The county hierarchy for admission to high school is published on July 9, showing the position of each student. The average is calculated without rounding, and in the event of a tie, the tie-breaker is based on the grades in Romanian, Mathematics and V-VIII averages. The Ministry of Education recommends comparison with past averages and a balanced list. The forms are filled out July 13-20, and the computer distribution takes place on July 22.
After an intense period of emotions, corrections and appeals, the eighth grade graduates received the final results of the National Assessment on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and now their eyes are turned to another key moment of high school admission. On Thursday, July 9, 2026, the Ministry of Education will publish on the admitere.edu.ro platform the county hierarchy and that of the municipality of Bucharest, a ranking that establishes the position of each candidate according to the average obtained in the exam.
The hierarchy is drawn up exclusively on the basis of averages from the National Assessment, and the students are placed in descending order, from the highest grade to the lowest. The place occupied in this list is an essential landmark, as it gives candidates a clear picture of the chances of being assigned to the desired high school, profile or specialization. In addition to the position in the hierarchy, graduates must also take into account the latest admission averages from previous years, the number of places available and the personal strategy for completing the option sheet, so as to maximize their chances of getting a place at the much-dreamed-of educational institution.
How to use the hierarchy for high school choice
The hierarchy published on July 9 is not an end in itself, but a practical tool to help students realistically weigh their options. Before completing the application form, each candidate must know his position in his county and compare it with the number of places available at the high schools he is considering. For example, if a student is among the first hundred applicants in a county where the top high school offers only fifty places, the chances are reasonable but not guaranteed, and the list of options must also include safe alternatives. Conversely, if the position is lower, it is necessary to go to school units with more accessible admission environments, to avoid the unpleasant surprise of remaining unassigned.
To understand how this hierarchy is arrived at, one must know how the admission average is calculated. According to the Order of the Minister of Education no. 6060/2025, the distribution criterion is the result obtained at the National Assessment, calculated as the arithmetic mean of the grades from the exam tests, with two decimal places and without rounding. Thus, if a candidate obtains 8.60 in Romanian Language and Literature and 9.40 in Mathematics, his admission average will be exactly 9.00, not 9.01, and with this value he will enter the allocation process. It is important to remember that the average is calculated without any rounding, and each decimal can make the difference between being admitted to the desired high school or another.
In the situation where two or more students have the same admission average, the tie is made through a set of clear criteria, applied in strict order. The first criterion is the grade obtained in the Romanian language and literature test, followed by the grade in mathematics, then the grade in the native language and literature, for students who took this test, and the last criterion is the general graduation average of grades V-VIII. These rules ensure transparency and eliminate any subjectivity, giving each candidate the certainty that his position in the hierarchy is correctly established. There is also an important exception for graduates who attended secondary school courses in their mother tongue and took the National Assessment in this subject as well: they can request that the grade from the mother tongue and literature test not be included in the calculation of the overall average, through a declaration submitted to the educational unit of origin.
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Why last year’s latest averages matter
By comparing last year’s averages with the current ranking, candidates can assess the real competition for each high school, as these thresholds fluctuate depending on the difficulty of the exam subjects and the number of applicants.
A high school that has consistently had high admissions averages is most likely still in high demand, and a student with a grade close to those values must be aware that they are in a tight battle with other applicants who perform similarly.
It is recommended that when filling out the options sheet, you build a balanced list that includes both top high schools and a so-called “safety net.” This means dropping, on the last positions of the card, at least one point below your current average compared to last year’s averages, thereby ensuring a backup place in case more ambitious options do not materialize.
Average history also helps you avoid unrealistic: you can start with your dream high schools even if your average is lower, but you need to know where to draw the line and not add options that, based on historical data, are almost impossible to achieve. The dynamics of the number of candidates each year can change the hierarchy, but the latest averages remain a sure benchmark in order not to lose sight of the reality of the competition.
When computerized assignment occurs
After the publication of the hierarchy on July 9, the students enter the operational phase of admission, and the first step is to fill in the registration forms, which will take place between July 13-20, 2026. During this interval, the eighth grade graduates, together with their parents and with the support of the directors, will fill in the options for the high schools, profiles and specializations to which they wish to be admitted, and students who opt for another county will send their sheets in the same period. It is the moment when all the accumulated information – the position in the hierarchy, the averages of the past years, the available places – is concretized in a list of preferences that will be processed by the computerized system.
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The big moment of the computerized allotment is scheduled for July 22, 2026, when the candidates will be alloted according to the admission average, the order of completed options and the available places at each educational institution. The process targets both current batch graduates and applicants from previous batches who will not turn 18 by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, ensuring that all those eligible have a chance to take up a place at the high school. Immediately after the assignment, between July 23-28, the assigned students will submit their enrollment files to the high schools where they were admitted, and the special situations arising after the assignment will be resolved by the county admission commissions and the Admission Commission of the Municipality of Bucharest between July 29-31.
For students who were not assigned in the first stage or who later participate in admission, there is a second chance: the second stage will take place between July 31 and August 18, 2026, at the level of the county commissions and the Admission Commission of the Municipality of Bucharest. This stage is intended to fill the seats left vacant after the first allotment and to provide an additional opportunity to those who did not find a seat in the first round. It is important that all applicants pay attention to the deadlines and do not depend exclusively on the second stage, as the offer of places can be much more limited.
