advantages, which are:
First thing, the multiplicity of tracks or majors, which are available for students to choose from. Instead of only two specializations, students can choose between four diverse tracks. This gives the students a greater opportunity to choose what is consistent with their future goals, abilities, and let them focus more on future sciences related to labor market.
Second thing, the multiplicity of assessment opportunities, where students have more than one chance to take their exams, reducing the pressure and stress experienced during high school exams.
Third thing, the reduced number of subjects, which enable students to delve into each subject, and reduces pressure of private lessons, while provide more opportunities to reach integrated subjects from all specializations.
Fourth thing, the new system allows for international recognition of the high school certificate.
- What is the fate of the curricula in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
All curricula will be developed, where advanced levels of some subjects will be studied, such as mathematics, physics, geography and economics.
- What are the steps for implementing and approving the Egyptian Baccalaureate system?
The implementation mechanisms will be discussed first in the ministerial group for human development, and an agreement will be reached on a final formula that the government will present for community dialogue, before the system is implemented.
- When will the Egyptian Baccalaureate system be put forward for community dialogue?
It is scheduled to be put forward for community dialogue in the coming days.
- Who participates in discussing the Egyptian Baccalaureate system within the community dialogue?
Specialists from media professionals, journalists, teachers, boards of trustees, parents, as well as educational leaders and all parties of the educational system participate in the community dialogue to discuss the Egyptian Baccalaureate system.
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