International Exam Preparation for Students in Egypt
Students in Egypt finish school on very different routes: Thanaweya Amma or the new Egyptian Baccalaureate, an American diploma, British IGCSE and A Level, the IB or the French baccalauréat. Each route reaches Egyptian and foreign universities under its own rules. We prepare students for the international exams on those routes, live online, in English, and on Egyptian time.
- Live online lessons on Egyptian time, with summer time taken into account
- Lessons taught in English; enquiries in English, French or Arabic
- Plans built around Thanaweya Amma, AP, SAT and Cambridge dates
- Lesson packages and course options
How secondary school ends in Egypt
Egypt has a national system and several international ones running side by side, often within the same city. The certificate a student finishes with decides which admissions rules apply to them.
| Route | Final certificate | Run by | How it leads to university |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | Thanaweya Amma (General Secondary Certificate) | Ministry of Education and Technical Education | Admission to Egyptian public universities through the national coordination process (Tansik); universities abroad set their own conditions, sometimes a foundation year first |
| National, optional | Egyptian Baccalaureate | Ministry of Education and Technical Education | An optional alternative to Thanaweya Amma covering the three secondary years; the Ministry states that university admission rules are the same for both systems |
| American | High school diploma, with SAT, ACT or EST scores | The school; admissions tests taken separately | Admitted in Egypt as an equivalent foreign certificate when its subjects and test scores meet the rules; also used for US applications |
| British | IGCSE, AS and A Level | Cambridge International and other UK awarding bodies | Cambridge International reports that most courses in Egypt ask for eight IGCSEs plus one A Level or two AS Levels, together with Ministry of Education exams in Arabic, Religious Studies and Social Studies |
| IB Diploma | IB final exams, May session | International Baccalaureate | Offered by private and state schools in Egypt; used for applications abroad and admitted in Egypt as an equivalent foreign certificate |
| French | Baccalauréat | French Ministry of Education, in homologated schools | Gives access to higher education in France; admitted in Egypt as an equivalent foreign certificate |
Sources: Ministry of Education and Technical Education and State Information Service, Thanaweya Amma and the Egyptian Baccalaureate; Tansik, equivalent certificates; Cambridge International, global recognition factsheet (Egypt); IB school pages for Egypt; French Embassy in Egypt, homologated schools. Checked 8 October 2026.
How Egyptian universities admit international certificates
Rules for equivalent certificates are set in Egypt each admissions year and have changed several times. The points below describe how the system works; confirm the figures for your year with the Ministry of Higher Education’s coordination office (Tansik) and the Ministry of Education.
A separate coordination for foreign certificates
Holders of Arab and foreign certificates, such as the American diploma or IGCSE and A Level, apply to Egyptian public universities through the Ministry of Higher Education’s electronic coordination office, in a process separate from Thanaweya Amma.
American diploma: school subjects plus a test
The coordination office looks at qualifying school subjects matched to the faculty and at an admissions test score: the SAT, or the ACT or EST accepted in its place.
Which tests count can change between years
The Ministry of Education decides which tests it accepts from American-diploma students. Its decision for 2022/2023, for example, accepted the SAT only from students who sat it abroad and were resident there, accepted the ACT from students in Egypt, and also accepted the EST. The SAT returned to Egypt with the June 2025 administration. Check the current decision before booking any test.
British route: IGCSE, AS and A Level
According to Cambridge International, most courses ask for eight IGCSEs at grade C or above plus one A Level at grade D or above, or two AS Levels instead. Some faculties ask for specific subjects, and students also sit Ministry of Education exams in Arabic, Religious Studies and Social Studies.
Private and national universities
The councils of private and national universities announce their minimum admission grades each year, including for equivalent certificates, and individual universities can add their own requirements. Check the university’s own admission pages.
Where students apply, and what is usually asked
Requirements differ by university and by course, and they change between admissions cycles. The rows below show the general pattern; for any university on your list, check the university’s international entry requirements for the year you apply.
| Destination | What is usually asked | Tests that may come in |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian public universities | Thanaweya Amma or Egyptian Baccalaureate results; holders of foreign certificates apply through the equivalent-certificate coordination, with subject rules for each faculty | For the American diploma, the SAT, ACT or EST accepted under the current Ministry of Education decision |
| Egyptian private and national universities | Minimum grades announced each year for each certificate, plus the university’s own requirements | The same admissions-test rules for American-diploma students; an English test where the university asks for one |
| United Kingdom | A Levels or the IB Diploma for direct entry; with Thanaweya Amma, a recognised foundation programme first, as at the University of Manchester | An English language qualification such as IELTS; check which tests each university accepts. Manchester, for example, may consider high IGCSE or IB English grades instead |
| United States | The full secondary-school record, essays and references; some selective universities require test scores again, others are test-optional | SAT or ACT where required; AP scores support an application; English test rules vary |
| Germany | A check of the certificate in the DAAD admission database; where it does not give direct entry, a Studienkolleg ending in the Feststellungsprüfung. Cambridge International cites three A Levels at grade C or above | Language requirements are set by each Studienkolleg and degree programme; check them with the university |
Sources: Tansik and the Ministry of Education, American-diploma rules; Councils of Private and National Universities, minimum grades; University of Manchester, Egypt entry requirements; DAAD, admission database and Studienkollegs; Cambridge International, global recognition factsheet (Egypt and Germany). Checked 8 October 2026. Examples only; requirements differ between universities and courses.
Where the exam calendars collide
The Ministry of Education had not published the 2027 Thanaweya Amma timetable when this page was checked, so the Egyptian and Cambridge entries show the 2026 pattern. The SAT and AP dates are for 2026–27.
| When | Egypt | International exams in the same window |
|---|---|---|
| Late October–December | Summer time ends after Thursday 29 October 2026; Egypt is on UTC+2 | SAT on 7 November and 5 December 2026 |
| February–March | The school year continues | Registration for the 6 March 2027 SAT closes on 19 February 2027 |
| Late April | Summer time starts on the last Friday of April (30 April in 2027); Egypt moves to UTC+3 | Cambridge June series: timetabled exams started in late April in 2026 |
| May | First exam attempt for Thanaweya Amma in STEM schools (from 16 May in 2026) | SAT on 1 May 2027; AP Exams 3–7 and 10–14 May 2027, late testing 17–21 May; IB May examination session |
| June–July | Thanaweya Amma first round (21 June to 16 July in 2026) | SAT on 5 June 2027; Cambridge timetabled exams ended in mid-June in 2026 |
Sources: Ministry of Education and Technical Education, Thanaweya Amma 2026 first-round timetable; Law 24 of 2023 on summer time and the IANA time zone database (Africa/Cairo); College Board, SAT dates and AP exam dates; Cambridge International, 2026 monthly calendar; IB, May examination session. Checked 8 October 2026. Confirm 2027 dates with each body.
Sitting international tests from Egypt
College Board brought the digital SAT to Egypt with the June 2025 administration, at SAT weekend test centres. Check College Board’s own test centre search for current centres and seats before choosing a date. For an American-diploma student aiming at an Egyptian university, also check whether the Ministry of Education accepts that sitting for the current year; for US applications, the usual SAT rules apply.
IELTS Academic is offered at official IELTS test centres in Egypt, including the British Council centre in Cairo (Agouza); use the official IELTS centre finder for other cities. For a student in an American school, AP Exams in May are the busiest weeks, so sitting the SAT in November, December or March leaves May free for AP.
How online lessons work from Egypt
Send an enquiry
Write in English, French or Arabic, with the school route, the exams in view and the universities on the list. We answer in the language you write in.
Free intro call
A conversation, not a test, about exam dates, admission rules and how much time school leaves. For the SAT, a free full-length diagnostic follows before any plan; for IGCSE, IB and AP, the first lesson includes an assessment.
A plan on Egyptian time
Lessons are scheduled in Egyptian time. Egypt is on UTC+2 and moves to UTC+3 from the last Friday of April to the last Thursday of October, so lesson times are confirmed again at each change.
Live lessons in English
Lessons are live online and taught in English. A tutor who can also explain a point in Arabic or French is confirmed case by case and never promised.
Prices before you commit
Open your programme’s pricing page to compare packages, lesson rates and available group courses.
What we do not claim
A page about a country should say what the company is and is not in that country.
No office in Egypt
Lessons are live online. There is no Cairo or Alexandria centre, and no address to visit.
No Egyptian results or testimonials
We do not publish scores, admissions or reviews from students in Egypt, and we do not promise a score or a university place.
No partnerships or affiliations
We have no partnership with any Egyptian school or university and are not affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, Cambridge, the IB or College Board.
No Thanaweya Amma or EST course
Our programmes cover international exams and qualifications such as the SAT, AP, IGCSE and A Level. We do not run a course for Thanaweya Amma, the Egyptian Baccalaureate or the EST.
Further reading
SAT Preparation in Egypt
SAT preparation in Egypt: 2026–27 dates and centres, how SAT scores reach Tansik for American-diploma holders, and a timeline around AP and US deadlines.
SAT vs ACT
Digital SAT and enhanced ACT side by side: sections, timing, scoring, adaptivity, calculators and optional Science, and how to decide which to take.
AP vs IB
AP and the IB side by side: single exams scored 1 to 5 each May against a two-year diploma out of 45, how universities use each, and how to combine them.
IB vs A Level
The IB Diploma and A Levels side by side: subjects, Higher and Standard Level, the core, grading out of 45 or A* to E, exam series and university offers.
How it works
From free intro call to exam day: how each programme sets a starting point, how plans are written, how lessons run online and how progress is reported.
Pricing
Choose your course to compare lesson packages, group courses and available self-study products at TestPrep Africa.
Programmes Egyptian students most often need
SAT Preparation
SAT prep course online for students in Africa: one-to-one or live group classes, Reading and Writing and Math specialists, a free full-length diagnostic.
AP Tutoring
Online AP tutoring for the May 2027 exams: calculus, sciences, economics, history, English and more, for American-curriculum students across Africa.
IGCSE Tutoring
Online IGCSE tutoring for Cambridge IGCSE and Pearson Edexcel International GCSE: tiers, papers, practicals by board, first-lesson assessment.
IELTS Preparation
IELTS prep course online for students in Africa: one-to-one tutor or live group classes, line-by-line Writing and Speaking feedback, Academic and General.
Also relevant
TOEFL Preparation
Online TOEFL iBT tutoring for the 2026 format: adaptive sections, the new task types and the 1–6 score scale, for students across Africa.
A Level Tutoring
Board-aware A Level tutoring online: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel (UK and International A Level) and Cambridge International, subject by subject.
IB Diploma Tutoring
Online IB Diploma tutoring: HL and SL subjects in all six groups, IA and EE supervision within IB rules, TOK and revision courses.
ACT Preparation
Enhanced ACT tutoring online: English, Math and Reading for the Composite, optional Science, pacing work for students across Africa.
GMAT Preparation
GMAT prep course online for MBA and master’s applicants in Africa: one-to-one or group, Quant, Verbal and Data Insights specialists, free diagnostic.
GRE Preparation
GRE prep course online for master’s and PhD applicants: one-to-one or group classes, Verbal and Quant specialists, the Issue essay, a free diagnostic.
Exam guides for students in Egypt
SAT Preparation in Egypt
SAT preparation in Egypt: 2026–27 dates and centres, how SAT scores reach Tansik for American-diploma holders, and a timeline around AP and US deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, ask us.
Plan your exams around the Egyptian calendar
Send us your school route, your exam dates and the universities on your list. The free intro call turns them into a timetable for the year.