Overview
Saber 11 is Colombia's state exit exam for secondary school, run by ICFES (Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación). Students take it in grade 11, the final year of "educación media," typically between ages 16 and 17. ICFES runs the exam twice a year under two separate calendars — Calendario A and Calendario B — so that schools on either academic cycle can test their final-year students close to graduation. The result is used by Colombian universities as part of their admission process.
Who can apply
Grade 11 students normally register through their own school, within the registration window ICFES sets for that school's calendar. People who have already finished school (bachilleres graduados) and want to take or retake the exam can also register individually, outside a school. A candidate who is not satisfied with a past result can sit the exam again in a later cycle; fees rise for candidates sitting it for the fifth time or later.
Exam pattern
The exam is held on a single day, split into two sessions of roughly four and a half hours each (about nine hours in total, including a non-scored socioeconomic questionnaire). It covers five areas:
| Area | Approximate questions |
|---|---|
| Lectura Crítica | 41 |
| Matemáticas | 50 |
| Sociales y Ciudadanas | 50 |
| Ciencias Naturales | 58 |
| Inglés | 55 |
Lectura Crítica is answered in full during the first session and Inglés in full during the second session; Matemáticas, Sociales y Ciudadanas and Ciencias Naturales are split across both sessions.
Marking and results
Each of the five areas is reported on its own 0–100 scale. The overall ("puntaje global") score is reported on a 0–500 scale: ICFES adds the Lectura Crítica, Matemáticas, Sociales y Ciudadanas and Ciencias Naturales area scores, multiplies that sum by three, adds the Inglés area score once, divides by 13, and multiplies by five. Because of this formula, a change in any of the first four areas moves the overall score three times as much as the same-sized change in Inglés. In recent years the national average overall score has been around 250–260 out of 500.
Important dates
ICFES runs two cycles a year, each with its own registration, citation and results dates. For the cycles confirmed so far in 2026:
Calendario B 2026 (schools on the August/September–June/July academic year)
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Ordinary registration and payment | Until 19 December 2025 |
| Extraordinary registration and payment | 22 December 2025 – 16 January 2026 |
| Exam day | 15 March 2026 |
Calendario A 2026 (schools on the January/February–November/December academic year, the majority)
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Ordinary registration and payment | 9 March – 1 May 2026 |
| Extraordinary registration and payment | 4 – 22 May 2026 |
| Citations published | 10 July 2026 |
| Exam day | 26 July 2026 |
| Results published | 25 September 2026 |
ICFES publishes each cycle's exact dates on icfes.gov.co well before registration opens; confirm the current cycle there before relying on these.
Fees
For the 2026 cycles, the registration fee depends on whether the candidate is in a public or private school, and, for private-school students, on the school's monthly tuition range:
| Candidate type | Ordinary fee (COP) | Extraordinary fee (COP) |
|---|---|---|
| Public-school student | 72,000 | 108,000 |
| Private school, tuition up to 98,000 | 72,000 | 108,000 |
| Private school, tuition 98,001–176,000 | 94,000 | 141,000 |
| Private school, tuition 176,001–283,000 | 95,000 | 142,000 |
| Private school, tuition 283,001–505,000 | 100,000 | 151,000 |
| Private school, tuition 505,001–1,500,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 |
| Private school, tuition over 1,500,000 | 143,000 | 215,000 |
| Graduated bachiller, 5th attempt or later | 143,000 | 215,000 |
How to apply
Registration runs through ICFES's online PRISMA system, reached from icfes.gov.co under Exámenes → Educación Media → Saber 11° → Inscribir. School-based candidates are registered through their institution during the window ICFES sets for that school's calendar; graduated bachilleres register individually the same way. The form asks for personal, contact and academic details, and candidates must accept the exam regulations before submitting. Payment can be made online through the PSE button or in person at Davivienda or Banco de Bogotá branches, within the registration window. ICFES later publishes each candidate's citation — exam date, time and venue — on the portal.
After the exam
Individual result reports are published on icfes.gov.co and can be looked up with the candidate's registration number and ID document. Universities use the Saber 11 result, alongside their own admission criteria, to decide undergraduate admissions, and some scholarship and state-support programmes set minimum Saber 11 scores for eligibility. Saber 11 is separate from Saber Pro, which ICFES administers to students finishing an undergraduate degree and which many degree programmes require for graduation — the two exams serve different stages of education and should not be confused.
Preparation tips
Since Lectura Crítica is answered entirely in the first session, practising full-length reading sets under time pressure early pays off for pacing on exam day. Because the overall score formula counts Lectura Crítica, Matemáticas, Sociales y Ciudadanas and Ciencias Naturales three times as heavily as Inglés, spreading revision across those four areas generally raises the overall score more than the same effort spent only on Inglés.
What is the difference between Saber 11 and Saber Pro?
Saber 11 is taken at the end of secondary school (grade 11) and is used in university admissions. Saber Pro is a separate, later exam taken near the end of an undergraduate degree and is a graduation requirement for most higher-education programmes. They test different stages of education and are not interchangeable.
What is the difference between Calendario A and Calendario B?
They are the two academic cycles ICFES tests against. Calendario A covers schools whose academic year runs roughly January/February to November/December — most public and private schools in Colombia. Calendario B covers schools whose year runs roughly August/September to June/July, mostly some private and bilingual or international schools. Each cycle has its own registration, exam and results dates.
How is the Saber 11 overall score calculated?
ICFES adds the Lectura Crítica, Matemáticas, Sociales y Ciudadanas and Ciencias Naturales area scores (each on a 0–100 scale), multiplies that sum by three, adds the Inglés area score once, divides the total by 13, and multiplies by five. This gives an overall score on a 0–500 scale.
How much does Saber 11 cost to register for?
For the 2026 cycles, public-school students pay a COP 72,000 ordinary fee; private-school students pay between COP 72,000 and COP 143,000 depending on the school's tuition range; and graduated candidates sitting the exam for the fifth time or later pay COP 143,000. Fees roughly 1.5x higher apply during the extraordinary registration window. Confirm the current cycle's fees on icfes.gov.co before paying.