Understanding the Education System of Romania

Romania’s education system runs from preschool and a five-year primary stage through gimnaziu, lyceum, occupational qualifications and university degrees.

Reviewed: 18 October 2026. This guide explains entry ages, compulsory stages, language, promotion, national examinations and concrete qualification routes. It distinguishes the 2026–27 lyceum intake from older cohorts, current bac requirements from the 2030 reform, and non-university training from university awards.

Romania education at a glance

Question	Short answer
Primary	Preparatory class plus Grades I–IV; usually entered around six
Lower secondary	Gimnaziu, Grades V–VIII
Upper secondary	Ordinary lyceum, Grades IX–XII; different pathways and modes
School examinations	Diagnostic II/IV/VI assessments, Grade VIII evaluation and bac have different purposes
Current transition	New lyceum curriculum begins with Grade IX in 2026–27
Beyond school	Occupational certificates, postlyceal study, short-cycle, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral routes

1. The school ladder, ages and the meaning of liceu

Romania’s primary stage contains a preparatory class, clasa pregătitoare, followed by Grades I–IV. It is five school years, even though the numbered grades end at four. The preparatory class helps children adapt to school routines and develop communication, confidence and sustained learning. It belongs to primary education, rather than being an extra kindergarten year. Primary-school structure.

Gimnaziu covers Grades V–VIII. Liceu normally follows for four years, Grades IX–XII; evening and reduced-frequency routes can last five. For a child entering preparatory class at six and progressing without interruption, primary broadly spans ages 6–11, lower secondary 11–15 and ordinary lyceum 15–19. These are illustrative ages, not automatic placement rules for transfers. Lower-secondary structure, Lyceum routes.

The lyceum has three filiere, or pathways. The theoretical pathway includes sciences and humanities. The technological pathway includes technical, services, and natural-resources/environment profiles. The Romanian label vocațional covers specialist routes such as arts, sport, military, theology and teacher preparation. Translating it simply as “vocational training” can therefore hide the distinction from technological occupational qualifications. Lyceum routes.

A useful way to read a school offer is to record its pathway, profile, specialization, language, study mode and intended award. A school’s name alone does not supply that information. Keep school completion, an occupational certificate and the bacalaureat examination in separate boxes: they can occur along the same journey but answer different questions about what the learner has achieved.

2. Compulsory education and what free schooling means

Law 198/2023 includes preschool, primary, lower secondary and lyceum within compulsory education. The youngest preschool group becomes compulsory only in 2030–31; the present duty covers the middle and older groups. Parents must ensure a minor’s attendance throughout compulsory education. A technological student who obtains a level-3 qualification and does not continue is treated as having completed the duty without a level-4 qualification. Compulsory state education is free under Article 135. School Education Law 198/2023.

This is a stage-based legal framework, so a slogan such as “school is compulsory until sixteen” is an unreliable substitute. Establish the learner’s actual completed stage, age, current enrolment and qualification. A decision to leave a technological programme should be based on the awarded certificate and the applicable continuation arrangements, rather than on having attended three years.

Free public education and a workable family budget are also different questions. Ask the school about meals, transport arrangements, materials, after-school provision and any optional activity before agreeing to it. A private-school fee schedule needs its own review. Do not assume that a general legal entitlement means every desired service or a place in every preferred institution is immediately available.

For a move between localities, request the receiving school’s written placement and document instructions. Keep the pupil’s completed-grade record, assessment reports and any official recognition decision together. This is especially important when a family has lived abroad: a familiar age or translated school-year label may conceal a different sequence of subjects or a missing completed year.

3. Preschool and the 2026 preparatory-class entry window

The ministry’s 2026–27 preschool FAQ distinguishes nursery provision from three months to three years and preschool from three to six. It prioritizes access for four-year-olds to the middle group and five-year-olds to the older group. Admission uses published general and school-specific criteria where applications exceed places; arriving first is not the governing selection rule. Preschool enrolment 2026–27.

For preparatory-class entry in 2026–27, children turning six by 31 August 2026 fall within the ordinary intake. Children turning six from 1 September to 31 December may enter with the required recommendation or assessment. A kindergarten recommendation applies to children who attended preschool; children who did not, including relevant returnees from abroad, use the county or Bucharest educational-resource assessment route. Preparatory-class entry 2026–27.

The same annual FAQ distinguishes the catchment school from an alternative school: validated eligible applications to the catchment school are accommodated, while another school admits within remaining places and its criteria. A justified parental request can defer entry by at most one year under the specified procedure. Check the next annual notice for a later intake rather than reusing the 2026 dates. Preparatory-class entry 2026–27.

For a child near the cutoff, bring examples of everyday communication, attention, play and self-care to the discussion. The practical question is whether the child can participate in the proposed classroom with suitable support. Practising a short explanation of a picture or counting objects during play is more informative than treating preschool as a race to finish next year’s workbook.

4. Romanian, minority languages and a changing curriculum

The national legal framework allows education in Romanian, minority languages, Romanian Sign Language and international languages. The ministry distinguishes minority-language instruction, where subjects are taught through the mother tongue apart from Romanian language and literature, from studying mother-tongue language, traditions and related subjects within another language of instruction. Ask which arrangement a school actually offers. Minority-language education.

At lyceum level, the new curriculum has an explicit cohort sequence. Order 6930/2025 applies the new subject programmes to Grade IX in 2026–27, then Grade X in 2027–28, XI in 2028–29 and XII in 2029–30. Older pupils do not all switch to the new four-year sequence at once. A timetable or examination description should therefore identify the pupil’s entry cohort. New lyceum curriculum rollout.

For a bilingual learner, compare the language of explanation, textbooks, written assessment and the eventual examination. Being conversationally confident is different from explaining a scientific process or interpreting a literary passage. A short bilingual subject glossary can help, but it should accompany complete answers and real reading rather than replace them.

If a pupil transfers during lyceum, obtain a comparison of the actual subject programmes already studied. For example, a family choosing an English-medium university course later should still examine the current school’s Romanian-language and mathematics demands. A future degree’s language does not remove the requirements of the school qualification used to enter it.

5. Primary reports and national diagnostic assessments

Current school rules use descriptive developmental assessment in preschool and preparatory class, qualifiers in Grades I–IV, and numerical marks from Grade V. Suficient means satisfactory in the primary scale. Preparatory class and Grade I do not have ordinary repetition; unresolved attendance or incomplete assessment follows separate procedures rather than being ignored. Current school assessment rules.

The national assessments at the end of Grades II, IV and VI serve a different purpose from the Grade VIII selection examination. In the 2025–26 methodology, Grade II tests written communication, reading, mathematics and environmental exploration; Grade IV includes reading comprehension and mathematics/natural sciences. Mother-tongue arrangements apply to the relevant pupils. National II, IV and VI assessment.

Individual II/IV/VI results are used for learning plans and discussion with families. They are not normally published or entered in the class grade register. The methodology permits conversion into grades or qualifiers on a written request from the pupil, parent or legal representative. National II, IV and VI assessment.

A practical response to a mathematics weakness is to check whether the child can explain the quantities before calculating. Use a short shopping receipt in Romanian lei: identify the price of one item, compare two totals and explain the change. If reading the question is the obstacle, work on the vocabulary as well as the arithmetic. Ask the teacher which of those difficulties the assessment actually showed.

6. Promotion, Grade VIII evaluation and lyceum selection

Under the ordinary promotion rule, a pupil needs at least 5 in every subject and at least 6 for conduct; primary pupils need at least Suficient. Failure in no more than two ordinary subjects leads to the resit route. Modular programmes and specialist profiles have additional provisions, including higher requirements in some arts, sport, pedagogical, theological or military settings. Current school assessment rules.

The Grade VIII national evaluation, Evaluarea Națională, is a national external assessment at the end of gimnaziu. The examination covers Romanian language and literature, mathematics, and mother-tongue language and literature for the relevant candidates. Its result has a selection role distinct from the school’s annual promotion decision. Grade VIII national evaluation.

For ordinary computerized lyceum admission in 2026–27, the admission average is the Grade VIII national-evaluation mean, calculated to two decimals without rounding. The Grades V–VIII school average is the first tie-breaker, rather than a percentage added to the admission score. Aptitude-based specialist routes have separate calculations. Candidates choosing to exclude the mother-tongue examination from the mean cannot use that choice to enter minority-language classes through computerized allocation. Lyceum admission 2026–27.

The ministry’s choices guide advises listing specializations in genuine preference order and including enough acceptable alternatives. A previous year’s final admitted score is an indicator, not a promised cutoff. Allocation must be followed by the required enrolment file. For 2027–28, the ministry published new admission drafts for consultation on 5 October 2026; applicants should use the eventual adopted rules, not treat the consultation text as final. Ministry admission choices guide, 2027–28 admission consultation.

7. Completing lyceum: the current bac and the 2030 cohort

Finishing school classes and obtaining the Diploma de bacalaureat are separate milestones. The enacted 2027 examination order, published on 7 September 2026, continues the existing bac methodology with its stated amendments. Its first session places competency assessments in April and written examinations in June. Current school-leavers should follow that order, rather than the different framework announced for 2030. Enacted 2027 bac arrangements.

The continued methodology combines language and digital competency assessment with written examinations. Written papers include Romanian, the required profile subject, a permitted subject choice and mother tongue where applicable. Passing requires participation in the required competency components or accepted recognition, at least 5 in each written paper and an overall written mean of at least 6. The rules contain a specific rounding provision for 5.99. Bac assessment methodology.

A failed overall attempt does not necessarily mean repeating every successfully completed component. The methodology provides a formal request to recognize qualifying results from earlier sessions. Confirm the current registration procedure, the component concerned and any disqualification exception with the school. Retain the official result sheet; an informal statement that a pupil “passed Romanian” is not a substitute for the recorded examination result. Bac assessment methodology.

The 2030 framework is a separate reform. Order 4138/2026 establishes its examination subjects and competencies, including two foreign-language competency assessments with differentiated target levels. It aligns with the new lyceum curriculum reaching Grade XII in 2029–30. A household with one child entering Grade IX in 2026 and another preparing for the 2027 bac therefore needs two different examination plans. Bac reform from 2030.

8. Technological, dual and postlyceal qualifications

Technological education is being reorganized from the 2026–27 intake. The new methodology brings the former three-year professional route into technological lyceums. It provides progression after Grade XI towards Grade XII, the bac and a level-4 qualification; the first Grade XI cohort under this sequence arrives in 2028–29. Do not apply that timetable retrospectively to every pupil already completing an older professional programme. Technological route from 2026–27.

Dual education combines school learning with an employer partnership and an individual practical-training contract. Its methodology distinguishes level-3 certification after Grade XI from level-4 certification after Grade XII. Level 3 has a practical examination involving a product, subassembly, service or specified operations; level 4 involves preparing and defending a project. Occupational certification and the bac remain distinct requirements to track. Dual technical training and certification.

Before choosing a dual place, ask which qualification appears in the training contract, who supervises the workplace component and how practical competence will be assessed. Compare the actual tasks with the learner’s interests: assembling a component, diagnosing a fault and documenting a process involve different demands. Check the continuation route as carefully as the first employment possibility. A partner company’s name alone does not describe the learning programme.

Postliceal education is another route. Ministry guidance describes one to three years for lyceum graduates, with or without a bac diploma. Successful certification leads to a level-5 qualification and a technician-specialist certificate. This is postsecondary non-university education. It should not be confused with a university short-cycle programme, which has a bac admission prerequisite. Postlyceal qualifications.

9. University entry and a concrete bachelor’s degree

The national bachelor’s framework normally involves 180–240 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits over three or four years. Engineering, law and pastoral theology ordinarily take four years; certain regulated integrated programmes take five or six and combine first- and second-cycle study. Entry requires the bac or an accepted equivalent. Institutions determine their own selection within the applicable national framework. National bachelor’s framework.

Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) supplies a useful 2026 admissions example. Its Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science uses a three-hour examination of twenty-four multiple-choice questions in mathematics or informatics, with an examination minimum of 5. Approved competition-result exceptions exist. This is a faculty-specific selection route: it is not a national university entrance examination or a guarantee of a place at the minimum mark. UBB bachelor’s admission 2026.

UBB’s English-language Computer Science plan for entrants in 2026 lasts six semesters and awards Licențiat în Informatică. It specifies 180 programme credits, divided into 157 compulsory and 23 optional credits, plus separate foreign-language, physical-education and final-examination credits. The final examination carries ten credits. The plan also includes a four-week, 112-hour practice period. Reading only the headline “180 credits” misses additional completion requirements. UBB Computer Science 2026–29 plan.

For the faculty’s July/September 2026 graduating cohort, completion includes a written knowledge examination and oral presentation and defence of the bachelor’s project. Each component needs at least 5 and their mean at least 6. These are current completion rules illustrating how the award is assessed; a 2026 entrant should check the rules applicable when graduating rather than assume every detail remains unchanged. UBB final examinations 2026.

A prospective computing student can test readiness with a small project that stores and searches a set of records. Explain the algorithm, test unusual inputs and document the result. Then compare that experience with the published entry syllabus and degree plan. Enjoying a software application is encouraging, but the programme also asks for mathematical reasoning, programming and assessed academic work.

10. Short-cycle study, master’s degrees and doctorates

University short-cycle study is normally two years and 120 ECTS credits at qualification level 5. Law 199/2023 requires a bac diploma or equivalent for admission. Graduates may apply for bachelor’s admission and have relevant subjects recognized under the receiving institution’s methodology. It is a progression opportunity, not automatic admission or a universal promise to remove two years from a bachelor’s programme. Higher Education Law 199/2023.

Master’s programmes are second-cycle awards, normally carrying 60–120 ECTS credits; bachelor’s and master’s study together must total at least 300. The precise duration, prior-degree relevance and selection depend on the programme. An integrated regulated qualification and a separate bachelor’s-plus-master’s sequence should be checked against their own award requirements. National master’s framework.

For UBB’s 2026 mathematics/computing master’s intake, applicants need a bachelor’s qualification, accepted language evidence and an admissible portfolio. Related-field candidates are ranked using 75% of the prior study average and 25% of the bachelor’s examination grade; other-field candidates use the specified specialist test. The minimum admission average is 6, with selection still subject to places and programme conditions. UBB master’s admission 2026.

The English-medium Software Engineering research master’s plan for 2026–28 spans four semesters. It requires 120 course credits, including 99 compulsory and 21 optional, plus ten credits for presenting and defending the dissertation. The plan specifies 192 hours of practice. The faculty’s 2026 completion rules require at least 6 for the dissertation examination. UBB Software Engineering 2026–28 plan, UBB final examinations 2026.

The doctoral framework updated in 2026 requires a master’s or legally equivalent qualification and at least 300 accumulated bachelor’s/master’s credits for admission. The ordinary duration is four years, with regulated possibilities for extension or reduction. Completion involves a public thesis defence. A degree title or elapsed time alone does not establish that the research requirements have been met. Doctoral framework, updated 2026.

UBB’s Computer Science doctoral selection combines a written examination, a research-interest/proposed-topic interview and prior-study results in a 40/40/20 weighting. Its 2026–27 doctoral plan spans eight semesters and 240 credits: thirty in advanced study and 210 in research. It requires progress presentations at least annually, a preliminary defence, a ninety-day transparency period and the public defence. These are named-school requirements, not a single credit total imposed on every Romanian doctorate. UBB Computer Science doctoral selection, UBB doctoral plan 2026–27.

11. Programme quality, foreign diplomas and the right next authority

A Romanian higher-education programme must be provisionally authorized or accredited. The ministry explains that permission is specific to the programme’s study mode, teaching language and location. External quality assessment involves the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, ARACIS, or another eligible quality agency. Check the actual programme record rather than relying on an institution’s general reputation or a partner’s logo. Programme authorization and accreditation.

For foreign qualifications, the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas, CNRED, assesses the award’s level and field, and where applicable its specialization. Its automatic-recognition route for qualifying European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss diplomas supports access to further study; the university’s specific admission criteria still apply. Academic recognition and permission to practise a regulated profession follow different checks. CNRED higher-qualification recognition.

Before paying an application fee, identify the purpose of the decision: school placement, university entry, recognition of transferred credits, employment or professional registration. Send the receiving authority the exact diploma title, awarding institution, country, campus, mode and transcript. A general answer about a university’s name may not resolve a particular cross-border or partner-delivered programme.

Keep original diplomas, final transcripts and any required certified translations available, but follow the actual procedure before commissioning documents. For a student returning after part of a degree, request a subject-by-subject credit decision and the remaining completion requirements. A recognized prior award does not necessarily mean that every previous course replaces a required course in the new programme.

12. Support, hospital schooling and a second chance

The II/IV/VI assessment methodology provides accommodations according to the pupil’s needs and documentation, including enlarged print, adapted communication, additional time in specified circumstances and supported dictation. Participation arrangements also distinguish mainstream from adapted or special curricula. Discuss the required written request and evidence with the school before the assessment. National II, IV and VI assessment.

Romania’s Școala din spital, or Hospital School, framework supports learners whose illness, treatment, monitoring or recovery prevents ordinary attendance. The ministry’s current programme hub records teacher-pool selection activity during 2026, including August results. This demonstrates implementation work, but does not establish identical provision in every hospital. Ask the hospital and school how teaching, assessment and the return to ordinary classes will be coordinated. Hospital schooling, current implementation.

A doua șansă, meaning Second Chance, offers modular routes for people who missed or did not finish basic schooling. The published 2022 rules cover primary and secondary routes and generally require being at least four years over the relevant class age. They allow assessment and recognition of prior learning; the route and remaining study depend on the learner’s starting point. Confirm the current local class and enrolment arrangements. Second Chance programme rules.

For a returning learner, collect evidence of completed grades and existing skills before choosing a timetable. Someone who can calculate accurately at work may still need help reading formal instructions or writing explanations. Ask which competencies can be assessed and recognized, which modules remain and what certificate the route actually provides. A flexible route is useful when it leads to a documented next step the learner can sustain.

13. Three decisions worked through

A child turns six in November 2026. The family should use the conditional preparatory-class procedure, not assume the ordinary August cutoff includes the child. First establish whether a kindergarten recommendation or educational-resource assessment applies. Compare the child’s participation needs with the proposed classroom, and obtain the school’s written enrolment answer before changing childcare or work arrangements.

A Grade VIII pupil has strong practical interests. Compare a technological or dual specialization with an academic route by the qualification, practical tasks and continuation options. Visit the proposed training setting if possible and ask how the workplace work is assessed. Keep the occupational-certificate decision separate from the later bac decision. A route can be practical and still preserve further study, but the specific sequence must be checked.

A lyceum graduate has not passed the bac. A postliceal option may be available under its published entry rules, while university short-cycle and bachelor’s entry require the bac or accepted equivalent. Compare the actual award and intended destination before enrolling. If the long-term goal requires university entry, include an examination-recovery plan rather than assume a later certificate will automatically replace the bac.

For each decision, write a one-page route map with six items: current completed stage, exact next qualification, entry evidence, assessed completion tasks, available support and the following progression route. Put the cohort year beside every rule. This helps a family avoid combining a 2026 school-entry notice, a future examination proposal and an older university prospectus into one apparently simple but incorrect plan.

14. Frequently asked questions

Is preparatory class part of primary school? Yes. It precedes Grades I–IV within the five-year primary stage. A school-year number should be compared with completed study, not age alone. Primary-school structure.

Is every preschool group already compulsory? No. The youngest group’s compulsory status is scheduled for 2030–31; the present framework includes the middle and older groups. School Education Law 198/2023.

Does a Grade II, IV or VI test decide lyceum admission? No. Those assessments guide learning. Grade VIII evaluation has the separate selection role described in chapter 6.

Does completing Grade XII mean passing the bac? No. School completion, the bac and any occupational certificate need to be checked separately. Read the official result for each required component.

Can a pupil use the 2030 bac rules in 2027? No. The enacted 2027 order applies to that examination. The new curriculum and future bac have their own cohort schedule. Enacted 2027 bac arrangements.

Can someone study after lyceum without a bac diploma? Some postliceal routes accept lyceum graduates without it. That does not remove university entry requirements; check the exact programme and award. Postlyceal qualifications.

Is a recognized overseas diploma a guaranteed university place? No. Recognition and the institution’s selection decision are separate. Subject relevance, language evidence and capacity can still matter.

Does “180 credits” describe every requirement for a bachelor’s degree? Not necessarily. Read the full plan, including any separately listed language, practice or final-examination requirements, as the UBB example shows.

Sources and checking the next step

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Confirm the applicable ministry notices, school assessment and examination rules and programme admission requirements for the relevant cohort. Recognition, quality decisions and financial eligibility should be checked for their specific purpose.

• School Education Law 198/2023
• Primary-school structure
• Lower-secondary structure
• Lyceum routes
• Preschool enrolment 2026–27
• Preparatory-class entry 2026–27
• Minority-language education
• Current school assessment rules
• National II, IV and VI assessment
• Grade VIII national evaluation
• Lyceum admission 2026–27
• Ministry admission choices guide
• 2027–28 admission consultation
• New lyceum curriculum rollout
• Enacted 2027 bac arrangements
• Bac assessment methodology
• Bac reform from 2030
• Technological route from 2026–27
• Dual technical training and certification
• Postlyceal qualifications
• Higher Education Law 199/2023
• National bachelor’s framework
• National master’s framework
• Doctoral framework, updated 2026
• UBB bachelor’s admission 2026
• UBB Computer Science 2026–29 plan
• UBB final examinations 2026
• UBB master’s admission 2026
• UBB Software Engineering 2026–28 plan
• UBB Computer Science doctoral selection
• UBB doctoral plan 2026–27
• Programme authorization and accreditation
• CNRED higher-qualification recognition
• Second Chance programme rules
• Hospital schooling, current implementation

Continue exploring education systems

This guide belongs to eduKate’s planned 195-country education-system series. Compare the Bhutan education-system guide for a different school and qualification structure, or browse the country guides in the Education Hub.

Continue exploring Romania: Read How Romania Works for the government, geography, infrastructure, economy and daily-life systems behind this education guide. See the How Countries Work A–Z directory for the complete 195-country collection.