Types of institutions

Basically, all types of upper secondary schools (střední školy) may organise the following types of study for those who have achieved upper secondary education with a VET certificate (střední vzdělání s výučním listem) or upper secondary education with a Maturita examination (střední vzdělání s maturitní zkouškou) and want to achieve other qualification:

• follow-up study (nástavbové studium) completed with the Maturita examination (maturitní zkouška) – ISCED 354;

• shortened study (zkrácené studium) to obtain secondary education with the Maturita examination – ISCED 354;

• shortened study to obtain secondary education with the VET certificate – ISCED 353.

School facilities and other institutes defined by the Education Act can also participate in the education. They participate mostly in practical education at a workplace of a private individual or legal entity or in a school special purpose facility (středisko praktického vyučování), alternatively on school farms (školní hospodářství). Other school facilities provide out of extra-curricular activities for pupils, school meals or guidance services.

Geographical accessibility

In 2022/23, the follow-up study (nástavbové studium) or shortened study (zkrácené studium) was organised by 302 upper secondary schools (střední školy), i.e., 23.3 % of the total number of upper secondary schools. In total 19,9 thousand pupils were attending these types of study (all forms of education). Even though this is not specifically stated in the law, only pupils older than 18 years study in follow-up or shortened programmes. (Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.)

For detailed description of geographical accessibility of upper secondary schools including accommodation of commuting pupils see Geographical accessibility in upper secondary education.

Admission requirements and choice of school

The school head of the relevant upper secondary school (střední škola) issues a decision on the admission of applicants for education at an upper secondary school. He/she follows the Education Act and the Decree on Admission Procedure to Secondary Education.

Admission requirements

The precondition for an applicant to be admitted to the:

• follow-up studies (nástavbové studium) is completion of secondary education leading to a VET certificate (střední vzdělání s výučním listem) – ISCED 353 – in a 3-years course in an on-site form of education, the continuity of the courses has been set by a Government regulation;

• shortened study (zkrácené studium) for acquiring secondary education completed with the Maturita examination is completed secondary education with the Maturita examination (střední vzdělání s maturitní zkouškou) in other fields of study – ISCED 354;

• shortened study for acquiring secondary education to obtain a VET certificate is completed education either with the Maturita examination (ISCED 354) or the VET certificate in other field of study (353).

Admission procedure

Terms and number of rounds

During the first round of admission procedure for the on-site form of education, the applicant may submit two application forms, while in subsequent rounds there is no limit on the number of applications. The school head announces the first round of admission procedure by 31 January at the latest, for courses of education with an aptitude test by 31 October at the latest. The applicant submits the application form for the first round of admission procedure to the school head of the relevant upper secondary school by 1 March, and by 30 November in case of an application form to educational courses requiring an aptitude test. The admission examinations within the first round of the admission procedure of educational courses completed with the Maturita examination take place on the working days in the period from 12 April to 28 April. Admission examinations within the first round for other educational courses take place on working days in the period from 22 April to 30 April, in the case of educational courses requiring an aptitude test from 2 to 15 January.

Admission examination

The admission procedure into a follow-up study includes standardised admission examination in Czech language and literature and Mathematics, except for the fields of study with an aptitude test.

The admission procedure into the shortened study does not include the standardised admission examination.

Within the admission procedure the school head may decide on the school admission examination. Concerning the follow-up study, the school head sets the content and form of the school admission examination so as to be in accord with the common base of the framework education programmes (FEPs) of those fields of studies on which the follow-up course succeeds. For short study there must be an agreement between the content and form of the examination and the FEP of the study field which the applicant wishes to study.

Some applicants may have adapted conditions of the admission examination.

List of admitted applicants and decision on non-acceptance

In the case of the follow-up courses with the standardised admission examination, this examination is assessed by the Centre for Evaluation of Educational Achievements. The school head completes the overall assessment within 2 working days after the Centre makes the applicant's assessment available. In the case of other fields of education the assessment is completed within 2 working days following the day when the school admission examination took place. Then the school head publishes the list of admitted applicants.

Further information on admission to upper secondary education is available in the section on Admission requirements and choice of school in upper secondary education.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/students

Follow-up and shortened study is attended by learners of adult age (over 18), even though this is not specifically stated in the law. The on-site form of education, especially in case of the follow-up study (nástavbové studium), is attended generally by those who have just completed secondary education with VET certificate or Maturita examination (almost exclusively from the 18–24 age groups). Learners over the age of 25 usually attend other forms of education, where they make up more than 75 % of all participants.

When comparing the forms of studies (day and other forms of studies) in the follow-up studies, approximately 68 % of pupils participate in the on-site form of education and 32 % in other forms of education. In a shortened study (zkrácené studium) completed with the Maturita examination (střední vzdělání s maturitní zkouškou), the majority of students participate in other types of studies. In contrast, in shortened courses leading to a VET certificate (střední vzdělání s výučním listem), 55 % of students participate in the on-site study and 45 % in other forms of education. (Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.)

For the instructions of some subjects, grouping of learners applies.

Organisation of the school year

For follow-up and shortened study, the same organisation of the school year apply as in other types of upper secondary education.

Organisation of the school day and week

The weekly and daily timetable is specified in the Education Act and Framework Education Programmes for Vocational Upper Secondary Education.

The minimum number of weekly lessons in each grade is 29, the maximum number is 35 lessons (40 lessons in some fields of education).

The length of the shortened study (zkrácené studium) is given by the framework education programme. The minimum number of weekly lessons for 1-year shortened study programmes in the on-site form of education is 32 (for 1.5-year study 48, for 2-year study 64).

The minimum number of weekly lessons for the entire follow-up study (nástavbové studium) is 64, maximum 70.

The other details of the organisation of the school day and week as in other types of upper secondary education.