Over 2 Million Students Begin Preparatory Certificate Exams in Egypt

Start of Preparatory Certificate Exams.

The Ministry of Education and Technical Education has announced that a total of 2,028,987 students across Egypt have registered to take the second semester exams for the preparatory certificate for the academic year 2025/2026.

The exams, which commenced on Thursday, are being conducted in a calm and orderly manner, with educational directorates overseeing the process in accordance with directives from the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry has instructed educational directors to maintain strict control over the preparatory certificate exams and to combat cheating among students. This includes enforcing Law No. 205 of 2020 concerning violations of exam integrity and Ministerial Decision No. 24 of 2018 regarding conditions for canceling exams or barring students from them.

Most governorates are implementing the booklet system for the preparatory certificate exams, as per Ministry guidelines, aiming to reduce cheating and prevent the distribution of exam papers via electronic cheating platforms by integrating question papers with answer sheets.

The examinations will continue until Thursday, June 11, 2026.

The preparatory certificate exams are crucial for students, as their scores determine the type of secondary education they will pursue—whether general secondary education, technical education, or other specialized schools that have specific admission criteria, such as STEM schools for gifted students in science and technology, Ain Shams School for Gifted Students, applied technology schools, and the Egyptian-Japanese School Institute.

The preparatory certificate exams are conducted over two semesters with a total score of 280 points—140 points allocated for each semester—all designated for examinations without including coursework grades.

Students need more than 200 points to qualify for general secondary education and applied technology schools, while over 250 points are required for admission to gifted schools.