Romania: Teacher Finalization Exam Pass Rate Surges Over 5 Points After Appeals

Romania's teacher finalization exam saw a notable increase in its pass rate, climbing over 5 percentage points to 76.68% following the resolution of appeals. This improvement marks a significant jump from the previous year's rate of 69.24%.

The examination is a crucial first professional step for teachers, transforming them from debutants into practitioners with the right to teach in state educational institutions. Passing this exam is also a mandatory requirement for those aspiring to become permanent teachers with full rights.

More than 2,000 candidates, representing over a fifth of participants, challenged their initial scores. The appeals process proved successful for 513 individuals who were initially marked as "Failed" but ultimately passed. These final results, published on July 27, 2026, are pending official validation by a ministerial order between July 30 and August 18.

Regional performance varied considerably. Galați county achieved the highest pass rate at 86.1%, followed by Cluj (83.5%), Bihor (83.1%), Botoșani (82.8%), and Dolj (82.6%). In stark contrast, Tulcea reported the lowest pass rate at 59.1%, a gap of over 24 percentage points from the leading county. Other counties like Giurgiu (64.1%), Mehedinți (66.3%), Călărași (67.7%), and Covasna (68.3%) also showed lower success rates.

Out of 9,269 candidates present, 318 withdrew, 3 were disqualified for attempted fraud, and 9 papers were annulled for rule violations. Of the 8,939 candidates with written scores, 8,009 achieved marks between 5 and 9.49 after appeals.