Pre-school education School education – basic and secondary - Two terms - The school year starts on 15 September and ends in May, June or July (depends on the grade) Higher education – specialist, bachelor, master

Children from 3 to 6/7 years old Non-compulsory 1 year preparatory education

Compulsory Two stages: - Primary education: 1-4 grade (diploma for completed primary education) - Lower Secondary education: 5-8 grade - (diploma for completed basic education) State, municipal or private schools Possible professional qualification after 6-th, 7-th or 8-th grade

3, 4 or 5 years of studying Admission after 7-th or 8-th grade Non-compulsory Types: - General (3 or 4 years) - Profiled (4 or 5 years, entry exams): sports, languages, economics, mathematics, IT, arts - Vocational (4 or 5 years): technical or other

Special education: for children with special needs State schools only Entirely supported by the State

Graduation exams - Bulgarian language and literature - Additional exam on subject from the general or profiled curriculum Students with marks very good (5) or higher are released from graduation exam

Colleges – specialist (3 years) Universities and Higher education schools – bachelor (4 years), master (5 years, or 4+1 or 2) PhD – master + 3 years; doctoral thesis Entry exams: different type and number (depends on the HEI, rarely tests) ECTS – though supported by the law, it is not introduced yet