Academic Term - Hungary

Hungary

In the elementary and high schools in Hungary, the school year usually runs from September 1 to June 15 of the next year, with variation if these dates fall on Saturday or Sunday. The school year (tanév) is usually split into two semesters (félév). These semesters are also divided, with some schools holding examinations each half-semester. The first semester runs from September 1 till the middle of January and is divided by the fall vacation, which is around All Saints' Day and lasts for a week. The second semester is closed at the end of the school year. It is divided by the Easter holiday, which is just a long weekend. Apart from these vacations and national celebrations, schools often make 'skiing holidays' (síszünet), the date of which varies from the middle of January till February, though some schools hold it in December. Its length also varies from one school to another. The workdays of this vacation are usually held on Saturdays. It is made so that the students of the school who partake in the skiing camp of the school need no verification of absence. In the last school year of secondary education, the examinations of abitur (similar to A-level exams in the UK or high school diplomas in the US) end in July.

Hungarian universities run two semesters. They are typically from the second week of September to the middle of December (őszi félév) and from February to the middle of May (tavaszi félév). Both semesters are followed by an examination period. In addition to the break between the semesters in summer, there is typically a break including Christmas and New Year. Some universities also have a fall and an Easter vacation.