Overview
Egyptian technical secondary schools award technical diplomas in agriculture, commerce and industry. Since the 2022-2023 school year, hospitality and technology have been added as specialisations. The schools are overseen by the Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE).
The Ministry's own website could not be read when this page was prepared, so it is based on two secondary reports. The Nuffic page is from the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. The second source is a 2022 policy paper from the American University in Cairo. Check details such as admission scores, subjects and exam dates with the Ministry before you rely on them. These reports do not describe the exam papers or marking.
Programmes and levels
| Programme | Length | Diploma |
|---|---|---|
| Technical secondary school, three-year system | 3 years (grades 10 to 12) | Secondary school technical diploma, in agriculture, commerce or industry |
| Technical secondary school, five-year system | 5 years | Advanced technical diploma |
Students of technical secondary schools, including schools that run the dual system and applied technology schools, can follow either the three-year or the five-year route, according to the 2022 paper. It names the specialisations as industrial, agricultural, commercial and hospitality.
Nuffic reports that the first diplomas in the new hospitality and technology specialisations were expected from 2025.
Who can apply
Nuffic says the three-year technical diploma requires the Basic Education Certificate, with results that do not give access to general secondary education.
Applied technology schools, which are part of the dual system, require preparatory education certification (with minimum results that vary by school) and passing entrance exams, according to the 2022 paper.
Exam pattern
The reports describe how the programmes are organised, not the exams. In the dual system, students spend two days a week in formal education at a technical school and four days in training at a company, for three years.
After the exam
Nuffic says the three-year diploma gives access to secondary vocational education if the final result is at least 70%. In some cases it also gives access to higher education.
The 2022 paper says students with general or technical secondary certificates can enter the new technological universities.
Nuffic compares the three-year diploma with Dutch secondary vocational education (MBO) level 2 or 3, depending on the content of the programme.
How long is a technical secondary diploma in Egypt?
Three years (grades 10 to 12) for the technical diploma, or five years for the advanced technical diploma.
Which fields can I study?
Agriculture, commerce and industry. Hospitality and technology were added from the 2022-2023 school year.