High-school entrance exam could take effect if Parliament delays legislation, education minister warns

Romania’s separate high-school admission exam could become applicable as early as the 2026-27 school year if Parliament fails to amend the legislation in time, Education Minister Mihai Dimian has warned.

Dimian said lawmakers would need to include an explicit exemption from Article 10(2) of the pre-university education law if they want a repeal or postponement to take effect in 2026-27. Without that provision, changes would apply from the first day of the school year after the law is adopted, meaning 2027-28.

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If Parliament wants the repeal or postponement to take effect from the 2026-27 school year, the legislative proposal must also contain an explicit exemption from Article 10(2) of the pre-university education law.

Until any amendment enters into force, the Education and Research Ministry must apply the existing law. That includes publishing the admission methodology and calendar. The ministry is also reviewing proposals submitted during a public consultation.

If separate entrance exams go ahead, a revised framework methodology would include audio and video monitoring, secure and anonymized written papers, digital evaluation through the same application used for national exams, and rules to prevent conflicts of interest. Dimian said the aim was to ensure that any such competition met standards at least equal to those used in national examinations. If Parliament repeals or postpones the provisions and the new law takes effect for 2026-27, the ministry will adjust the methodology and calendar accordingly.

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Until the law is amended and enters into force, the Ministry of Education and Research is obliged to apply the law currently in force.