Types of institutions

According to the provisions of the Education Code the post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education in Moldovan correspond to the following ISCED levels:

• ISCED 4 – post-secondary vocational education and training, organised in Colleges (Colegii)

• ISCED 5 – post-secondary non-tertiary vocational education and training, organised in Centres of Excellence (Centre de Excelență)

Institutions that offer secondary, post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education programmes may form consortia with technical vocational education and/or higher education institutions under the conditions of the law.

Geographical accessibility

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, in the study year 2024/2025, the post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education is organised in 14 Centres of Excellence and 35 Colleges distributed throughout Moldovan cities and administrative districts. 

Most colleges are located in big cities (Chișinău, Bălți, Soroca and Comrat) and in some of the territorial administrative districts (Cahul, Orhei, Ungheni, Edineț, Hîncești, Ocnița, Râșcani and Strășeni). 

Regarding the centers of excellences, the vast majority are in Chișinău – 11 units and one center each in Balti, Dondușeni (Țaul village) and Ungheni. 

There is no transportation available for pupils from post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education institutions. Pupils leaving at big distances from the institutions have access to dormitories at affordable prices. 

Admission requirements and choice of school

The admission to post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education programmes is carried out based on the Regulation for Organising and Conducting Admission to Technical Vocational Education and Training Programmes.

The admission competition is organised through the information system, on the website https://eadmitere.sime.md/ or by the educational institutions, to the provisionally authorised/accredited post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education programmes, depending on the language of instruction and the source of funding (from the state budget, study fees), within the limits of the approved admission plan.

Candidates for vocational upper secondary education programmes can enrol in studies:

A. For post-secondary technical vocational education programmes:

• with a duration of 5 years, for integrated programmes, in the field of education “Health”, based on the certificate of lower secondary education studies (or an equivalent study certificate);

• with a duration of 4 years, for integrated programmes, based on the certificate of lower secondary education studies (or an equivalent study certificate);

• with a duration of 3 years, for integrated programmes in choreography and educator’s assistant, based on the certificate of lower secondary education studies (or an equivalent study certificate);

• with a duration of 3 years, in part-time education, based on the certificate of upper secondary education studies (baccalaureate diploma), or an equivalent study certificate, the certificate of general secondary studies;

• with a duration of 2 - 3 years, in full-time education, on the basis of the upper secondary education studies (or an equivalent study certificate), / the certificate of general secondary education, the qualification certificate for the specialties related to the initial job (or an equivalent degree certificate);

• with a duration of 2 - 3 years, through dual education, on the basis of upper secondary education studies certificate (or an equivalent document of studies)/the certificate of general secondary studies, the qualification certificate related to the initial job (or an equivalent document of studies).

B. In post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education programmes:

• with a duration of 4 - 5 years, for integrated programmes, in the field of education “Pedagogy and the education sciences”, based on certificate of lower secondary education studies (or an equivalent study document);

• with a duration of 2 - 3 years, in full-time education, based on the baccalaureate diploma (or an equivalent study document).

• with a duration of 2-3 years, through dual education, based on the baccalaureate diploma (or an equivalent study document).

Citizens of the Republic of Moldova who have graduated from an educational institution abroad can also apply for the admission competition with funding from the state budget.

Citizens of other states and stateless persons residing in the Republic of Moldova can participate in the admission competition on the basis of international treaties, international/regional projects/programmes to which the Republic of Moldova is a party or on the basis of individual contracts concluded with educational institutions, in accordance with the Regulation on the Studies of Foreigners in Educational Institutions in the Republic of Moldova. 

Holders of professional studies diploma, bachelor's and master's degree diploma are not allowed to register for post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education programmes funded by the state budget. 

Special provisions:

1) 15% of the total number of places (for each specialty/occupation), provided for in the admission plan with funding from the state budget, will be allocated for the following categories of candidates:

• candidates with severe, pronounced, and medium disability;

• candidates left without parental care;

• candidates who have at least one parent with a severe disability;

• candidates who have at least one parent who participated in the military actions for the defence of the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova, in the combat actions in Afghanistan or in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl; 

• candidates coming from families with four or more children, under the care on their parents;

• candidates of Roma ethnicity.

2) 25% of the total number of places (for each programme), as specified in the admission plan with state funding, for the specialities in the field of education “Pedagogy and education sciences” and for candidates who present the study recommendation of the local specialised body in the field of education.

3) 25% of the total number of places (in each programme), as specifies in the admission plan with state funding, for the programmes in “Nursing”, qualification: “Medical Assistant” within the field of education Health, for candidates who present a study recommendation from a medical institution.

In the absence of requests from the candidates mentioned in special provisions, the places with funding from the state budget provided for this purpose will be distributed by the vocational education institutions to the candidates in the general competition.

At the rate of 15% of the total number of places provided for in the admission plan with funding from the state budget, registration is carried out in descending order of competition averages. Candidates who did not pass the competition at the 15% rate participate in the general competition.

To enrol in the admissions competition, the candidate will submit the file within a single educational institution. The file is submitted physically or in electronic format on the website https://eadmitere.sime.md/.

The candidate file includes:

1) the registration form for the admission competition;

2) copy of the identity document (any identity document containing IDNP, including the provisional identity card);

3) the original study certificate with the respective annex. If the file is submitted electronically, the study document will be uploaded in pdf/png/jpg format, and the original must be presented after the announcement of the results of the admission competition within the established term;

4) 4 color photographs (3x4 cm). If the file is submitted electronically, the candidate will upload a photo in pdf/png/jpg format, and after the announcement of the results, it will be presented to the educational institution in the established manner;

5) proof of payment of the registration fee. Children left without parental care are exempt from paying the registration fee.

The registration form for the admission competition is completed electronically by the candidate or, if the candidate submits the competition file physically, it is completed in the presence of the candidate by the member of the admission committee appointed as operator.

The admission competition based on a tuition fee contract in public and private educational institutions is carried out according to similar criteria.

Candidates fill in and sign a declaration regarding the authenticity and legality of the documents presented. In the case of minor candidates, the declaration will be completed by one of the parents or the legal guardian.

The admission competition takes place based on the competition average, calculated from the average of the graduation exam grade and the grade for profile subjects calculated according to the Regulation for Organising and Conducting Admission to Vocational Education and Training Programmes.

For dual education training programmes, at the request of the economic agent, the candidate takes an aptitude test. The way of organising and conducting the skills test is established by the economic agent through coordination with the educational institution.

The withdrawal of the application file from the competition is done through a request indicating complete removal from the online admission system, and it is also specified that the fee paid for submitting the file is non-refundable and the person has lost the candidate status.

Appeals must be submitted no later than 48 hours from the moment of displaying the intermediate or final results, including for aptitude tests. The committee examines the candidate's appeal request and presents the resolution conclusions to the President of the Admission Committee. The decisions of the Appeals Committee are final and communicated to the candidate within 48 hours from the moment the appeal request is registered.

The Appeals Committee is composed of a President and 2-3 members. For dual education, these members are delegated by the economic agent for the vocational training programmes that include aptitude tests, if such tests are mentioned in the current Regulations. The President and members of the Appeals Committee cannot be members of the Admission Committee. The composition of the committee is approved by the order of the director of the educational institution.

Age levels and grouping of pupils

The common age level for post-secondary technical vocational education in Moldova is 15-19 years and 17-21 years for post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education. Older pupils can also study in this study programme, according to national legislation in this field. 

The number of pupils in a group is between 25-30. In case of dual vocational education, the number of pupils in a group is determined separately.

The education process is structured by disciplines. Different teachers teach separate profile disciplines. 

Depending on the specifics of the professional training programme and subjects, practical and/or laboratory classes can be held in subgroups.

Organisation of the school year

According to the Framework Plan for Secondary, Post-secondary and Post-secondary Non-tertiary Vocational Education,, the academic year begins on September 1 and lasts up to 42 weeks, including two relatively equal semesters, two exam sessions, internships, vacations. The semester length for didactic activities, as a rule, is 15 weeks. Exceptions are allowed for the field of education "Law", "Health", "Pedagogy and the education sciences", "Engineering and engineering activities" and "Agriculture".

Post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational education and training is organised as full-time or part-time education.

Exam sessions are scheduled for 1-4 weeks each semester. In order to clear the academic arrears, two repeated examination sessions of 1-2 weeks are additionally scheduled, which are not included in the schedule of the educational process.

The schedule of the repeated session for the clearing of academic arrears is approved by the director's order, upon the decision of the Board of Directors.

As a rule, the timetable is drawn up for one semester of studies. The maximum number of lessons included in the timetable will not exceed 8 academic hours in one day. It is not allowed to exclude/substitute the general culture subjects/mandatory modules or to modify of the number of hours.

For graduate groups, during the last week, a schedule of preparation activities for the qualification exam may be established.

During the academic year, the following vacations are scheduled: 

• winter vacation of up to 2 weeks, 

• spring vacation – 1 week and 

• summer vacation of at least 8 weeks.

Planning the internships is mandatory. These are organised in alternation with theoretical classes or separately (in stages, in compact periods of time), depending on the study programme for the respective specialty.

Organisation of the school day and week

The duration of the study week in post-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary technical vocational education is 5 days with a weekly number of up to 30 hours of direct contact for the mandatory course units and up to 34 hours per week, including the optional and freely chosen course units. 

In the fields of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Arts, Sports, Pedagogy and Law, the number of direct contact hours can be up to 36 hours.

According to the Regulation on Practical Training Placements in Production within Secondary Technical Vocational Education the educational process  is carried out in groups of pupils, according to the number of pupils, approved by the Admission Plan.

The conventional/academic teaching-learning-evaluation hour in vocational technical education lasts 45 minutes. The unit of time for a teaching-learning-evaluation and practical training activity can be of two conventional hours and constitute 90 minutes respectively.

The training process is carried out through lessons, practical and laboratory work carried out in laboratories, workshops, didactic households, practical training courses and in production through technical creativity circles, artistic activities, sports sections or other extracurricular activities that are carried out according to the priority educational objectives, embodied in the education plans, methodical instructions, orders, provisions of the Ministry of Education and Research.

The training activities are carried out according to a timetable developed by the deputy director and approved by the director. The provisional timetable is posted at least 3 days before the beginning of the semester, and the final timetable is posted no later than the first week of classes. The schedule is posted on the notice board of the educational institution.

Teaching staff develop long-term projects for general culture subjects/modules considering the curriculum/education plan for programme of technical vocational training and presents them for approval no later than September of the study year.