Jordan’s Tawjihi and Secondary Pathway Passport
A route map from the Grade 9 pathway decision through three-year secondary education, academic assessment, BTEC study, school completion, and public-university admission.
Pathway Choice
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Jordan’s education system follows a nationally regulated route from early education through middle and secondary education, with academic and vocational-technical options during the final three school years. Under Education and Human Resources Development Law No. 13 of 2026, secondary education begins in Grade 10 rather than Grade 11. The law also separates successful completion of Grade 12 from the national general examination used for higher education admission.
Students normally progress from kindergarten and early school grades into a common school programme, then move toward academic Tawjihi examinations or vocational qualifications such as BTEC. Education policy and administration have also been reorganized under the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, which brings school and higher education responsibilities under the new legal structure.
Secondary route decision
The Grade 9 Decision That Reshapes Secondary School
Jordan's academic–vocational pathway decision precedes Grade 10, the first year of secondary education under the 2026 law.
The transition after Grade 9 is the clearest way to understand the Jordanian secondary route. Under reforms introduced from the 2024–2025 school year, students are directed toward an academic pathway or a vocational-technical pathway. Grade 10 serves as an introductory year within secondary education before the academic general examination components in Grades 11 and 12.
The reform also moved away from treating the former scientific, literary, and other traditional branches as the only organizing structure, introducing academic fields linked more directly to later study and occupational directions. [a]
Students enter a guided pathway decision shaped by achievement, interests, programme availability, and applicable placement criteria.
Academic study continues through Grades 10–12, with nationally assessed common subjects and later field-specific examination components.
Applied learning, practical assignments, and occupational specialization provide a parallel route with its own qualification and progression requirements.
The pathway decision does not remove the possibility of later progression. Eligibility for another programme depends on the qualification earned, any equivalency requirements, available places, and the rules of the receiving institution. Grade 9 therefore marks an educational direction rather than a universal examination that permanently determines every future study option.
School sequence under the 2026 law
Early, Middle, and Secondary Education in Jordan
Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2026 defines the legal stages by school grade, while compulsory government education continues through Grade 10.
Jordan's former description of ten years of basic education followed by two years of secondary education no longer matches the legal classification. Article 11 of the Education and Human Resources Development Law No. 13 of 2026, published in Official Gazette Issue 6050 on 14 May 2026, establishes early education, middle education, secondary education, and higher education as the recognized stages. [b]
| Education stage | Grades or duration | Typical ages | Role in the route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early education | Kindergarten and Grades 1–3 | Kindergarten about 4–5; Grades 1–3 about 6–8 | Pre-primary preparation and the first three years of formal schooling. |
| Middle education | Grades 4–9 | About 9–14 | Common schooling leading toward the academic or vocational-technical secondary pathway decision. |
| Secondary education | Grades 10–12 | About 15–17/18 | Three-year academic or vocational-technical education, with school completion and applicable national examination requirements. |
| Higher education | Intermediate diploma, bachelor's, and later qualifications | Usually 18+ | University or college study after meeting the relevant examination, qualification, and admission requirements. |
The ages are approximate and assume ordinary entry and uninterrupted progression. Under Article 11, a child may enter Grade 1 if the child has completed six years of age by the end of December in the school year of admission.
Education from Grade 1 through Grade 10 remains compulsory and free in government educational institutions. The new legal stage boundaries do not shorten this obligation.
Grade 10 is both part of compulsory education and the first year of secondary education. These classifications describe different legal requirements and can apply to the same school year.
In everyday descriptions, terms such as primary school and lower secondary school may still be used for parts of the route. They should not be confused with the stages established by the 2026 law. The legal boundary between middle and secondary education now falls between Grades 9 and 10, while the compulsory-education boundary remains after Grade 10.
Article 12 also provides for a school year with at least 200 actual instructional days, ordinarily divided into two semesters, subject to the statutory provisions for licensed foreign programmes and exceptional arrangements. The Ministry publishes the applicable school calendar and administrative instructions.
National examination sequence
Tawjihi Across Grades 11 and 12
The national general examination is assessed through the final two secondary grades, while successful Grade 12 school completion produces a separate certificate.
Tawjihi is the familiar name associated with Jordan's General Secondary Education Examination. Under the reformed academic route, the national examination is organized across Grades 11 and 12 rather than operating solely as a single examination at the end of Grade 12. Grade 10 prepares students for the later academic fields but is not an additional third year of the general examination.
- Grade 10: Academic preparation and orientation toward the subjects and fields available in the later secondary years.
- Grade 11: School-based study and the first national general examination component in common subjects, after meeting the applicable school success requirements.
- Grade 12: Field-specific study and national examination components linked to the student's academic area and eligible higher education programmes.
- General examination result: A separately issued examination certificate recording the relevant field or specialization and used in higher education admission.
Four Academic Fields for the 2026–2027 Plan
Changes approved for the 2026–2027 school year reduce the number of Grade 12 academic fields from six to four. The approved fields are Health; Science, Technology and Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Business.
The revised plan also places mathematics among the Grade 11 ministerial examination subjects alongside Arabic, Islamic education, and Jordanian history. English becomes a compulsory examination subject across the four Grade 12 academic fields. These arrangements apply according to the implementation rules for the relevant school cohort. [c]
| Stage | Assessment focus | Role in the general examination |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | Arabic, mathematics, Islamic education, and Jordanian history | Common ministerial assessment component, accounting for 30% of the combined result under the applicable two-year arrangement. |
| Grade 12 | Field-related subjects and compulsory English | Final field-based assessment component, accounting for the remaining 70% under the applicable arrangement. |
Placement into the four academic fields also has its own rules. For the revised plan, student preference is the primary consideration, alongside the capacity available in each field. Where demand exceeds capacity, the Ministry has indicated that school achievement may be used for selection, drawing on the average school marks from Grades 10 and 11. These arrangements concern academic-field allocation rather than the legal classification of secondary education. [d]
School Completion and the General Examination Are Different Outcomes
Article 13 of Law No. 13 of 2026 distinguishes two official outcomes. A student who successfully completes Grade 12 at school receives a secondary school completion certificate in the academic or vocational-technical pathway. Separately, the Ministry administers the general examination, which can be conducted on paper or electronically, and issues an examination certificate identifying the field or specialization.
The school-leaving certificate records successful completion of secondary schooling. The general examination certificate supplies the examination result used for eligible admission to higher education. Passing Grade 12 does not automatically establish eligibility for every university programme, and the general examination should not be described as the sole means by which students obtain their school completion certificate.
This distinction also applies when comparing school-leaving and university-entry pathways across education systems: completion documents, external examination results, equivalency decisions, and competitive admission requirements can serve separate functions.
Subject combinations, weightings, examination scheduling, retake arrangements, and field eligibility must be checked against the instructions for the student's own cohort. Older descriptions based only on the former scientific and literary branches may not represent the revised academic-field structure.
Applied secondary education
BTEC and Jordan’s Vocational Secondary Route
Vocational-technical study is a recognized secondary pathway alongside academic education, with distinct assessment and progression requirements.
BTEC programmes emphasize applied assignments, technical competence, and evidence of performance rather than relying entirely on one national written examination.
The next step depends on the qualification earned, its recognized status, programme conditions, and current admission policy.
The Ministry's BTEC programme describes the qualification as an internationally used technical and vocational programme applied in Jordan. [e] Schools may offer different specializations and facilities, so the route available to one student may not exist in every directorate or school.
Under the 2026 law, the vocational-technical pathway forms part of secondary education in Grades 10–12. Successful school-based completion of Grade 12 qualifies a student for the secondary school completion certificate in that pathway. BTEC qualifications and any additional admission or equivalency conditions must be considered separately.
BTEC should not be reduced to an alternative for students who do not take academic Tawjihi. It provides a different educational route with applied learning and its own progression options. It also does not guarantee entry to every university major. Admission depends on the specialization, qualification recognition, examination requirements where applicable, and the receiving institution's approved rules.
National education governance
Who Sets School and University Rules in Jordan
The 2026 legislation brings school and higher education responsibilities under the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.
Law No. 13 of 2026 reorganized Jordan's national education administration. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development became the legal successor to the former Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Education and Human Resources Development Council was established to set national education policy and approve matters within its statutory responsibilities.
Sets general education policy, approves educational strategies and study plans, and exercises assigned responsibilities concerning curricula, higher education institutions, and admission policy.
Implements national education policy, administers school education and general examinations, supervises relevant education directorates, and carries out its higher education responsibilities.
Develop or evaluate curricula, textbooks, learning materials, and student assessment arrangements according to their assigned institutional responsibilities.
Manage local implementation, school staffing and administration, programme delivery, and the applicable school-level assessment and attendance procedures.
The Education and Human Resources Development Council held its first session in August 2026, addressing responsibilities established by Article 10 of the new law, including education policy and higher education governance. [f]
Jordan remains a nationally directed education system rather than a federal or province-led model. Local circumstances nevertheless affect programme availability, class capacity, school shifts, facilities, and access to particular vocational specializations.
Some official websites and administrative documents continue to use the earlier ministry names or domain addresses. These legacy labels should not be mistaken for a continuation of the previous legal division of responsibilities. Current institutional arrangements and administrative procedures should be checked against the 2026 legislation and subsequent official instructions.
School provision
Public, Private, UNRWA, and International Programme Routes
Provider type and curriculum type affect school administration, qualifications, and recognition requirements in different ways.
Article 8 of the 2026 law continues the national supervision of private educational institutions and regulates the teaching of approved foreign programmes. Schools offering foreign curricula remain subject to the applicable rules concerning shared national subjects, licensing, and oversight.
Attending an international school does not remove the need to satisfy Jordanian recognition requirements when a foreign qualification is used for local university admission or another regulated purpose. The Ministry's private education administration maintains information on private-school supervision and the equivalency arrangements relevant to British, International Baccalaureate, American, and other programmes. [g]
School calendars and administrative arrangements can also differ between government schools, private schools, and UNRWA schools. The current calendar and examination instructions take precedence over older school-year descriptions.
Public-university placement
From Tawjihi Results to Unified Admission
School completion, general examination results, programme eligibility, and competitive placement operate as separate admission conditions.
The Unified Admission Coordination Unit manages the electronic application and allocation process for designated public-university and intermediate diploma programmes. Applicants must satisfy the relevant recognized qualification requirements, general examination or equivalent conditions, and field eligibility rules for their selected programmes.
The student must meet the applicable secondary qualification and general examination requirements, including any accepted foreign-certificate equivalency.
The applicant submits eligible university or college programmes through the Unified Admission Coordination Unit during the announced application period.
Allocation depends on the applicable competitive results and available places, not simply on successful completion of secondary school.
The August 2026 admission announcement for the 2026–2027 academic year illustrates the current process. Applications for regular bachelor's admission to public universities were accepted electronically through the Unified Admission Coordination Unit, with a published application window, minimum submission average, and payment instructions. [h] These were requirements for that specific admission cycle, not permanent thresholds for every later intake.
How Qualification and Placement Decisions Differ
A student may successfully complete Grade 12 and receive the school completion certificate but still need the general examination result required for an intended university programme. Another applicant may have an accepted examination result yet be ineligible for a particular major because the examination field does not meet its entry conditions.
An eligible student may also fail to receive a preferred place if the competitive average exceeds the student's score or the allocated seats are filled. Transfer opportunities and alternative programme choices depend on the published rules for the relevant cycle.
After secondary school
Universities, Community Colleges, and Degree Routes
Jordanian higher education includes university degrees, intermediate diplomas, and applied study routes with distinct admission requirements.
Students enter an eligible major at a public or private university, with admission conditions determined by the relevant national policy, institution, and programme.
Community-college programmes can provide occupational preparation, a post-secondary qualification, or progression toward later study where approved regulations allow.
The 2026 law places higher education policy within the responsibilities of the reorganized national education authorities, while universities, colleges, and accreditation bodies retain their respective functions under applicable legislation.
Admission to private universities is not identical to the Unified Admission process for regular public-university places. Applicants with foreign qualifications may also need an official equivalency decision, and international applicants may follow separate procedures.
Jordanian terminology can obscure the route for readers unfamiliar with the system. An official university generally refers to a public university. An intermediate diploma is a post-secondary college qualification rather than a bachelor's degree. Parallel and international university programmes describe particular admission or fee arrangements, not separate levels of academic degrees.
Recognition, accreditation, tuition arrangements, programme eligibility, and credit-transfer conditions require checking with the receiving institution. They may differ across universities and change between admission cycles.
Current reform context
The 2026–2030 Education Plan and Changing Requirements
The legal school stages are now defined by the 2026 law, while curriculum delivery, assessment procedures, and admissions continue to be administered through separate instructions.
Jordan officially launched its Education Strategic Plan 2026–2030 in June 2026. Developed with UNESCO support, the plan addresses foundational learning, inclusion, digital education, teacher development, student progression, skills, and climate-responsive education. [i]
For students and families, the most change-sensitive details are Tawjihi subject combinations, academic-field allocation, examination weighting, retake procedures, BTEC specializations, foreign-certificate equivalency, university entry requirements, competitive averages, and application deadlines.
These details should be checked with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, the Unified Admission Coordination Unit, the relevant school, or the receiving university before a consequential education decision. Published admission instructions for an earlier cohort should not automatically be applied to a student following the revised 2026–2027 academic plan.
Education Benchmark is an independent informational guide and is not affiliated with any ministry of education, school authority, exam board, university, government agency, or official ranking organization. The information here explains the education route and does not replace official admission, equivalency, legal, visa, or school-placement guidance.
Reference trail
Sources and Verification
- [a] Jordan ‘Tawjihi’ to Become a Two-Year Program Starting 2024–2025 — Used for the Grade 9 pathway decision, Grade 10 preparation, and introduction of the two-year academic examination route. (Reliable because AACRAO is a professional association specializing in admissions, academic records, and educational credentials.)
- [b] Jordanian Official Gazette, Issue 6050 — Education and Human Resources Development Law No. 13 of 2026 — Primary legal source for the school stages, compulsory and free education, Grade 1 entry conditions, school-year provisions, secondary completion certificates, general examination distinctions, and national education governance. Articles 11, 12, 13, and 23–24 are particularly relevant. (Reliable because this is the official gazette publication maintained by the Jordanian Prime Ministry.)
- [c] Education Council Approves Amendments to the General Secondary Study Plan — 13 January 2026 — Used for the four academic fields, compulsory English in Grade 12 examination arrangements, and the addition of mathematics to the Grade 11 ministerial subjects from 2026–2027. (Reliable because Jordan's national news agency published the Education Council's official decision.)
- [d] Ministry Explanation of Grade 11 Allocation to the Four Academic Fields — 1 February 2026 — Used for student preferences, field capacity, and the limited use of Grades 10 and 11 school averages when demand exceeds available places. (Reliable because Petra records the Ministry's published explanation of the revised field-allocation procedure.)
- [e] About BTEC Jordan — Used for the description of BTEC as a technical and vocational education programme applied in Jordan. (Reliable because it is the official BTEC information platform operated through Jordan's education administration.)
- [f] Education and Human Resources Development Council Holds Its First Session — 30 August 2026 — Used for the operation of the reorganized national education council and its statutory responsibilities after the 2026 law took effect. (Reliable because it is an official Jordanian ministry announcement.)
- [g] Private Education Administration — Used for private-school oversight and the recognition arrangements concerning British, International Baccalaureate, American, and other foreign educational programmes. (Reliable because it is the official ministry administration responsible for private educational provision.)
- [h] Unified Admission Applications for Public Universities, Academic Year 2026–2027 — Used for the electronic admission procedure, the August 2026 application cycle, eligibility requirements, and cycle-specific application instructions. (Reliable because it is an official announcement by Jordan's Unified Admission Coordination Unit.)
- [i] UNESCO and the Ministry of Education Launch Jordan's Education Strategic Plan 2026–2030 — Used for the June 2026 launch date and the plan's priorities concerning foundational learning, inclusion, digital education, teacher development, skills, and climate-responsive schools. (Reliable because UNESCO directly supported and documented the official national education plan.)