Czech secondary school admissions: A 2027 guide for expat families

Choosing a secondary school in Czechia is rarely a simple matter of finding a school, filling out an application and waiting for an offer. There is a wide range of school types and fields of study to consider. The entrance exam is notoriously tough, and the admissions process with its own ever-changing rules, exceptions and deadlines can be stressful to navigate.

International families face all of this with an added disadvantage.

“Language can be a barrier, but the bigger challenge is often the lack of experience with the Czech education system. Parents who went to school elsewhere may not know what the different types of schools offer, which path would suit their child, or what is realistic,” says Martina Škrdlantová, head of the Advocacy Department at META, a Prague-based nonprofit organization, helps international families navigate the Czech education system.

“This makes it hard for them to guide their child through the key steps: Choosing the right field and school, submitting the application and preparing for the exams. Families need support at every one of these stages, and good guidance early on can make a real difference to where a child ends up.”

The Czech secondary school system has been under pressure for years. Demand for popular programs continues to outstrip capacity, particularly in big cities like Prague, while the Cermat entrance exams and the amount of preparation they require have drawn criticism. The result is a system in which having enough secondary-school places nationally does not necessarily mean having a realistic chance of getting into the school or program a student wants.

The government is now planning a broader overhaul, but any of the proposed changes could take years before they are written into law. For international families, the important point is that the rules in force today still matter. The following guide explains how the current system works and where foreign students need to pay particular attention as they prepare for next spring’s admissions cycle.