Education in Malawi: Schools, Examinations, Technical Training and University Pathways

Malawi’s education system connects community early learning, eight primary standards, four secondary forms, technical training and varied university routes. This guide explains the actual qualifications and transition decisions, including what changed in 2026 and what remains under curriculum development.

Reviewed: 17 October 2026. School ages describe usual progression, not a guarantee of placement. Dated intake examples explain real requirements; check the next applicable notice before applying.

Malawi education system at a glance

Question	Quick answer
Primary school	Standards 1–8; usual entry at six.
Secondary school	Forms 1–4, with junior and senior stages.
National school examinations	Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE); Junior Certificate of Education (JCE); Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).
Compulsory provision	The Education Act’s under-eighteen obligation concerns primary education.
Technical route	The Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) oversees formal apprenticeship, with Levels 1–4.
Higher education	The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) regulates institutions/programmes and coordinates public-university selection.
Important 2026 distinction	Public-school fee removal has specified exceptions; wider curriculum development is not universal rollout.

1. The current school-to-college map

Malawi’s established national school route has eight primary years, called Standards 1–8, followed by four secondary years, Forms 1–4. The usual primary entry age is six. A learner progressing without interruption would therefore move into Form 1 at about fourteen and finish Form 4 at about eighteen. These are illustrative progression ages, not a claim that every classroom contains only one age group. The national sector plan describes this structure; current national examinations and ministry primary-learning programmes continue to use it.

The main transitions are primary completion and secondary selection, junior-secondary assessment, the final secondary certificate, and then separately determined college or university entry. Technical training offers its own qualifications and workplace learning. University programmes vary in length and entry route: “8–4–4” is an introductory shorthand, not a rule that every degree takes four years.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology oversees school policy. The Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) develops curricula; the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) administers national school examinations.

2. Entry age and the precise compulsory-education rule

The normal starting point is Standard 1 at six, but the legal obligation needs more careful wording than “school is compulsory until eighteen.” Section 13 of the Education Act makes primary education in government schools tuition-free and compulsory for children below eighteen. The provision is specifically about primary education; it does not turn all secondary or university study into a compulsory entitlement up to that birthday.

For a child starting late, returning after an interruption or moving from another system, bring the previous school record and discuss placement with the receiving school or district education office. Age alone cannot show whether the learner has acquired the reading, language and mathematics needed for a particular standard.

For planning attendance, the ministry’s 2026/27 calendar lists three terms: 14 September–18 December 2026, 4 January–25 March 2027 and 12 April–16 July 2027.

3. Early childhood: CBCCs and emerging preparatory classes

Early childhood provision includes Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs), alongside other nursery and preschool settings. Centres commonly serve children aged three to five; the broader early-childhood-development concept covers more than preschool lessons. Play, conversation, movement, relationships and care matter before formal primary work.

There is also a developing school-based preparatory-class route for five-year-olds. UNICEF’s 2025/26 budget brief described a prototype in 45 primary schools across Nsanje, Dedza and Salima, with a larger expansion planned for 2026/27–2029/30. Its July 2026 account documents P-Class learning at Chidoola Primary School in Salima. That is evidence of a real local programme, not proof of a place at every primary school.

Ask whether a nearby school actually operates a P-Class and how it connects to Standard 1. Do not assume that the preparatory-class expansion has already replaced every CBCC. For a closer look at centre routines, see the existing Malawi preschool and family-support guide.

4. English, Chichewa and the language a learner understands

English has a formal instructional role: section 78 of the Education Act specifies English as the medium in schools and colleges, while allowing the minister to prescribe school instructional languages through a Gazette notice. This legal wording should not be mistaken for a description of every interaction in an early-primary classroom.

Current ministry programmes explicitly work with Chichewa as well as English. The early-primary Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology programme, or BEFIT, uses adaptive tablet activities in Chichewa. The Teaching at the Right Level programme targets Chichewa reading, English reading and arithmetic. These are concrete examples of how foundational learning support is delivered.

A multilingual child may understand a story in a familiar language while still struggling to read it in English. Ask the teacher which language is used for explanations, which books are being read, and how English vocabulary is being developed. A useful home activity is to discuss a short story in the language the child understands, then practise a few corresponding English words.

5. Primary learning and the mathematics reform already in use

Primary education builds reading, writing, number understanding and the ability to use knowledge across learning areas.

MIE reports that the revised national mathematics curriculum began implementation in Standards 1 and 2 in September 2024, with phased extension into other standards scheduled from September 2025. Its launch account emphasises practical learning and reasoning. This implemented subject reform must be distinguished from the wider school-curriculum review still developing syllabuses in 2026.

BEFIT is another specific intervention. The ministry describes solar-supported tablets and adaptive activities for Standards 1–4, with a nationwide scale-up target of approximately 3.8 million children across 6,000 public primary schools. A target is not a statement that every classroom already has functioning equipment. Ask a participating school how sessions fit into ordinary teaching and how a learner receives help when an activity is difficult.

6. How learning is checked before national examinations

National certificates are only one part of assessment. The ministry’s current Teaching at the Right Level description provides a useful example of classroom-level diagnosis: learners are grouped by demonstrated ability rather than simply age or standard, and teachers make brief checks every few days before moving children to more demanding groups. Its stated catch-up focus is Standards 3–8.

For example, a learner may recognise letters but not yet read a paragraph. The appropriate next activity differs from that of a classmate who reads fluently but cannot explain the meaning. This example illustrates the approach; it is not a national promotion formula or a promise that the programme operates in every school.

For a transfer, obtain the receiving school’s promotion and placement requirements instead of importing a percentage threshold from another country. Classroom assessment, national examination results and selection for the next institution are related but distinct decisions.

7. Standard 8, the PSLCE and selection into secondary school

The Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) is the national examination at the end of primary education. MANEB explains that it is also used by the ministry for selection into public secondary schools. Passing and receiving a particular secondary place are therefore different outcomes.

The distinction is visible in the ministry’s 2026 results announcement: 198,903 candidates passed the PSLCE, while 110,522 were selected to start Form 1, a reported transition rate of 55.57 percent of passers. These figures describe that selection exercise; they are not a permanent quota or an individual prediction.

A family should check both the examination result and the actual selection notice, including the assigned school and reporting instructions. If a learner passes but is not selected, ask the district office about recognised alternatives and available places rather than assuming that the result has no value. When comparing options, include travel or boarding, the subjects actually taught and the route to MANEB registration.

8. Secondary school types, Forms 1–4 and the JCE

Public secondary provision includes Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) and conventional secondary schools. Day or boarding arrangements affect attendance and cost, but the school’s label does not by itself describe the quality of every subject department. Private provision adds further choices; families should establish which curriculum and examining body a particular school follows.

The established four-year route divides into Forms 1–2 and Forms 3–4. The Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) is taken after the first two years; the MSCE follows the final secondary stage. The sector plan identifies the restored second-year JCE, and the ministry’s 2026 results release confirms that the examination continues. Older descriptions saying that Malawi no longer has a JCE should not be used for current learners.

Subject planning matters before Form 4. A learner interested in a science-related degree should compare its named school-subject prerequisites with the school’s actual teaching and practical facilities. Strong results in an unrelated combination may not satisfy a programme requiring mathematics, biology, physics or chemistry.

9. What actually earns the MSCE

The Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) is the final national secondary-school award. MANEB’s 7 September 2026 results statement confirms two routes to the certificate: passes in six subjects including English, with at least one credit; or passes in five subjects including English, with at least three credits. Merely attending Form 4 does not meet those conditions.

MANEB’s MSCE guidance calculates aggregate points from the best six subjects. English can be outside that best-six calculation when it has been passed but is not among the six strongest subjects. This does not remove English from the certificate-award requirement, and it does not cancel an institution’s separate English-credit requirement.

An illustrative learner with the required six passes but only one credit can earn the school certificate while falling short of a university route demanding six credits. Look at every relevant subject grade, not just the headline aggregate or the word “passed”. Competitive programmes may require stronger results than the general minimum.

10. Resits, accumulation and keeping examination records consistent

MANEB allows a Certificate by Accumulation where the award conditions are met across no more than four consecutive examination sittings. The candidate must apply; this certificate is not generated automatically in the same way as a successful single-sitting award. The current MANEB FAQ also distinguishes accumulation from merging or upgrading certificates already earned.

Maintain the same personal names and retain each year’s examination number, school or centre, subjects and grades. MANEB warns that inconsistent names can cause results to be treated as belonging to different people. Its FAQ also explains that ordinary notification-of-results slips are collected through examination centres and that later name changes on released results or certificates are not simply available on request.

Before registering a resit, work backwards from the intended next course. If the obstacle is a missing mathematics credit, an improved unrelated subject may not solve it. Also ask the receiving institution which sittings and examination years it accepts. MANEB’s ability to issue an accumulated certificate does not override the particular admission cycle’s eligibility rules.

11. What changed in public-school fees in January 2026

The ministry’s current free-secondary-education FAQ distinguishes earlier fee removal from the January 2026 expansion. Tuition, the General-Purpose Fund and the textbook revolving fund had been abolished in 2018. The 2026 change removed the School Development Fund and MANEB examination-related charges in public schools, including national-examination ID charges within the stated policy.

The same FAQ explicitly says that boarding fees and open-secondary-school fees remain payable. It describes coordination with grant-aided and faith-based schools. Do not translate the policy into “every school and every household expense is free”, or assume that it applies to a private institution’s entire fee schedule.

For budgeting, request an itemised school statement. Separate the charges covered by the policy from boarding, travel, clothing, meals and personal materials. If a charge appears to duplicate an abolished public-school fee, ask the school and education office to explain its basis. Free-school policy also does not establish that technical-college or university tuition, accommodation and research expenses are covered.

12. Returning to learning and checking support in practice

A learner’s interrupted education should be discussed as a placement-and-support problem rather than treated as a permanent end to study. In an August 2026 ministry update, the government reaffirmed the School Readmission Policy for teenage mothers and described an inclusive-education project supporting 500 girls, including 110 teenage mothers who had returned. That is a documented project example, not a national guarantee of identical assistance.

For a return to school, establish the class, reporting date, missed learning, examination-registration position and a named staff contact. Where disability or another learning need affects participation, discuss access to classrooms and toilets, communication support and any assessment arrangements early.

The sector plan also identifies open secondary schools as an access route for PSLCE passers who cannot obtain a conventional place. Ask about teaching hours, materials, supervision and examination entry. Open schooling is a delivery arrangement; its fee position is separately addressed in the ministry’s 2026 policy.

13. Technical education and formal apprenticeship entry

Malawi uses the term Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET). Its regulator and coordinating authority is TEVETA. Formal apprenticeship combines college-based training with industrial attachment, through registered national and community technical providers. The authority’s programme description requires an MSCE or equivalent and says credits in English, mathematics and a science subject are advantageous.

For the January 2027 government-technical-college intake, TEVETA’s public recruitment explanation specified applicants aged sixteen and above. It described Level 1 Foundation, Level 2 Intermediate, Level 3 Advanced and Level 4 Technician Diploma awards. The notice’s 30 September 2026 application deadline has already passed; it is cited to explain that intake, not to imply that applications remain open.

Occupations include areas such as electrical installation, automobile mechanics, bricklaying, food production and tailoring. Check the precise occupation, provider, available level and attachment arrangements. A route labelled “technical” can lead to a different award from a university diploma, and a provider’s offering at Level 1 does not prove that it can deliver every later level.

14. TEVET duration, practical assessment and certification

The 2019 TEVET orientation guide maps the formal ladder to Years 1–4 and cumulative credit totals of 120, 240, 360 and 480. It is a useful published model for understanding progression through the four awards, but the current programme’s duration and available exit level must be confirmed with the provider. TEVETA has announced a May 2026–April 2027 curriculum review that explicitly includes training duration and qualification pathways; the review itself does not implement a new duration for every trade.

Assessment is tied to demonstrated competence. TEVETA’s current assessment guidance describes collecting evidence, judging it against learning outcomes and checking decisions through internal and external verification. A learner unsuccessful in a competence repeats it and is reassessed. Certification records verified achievement, not just time spent in a workshop.

For example, a plumbing trainee’s plan should identify the practical tasks to demonstrate, the underlying theory and the workplace evidence required. Ask who signs the attachment record and how an unsuccessful assessment is repeated.

15. Short skills programmes and routes back into formal study

TEVETA’s informal-sector programme includes short skills courses, enterprise development, community provision and learning with registered master craftspersons. These routes can serve out-of-school youth, artisans and small businesses whose needs differ from those of a full-time college entrant. Enquiries can begin with regional service centres or district TEVET desk officers.

Before enrolling, establish whether the outcome is attendance recognition, assessed occupational competence or a named qualification level. Do not assume that an informal course automatically supplies the MSCE or diploma required by a later formal programme.

There can be progression into higher education, but it is course-specific. For instance, a relevant diploma and work experience may support a mature-entry university application. The university must still accept the exact qualification and school-subject record.

16. Universities, colleges and the role of NCHE

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) regulates higher education and coordinates harmonised public-university selection. Its current website distinguishes registration, which authorises an institution or programme to operate, from accreditation, which assesses whether formal quality requirements are met. Check both the institution and the particular programme.

The six universities in the harmonised selection system are the University of Malawi, Mzuzu University, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. Use their current names and admissions channels rather than assuming that older University of Malawi college arrangements still describe the present institutions.

The higher-education landscape also includes private institutions and specialist colleges. Establish who teaches the programme, who awards the qualification, its mode of delivery and whether the advertised campus and programme are covered by the relevant approval.

17. Public university selection: six credits are only the beginning

The NCHE portal for the 2025/26 harmonised exercise, with results released in 2026, offered six programme choices. Its general school-certificate route required at least six credits including English, with qualifications obtained in 2023, 2024 or 2025. It identifies grade 6 at MSCE or grade C at IGCSE as the minimum credit level for that purpose. Programme-specific subjects and stronger grades can still be required.

Those examination-year limits belong to that selection cycle. A learner receiving 2026 MSCE results should use the next applicable announcement rather than assume eligibility for an exercise already completed. Similarly, possession of a certificate by accumulation does not dispense with the portal’s rules on acceptable years and results.

Build the choice list from actual prerequisites and genuine interest. Six ranked choices should not be six versions of a course for which a key subject is missing. Being eligible for consideration is not the same as winning a place, and selection does not itself settle accommodation or financing.

18. Bachelor’s degrees: duration and completion in real programmes

Bachelor’s programmes do not all share one duration. At the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), the Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geographic Information and Earth Observation Science runs for four years. Its first-year entry specification includes strong mathematics and English credits plus four relevant subjects from the listed science, geography and computing options. The final two semesters include Research Projects I and II, showing that the route involves sustained applied work as well as taught modules.

At the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), the Mining Engineering department lists five-year honours degrees in geological, mining, and metallurgical/mineral-processing engineering, alongside three-year diplomas. A diploma and an honours bachelor’s degree therefore should not be treated as interchangeable simply because both are offered by a university.

Completion can be expressed through programme credits. MUBAS’s Environmental Health degree specifies 480 credits for the bachelor’s award and conditional intermediate exits at 240 credits for a certificate or 360 for a diploma where the student cannot progress further. These are that programme’s published awards, not a universal credit rule for every Malawian university.

19. Mature entry, upgrading and credit for previous learning

MUBAS’s 2026/27 mature-entry and upgrading call gives two general combinations: six MSCE credits including English plus a relevant accredited diploma; or four credits including English, a relevant diploma and at least two years of relevant work experience. It explicitly directs applicants to the additional requirements for each programme. The call is a dated admissions example, not a permanently open application window.

The Bachelor of Accountancy illustrates the extra detail. It is a four-year degree; mature applicants need an appropriate accounting-related diploma, the specified school credits including mathematics and English, and relevant post-diploma experience. Admission to Year 2 or Year 3 depends on the applicant’s qualifications.

This is why “I already have a diploma” is not enough to calculate remaining study time. Request a written decision on entry year, any bridging modules and the final award requirements.

20. Teacher education and professional registration

Teacher preparation has its own subject and professional requirements. The 2026/27 Domasi and Nalikule admission notice describes four-year, face-to-face Bachelor of Education programmes for secondary teaching in sciences, social sciences, and languages, arts and communication. General entry includes six credits with English and credits in the two proposed teaching subjects; applicant categories have additional conditions.

A prospective mathematics-and-biology teacher therefore needs to examine both subject prerequisites, not merely obtain any six credits. The notice also states that the advertised students are self-sponsored and admission is non-residential. A public teaching college does not automatically provide an allowance or accommodation.

The Teachers Council of Malawi separately handles student-teacher indexing, teacher registration and licensing. It requires recognised teacher preparation and explains that practising teachers must register and obtain a licence. Completing a degree, obtaining professional recognition and securing a teaching post are separate steps. For primary-teacher training or a conversion programme, verify the current award and intake notice rather than assume that a secondary-teaching degree’s structure applies unchanged.

21. Master’s study: entry, coursework and the dissertation

The University of Malawi’s September 2026 postgraduate call normally requires an accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a credit, while allowing consideration of a strong pass. Applicants supply academic records, references and the other advertised documents. Unless a programme specifies otherwise, the call describes a 24-month full-time master’s with coursework followed by research and thesis writing.

There are important programme differences. MUST’s 2026/27 prospectus describes a two-year Master of Science (MSc) in Data Science with taught work in the first year and a research dissertation in the second. Its two-year Computer Science master’s is by research, with two prerequisite courses and seminars rather than the same taught-course sequence.

MUBAS provides a concrete completion example in MSc Environmental Health: the master’s requires 240 postgraduate credits, split equally between coursework and dissertation. The course modules must be passed, and the research proposal defended before data collection. A student unable to continue after the specified 120-credit coursework stage may receive a postgraduate diploma. Completing the taught portion is therefore not identical to completing that master’s.

22. Doctoral entry and what a PhD must demonstrate

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research qualification beyond the bachelor’s stage. The University of Malawi’s 2026 call requires a good accredited master’s degree, a research concept note and a sample of academic writing. Its general advertised duration is three years full-time or up to five part-time, subject to the particular programme.

MUST’s 2026/27 doctoral prospectus similarly requires a relevant good master’s and lists at least two years of relevant work experience among admission conditions. Doctoral applicants must identify two potential supervisors in their concept note. Its PhD in Innovation and Development runs for three years full-time or five part-time: initial seminars and methodological work lead into supervised research, submission and defence of a doctoral thesis.

An advertised duration is a study plan; the award depends on satisfying research and examination requirements, including any required corrections, rather than the passage of three calendar years.

23. Recognition, transfers and documents that travel with the learner

For school qualifications, MANEB provides certificate-equating statements comparing its awards with those of other O-level examining boards. For higher qualifications, NCHE offers academic qualification evaluation and verification. These services do not themselves guarantee admission to a particular course or permission to practise a regulated profession.

Prepare a record appropriate to the decision. A school transfer needs class history, subject results and information about the curriculum already followed. A university or upgrading application may require the final award, full transcript, module content and documented experience. Where official results must be sent directly or kept sealed, follow the receiving institution’s instructions rather than opening or modifying the document.

Check programme recognition before paying a substantial deposit. Match the institution’s name, campus, programme title, awarding body and delivery mode against official information. If an overseas or online provider claims a local partnership, establish which institution actually awards the qualification and which authority recognises that arrangement.

24. Three practical pathway examples

A primary-school transition. A Standard 8 learner passes the PSLCE. The family first checks the Form 1 selection notice rather than treating the pass slip as an admission letter. If selected, they confirm reporting and transport or boarding arrangements. If no place appears, they ask about recognised alternatives and the teaching support those alternatives provide.

An apprentice planning further study. A learner interested in electrical work compares a formal college-and-industry route with a short community skills course. The useful questions are the award level, assessed practical tasks, attachment provision and possible next qualification. The learner keeps the module and competence records so that a later provider can evaluate prior learning; the words “technical certificate” alone cannot establish university entry.

A diploma holder considering a degree. An accounting diploma holder with work experience examines MUBAS’s programme-specific mature-entry conditions. Before calculating tuition and time away from work, the applicant seeks a decision on the entry year and outstanding modules. If admitted later in the programme, the reduced time reflects accepted prior learning, not a different or automatically easier final award.

These examples are illustrative planning situations, not individual admission decisions.

25. Frequently asked questions

Does passing the MSCE guarantee university admission?

No. The school award conditions, general university eligibility, subject prerequisites and competitive selection are separate. Compare the individual grades with the current programme and intake requirements.

Can an older learner return to primary school?

Discuss placement and support with the school or district office. The primary-education obligation for children under eighteen should not be confused with a rule that all pupils must be the same age. Bring evidence of previous learning.

Is a TEVET diploma the same as every university diploma?

No automatic equivalence follows from the word “diploma”. Compare the qualification level, entry background, learning outcomes, credit requirements and awarding authority. The receiving institution decides whether it satisfies its particular entry route.

Does a postgraduate diploma count as a completed master’s?

It is a separate award. In programmes with an intermediate exit, the master’s can require further research and dissertation work. Ask for the exact award regulations rather than relying on how long the learner attended.

Should families change plans whenever a new curriculum is announced?

First establish the implementation date, standards or forms affected, approved materials and examination arrangements for the learner’s cohort. Development workshops, a published framework and classroom implementation are different stages.

26. Reading Malawi’s 2026 reforms without mixing cohorts

The key current distinction is between changes already operating and the wider curriculum being developed. The mathematics reform began with identified primary standards in 2024; fee changes took effect in January 2026; and national PSLCE, JCE and MSCE examinations continued in 2026. These developments should not be collapsed into one claim that every school has already switched to a wholly new ladder.

MIE has published the July 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Framework. Its 6 October 2026 update reports syllabus refinement for Grades 5 and 6, following work on Grades 1–4. That is evidence of active curriculum development. Families should use the ministry’s subsequent cohort-specific instructions before changing assumptions about school duration, approved books or the examination a child will sit.

The same discipline applies after school. TEVETA’s national review is scheduled to continue into April 2027, while universities issue their own dated admissions calls. Before acting, check four items together: the current programme, the eligible cohort, the named qualification and the institution responsible for the decision.

Official sources and scope

The guide uses Malawi’s ministry, curriculum institute, examination board, regulators and universities, with UNICEF for its early-learning work. The Education Act copy is hosted by the Teachers Council. The 2019 TEVET guide is identified as a dated structural reference; current recruitment and assessment notices govern practical decisions. Programme examples are institution-specific. Published plans and development targets are not presented as universal delivery.

• Ministry: National Education Sector Investment Plan 2020–2030 — Established stages, entry age and school categories; historical statistics are not treated as 2026 measurements.
• Education Act 2013, hosted by the Teachers Council — Sections 13 and 78 on primary education and instructional language; consolidated text dated 31 December 2014.
• Ministry of Education, Science and Technology — Current 2026/27 term calendar.
• UNICEF: Education Budget Brief 2025/26 — Community early learning and the planned preparatory-class pilot and expansion.
• UNICEF: foundational learning exchange, 13 July 2026 — Documented P-Class activity at Chidoola Primary School in Salima.
• MIE: national mathematics curriculum launch — September 2024 implementation in Standards 1–2 and the scheduled phased expansion.
• Ministry: BEFIT — Early-primary adaptive learning and the scope of the scale-up target.
• Ministry: Teaching at the Right Level — Ability-grouped remedial learning and frequent assessment.
• MANEB: Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education — Primary examination and secondary selection role.
• Ministry: 2026 PSLCE and JCE results — Current examinations and the distinction between passing and Form 1 selection.
• MANEB: 7 September 2026 MSCE results statement — Current certificate award conditions.
• MANEB: MSCE — Award, best-six aggregation and accumulation rules.
• MANEB: frequently asked questions — Registration identity, result slips, accumulation and certificate services.
• Ministry: free-secondary-education FAQ — January 2026 changes and continuing boarding/open-secondary charges.
• Ministry: inclusive education update, 27 August 2026 — Readmission policy and a bounded example of practical return-to-school support.
• TEVETA: Formal Apprenticeship Programme — Entry, registered providers, workplace learning and institutional/industrial modules.
• TEVETA: January 2027 apprenticeship intake notice — Agency-authored public notice on age, entry qualifications and four award levels; its application deadline has passed.
• STEP: TEVET Trainee Orientation Programme Guide, 2019 — Dated training architecture, including the year/level and credit table on printed page 73.
• TEVETA: assessment and verification — Competency decisions, reassessment and certification.
• TEVETA: Informal Sector Skills Development Programme — Short training, master-craftsperson learning and district access.
• TEVETA: national curriculum review, 15 May 2026 — Review scheduled for May 2026–April 2027, including duration and qualification pathways.
• National Council for Higher Education — Registration, accreditation, academic qualification evaluation and current institutional search.
• NCHE: public university selection portal — 2025/26 harmonised selection, 2026 results, qualifying examination years and programme choices.
• MUST: BSc Geographic Information and Earth Observation Science — Four-year programme, subject entry requirements and final-year projects.
• MUBAS: Mining Engineering department — Five-year engineering degrees and three-year diplomas.
• MUBAS: BSc Environmental Health — Subject prerequisites and 240/360/480-credit exit awards.
• MUBAS: 2026/27 mature-entry and upgrading call — Current general entry combinations, with programme-specific requirements.
• MUBAS: Bachelor of Accountancy — Four-year degree and conditional admission to later years.
• Domasi: 2026/27 Bachelor of Education admissions — Domasi/Nalikule four-year secondary-teacher programmes and subject requirements.
• Teachers Council of Malawi — Teacher indexing, registration and professional licensing.
• University of Malawi: September 2026 postgraduate intake — Master’s and doctoral entry, documents and normal advertised durations.
• MUBAS: MSc Environmental Health — Master’s coursework/dissertation credits and postgraduate diploma exit.
• MUST: 2026/27 postgraduate prospectus — Taught/research master’s differences, doctoral duration, thesis defence and entry.
• MANEB: certificate equating — Comparative statements for MANEB and other O-level examining-board certificates.
• MIE: syllabus refinement, 6 October 2026 — Ongoing development of Grades 5–6 syllabuses after Grades 1–4.
• MIE: July 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Framework — Official publication landing page; consult subsequent implementation notices for the applicable cohort.

Continue exploring education

Use the eduKateSG Education Hub to connect this country guide with wider questions about learning, school transitions and family support. Compare actual programme requirements and qualifications before translating a school year or award into another education system.

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