13 - Bulgaria - Student assessment
The forms of evaluation and assessment procedures are determined by the respective institution’s
regulations. How exactly this is to be carried out, is specified in their curricula and syllabi.
A basic form
of assessment of knowledge in the higher schools is the written exam. Students’ knowledge and skills
are assessed according to a six-grade system, which includes: -
• Excellent (6);
• Very Good (5);
• Good (4);
• Fair (3);
• Poor (2).
A successfully passed examination is considered an exam taken with at least Fair (3).
Higher schools may introduce through their own regulations further systems for assessment of their
students’ achievements but they should provide comparability of results.
To assess students’ skills and knowledge acquired during the process of study, higher education
institutions provide a credit accumulation and transfer system whose aim to guarantee a choice of
disciplines, self-study, mobility on the basis of mutual recognition of separate periods of education
which, in turn, correspond to the particular speciality study plan and the respective education and
qualification degree. The credits are given as a form of evaluating students’ responsibilities, towards a
certain discipline or a module as part of the sum total of their responsibilities and they are necessary
for the successful completion of an academic year or semester. In each discipline, credits are formed
on the basis of the prescribed number of lectures, seminars and workshops, self-study (in laboratories,
libraries; course theses, homework assignments, exams taken, other forms of evaluation determined
by the higher school. Such credits can be awarded for participation in internship programmes,
successful defense of course and diploma papers, if these activities are envisaged by the study plan.
The credit accumulation and transfer system is based on 60 credits given per academic year and 30
credits per semester, distributed in study disciplines and/or modules according to the study plan of the
speciality and the education and qualification degree or on the basis of a compatible with the abovedescribed
system. The conditions under which the credit accumulation and transfer system is applied
is regulated by an Ordinance of the Minister of Education and Science.
Completion of first and second degree of each speciality is marked by taking a state exam or a
defence of a thesis. State exams or Diploma paper defense are carried out according to national
requirements for completion of education before a specially appointed state committee, which includes
lecturers form the higher school and on certain occasions, external representatives (e.g. persons
belonging to different employers’ organisations).
The doctoral degree includes academic preparation and exam taking. The education and qualification
degree of ‘doctor’ is awarded to a doctoral student who has taken all the exams envisaged in the
respective study plan and has defended his/her Thesis according to the regulations of the Academic
Degrees and Academic Ranks Act.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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