Are Armenia’s youth returning to universities? Unprecedented turnout in first round of exams
Winter session of state exams in Armenia
“We have never had such a high number of participants in the first round of unified entrance exams. Last year, there were 9,671 applicants; this year, the number has risen to 11,608,” Karо Nasibyan, Deputy Director of the Center for Assessment and Testing under Armenia’s Ministry of Education, told journalists. He described the 2025 results as “unprecedented.” In recent years, Armenian universities have struggled with low enrollment, leaving thousands of seats unfilled.
Nasibyan recalled that for the past four years, university admissions have been conducted in two stages: winter and summer. If applicants are dissatisfied with their results in the first round, they have the opportunity to retake exams in the second. The higher score of the two attempts is ultimately recorded for each subject.
Reports also indicate that this year’s first-round applicants included not only high school seniors but also graduates from previous years and even foreign nationals.
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Majority of applicants choose English for entrance exams
The top three most popular subjects in Armenia’s university entrance exams have remained unchanged for the past three years. According to Karо Nasibyan, Deputy Director of the Center for Assessment and Testing, the top subjects in 2025 were:
- English – taken by 6,452 applicants
- Mathematics – 5,151 applicants
- Armenian Language and Literature – 4,359 applicants
Around 1,000 applicants took exams in all other subjects combined.
The number of students opting for other foreign languages remained low: 55 applicants took the German exam, 27 chose French, and only four sat for Spanish.
The overwhelming majority of first-round exam participants—10,765 candidates—were 12th-grade students. In addition, 534 graduates from previous years and 309 foreign applicants took part.
“The largest group of foreign applicants came from Russia (251 people). Exams were also taken by citizens of Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Moldova, Belarus, and India. Among them were both ethnic Armenians and individuals of other nationalities,” Nasibyan noted.
He emphasized that students dissatisfied with their first-round results must reapply in May to retake their exams. Those satisfied with their scores only need to confirm them in their application when submitting their documents.
“Favorable сonditions сreated for фpplicants”
The Deputy Director of the Center for Assessment and Testing believes that this year’s increased interest in exams also reflects the success of Armenia’s new entrance exam system. According to Karо Nasibyan, applicants now have more favorable conditions:
“They can take the exams in January, which allows them to test their abilities. If they are satisfied with their scores, they do not need to retake the exams in June. If not, they have a second chance to improve their results in the summer.”
In 2024, 15% of first-round exam participants opted out of the second round, meaning they were satisfied with their initial scores.
Nasibyan also noted that while previous years’ entrance exams were held at 40 exam centers, this year the number increased to 50:
“Of course, there were challenges, particularly in selecting exam halls. In the summer, we could easily find large, well-lit spaces, whereas in winter, we had to prioritize venues where we could ensure the necessary temperature. However, I believe we managed to organize the examination process efficiently and to a high standard.”
Winter session of state exams in Armenia
