Romanian lawmakers move to delay or abolish separate high school admission exams

Competing parliamentary proposals

Romanian lawmakers submitted three separate legislative initiatives on 19 August 2026 to halt or delay the introduction of independent high school entrance examinations. Under the 2023 Pre-university Education Law, individual high schools gained the right to organize their own entrance tests for up to 50% of their available seats starting with the 2026–2027 academic year. The opposition party Save Romania Union (USR), through deputies Corina Atanasiu and Senator Ștefan Pălărie, introduced a bill to repeal the parallel admission mechanism entirely, retaining the single computer-based allocation system based solely on the National Evaluation.

In contrast, ruling coalition members proposed deferrals rather than outright repeal. National Liberal Party (PNL) deputy Raluca Turcan submitted a bill seeking a four-year postponement, arguing the testing model should only apply to cohorts entering fifth grade in the 2026–2027 school year, thereby pushing implementation to 2030. Meanwhile, Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputy and Education Commission chairman Mihai Ghigiu filed a draft law proposing a two-year delay, stating that the current methodology does not inspire citizen trust.

Ministry stance and regulatory framework

The contentious framework permits high schools to test applicants across a maximum of two subjects, restricted to students who achieve at least a grade of 5 in each subject of the mandatory National Evaluation. While the Ministry of Education recently released a draft ministerial order for public consultation regarding testing calendars and subjects, Education Minister Mihai Dimian stated that Romania remains unprepared for the second examination layer. Dimian noted on social media that school administrative boards determine local admission criteria rather than the ministry.

We are not truly prepared for such an admission contest. I mean as a system, as a society, not as a ministry.

Dimian acknowledged that while profile-specific testing allows students to demonstrate proficiency in relevant disciplines such as chemistry or biology, alternative assessment methods during gymnasium could achieve the same objective without a second exam.

Parent groups and equity concerns

Parent federations and student organizations have strongly criticized the decentralized testing model, pointing to structural vulnerabilities in evaluation integrity and social equity. Cătălin Viorel Nan, president of the National Parents' Federation EDUPAR, noted that current regulations lack mandatory audio-video monitoring, do not guarantee strict paper anonymization, and allow teachers with family ties to candidates to sit on exam commissions. USR representatives and parent associations state that parallel testing will drive demand for private tutoring, systematically placing candidates from rural areas or lower-income families at a disadvantage.

A selection test organized by high schools, added on top of the National Evaluation, would accentuate one of the most serious problems of Romanian schooling: the lack of equal opportunities.

High school responses and school zoning ideas

Institutional resistance among prominent high schools has also grown. Liliana Zacheievici, director of the Mihai Viteazul National College in Bucharest, indicated that her institution will probably decline to organize the separate admission contest, calling the current proposal an unworkable hybrid. Classroom teachers have proposed alternative models, including suggestions to assign students to high schools based on residential proximity rather than examination tiers, aiming to curb nepotism and equalize educational access across districts.