| Hungarian term | English term | Definition |
| alapvizsga | basic examination | National examination (of 'fundamental knowledge'), introduced in 2002, which is taken at age 16, on completion of Grade/Year 10. All schools offering programmes for students in Grades 9 and 10 are expected to offer the examination; students elect whether to take it. |
| általános iskola | general school (plural, general schools) | The traditional form of primary and lower secondary education in Hungary, providing education for students over eight years, age 6-14. |
| érettségi | maturity examination (matriculation examination) | Taken at the end of upper secondary education, usually at around age 18, and is one of the requirements for entry to higher education. |
| erettsegi vizsga | Secondary school leaving examination | |
| Felsõoktatási és Tudományos Tanács | Council of Higher Education and Science | |
| foiskola | Colleges | |
| gimnázium | secondary grammar school (plural, secondary grammar schools) | The dominant school type in Hungarian secondary education, the gimnázium provides general education leading to the maturity examination. Courses vary in length (four, six or eight years), with students commencing secondary grammar school either at age 10, 12 or 14, and in curricula. |
| gyakorloiskola | Practice schools (used during initial teacher training for teaching practice) | |
| gyógypedagógus | Special needs education teacher | |
| kiegészítõ képzés | Supplementary training | |
| konduktor tanító | Conductive primary school teacher | |
| középiskola | secondary school (plural, secondary schools) | caters for students aged 10+, 12+ or 14+ in varying types of school. Traditionally, secondary school education in Hungary has catered for general school leavers, aged 14+. |
| középiskolai tanár | Upper secondary school teachers | |
| Magyar Akkreditációs Bizottság | Hungarian Board of Accreditation | |
| Magyar Tudományos Akadémia | Hungarian Academy of Sciences | |
| nemzetiségi óvodapedagógus | Ethnic/minority pre-primary school teacher | |
| nemzetiségi tanító | Ethnic/minority primary school teacher | |
| nevelõtanár | Dormitory governor | |
| Oktatási Minisztérium | Ministry of Education | |
| Országos Felvételi Iroda | National Bureau of Admissions | |
| ovoda | kindergarten (plural, kindergartens) | the main type of institution in Hungary providing pre-compulsory education for children from the age of 3 up to compulsory school age (usually age 6, maximum 7 years of age). By law, all 5-year-olds must attend kindergarten to receive a maximum of four hours of formal teaching per day in preparation for school. |
| óvodapedagógus | Pre-school teacher | |
| Óvó- és Tanítóképzõ Fõiskolák Kollégiuma | Pre-school and Primary School Teacher Training Colleges | |
| Pedagógusképzési Albizottság | Teacher Education Subcommittee | |
| Practicum | A period of intensive development by trainee teachers which enables them to acquire beginning teaching competencies through teaching practice in schools. school teacher(s). The term "school teacher" (tanár) refers to two groups of professionals. The first group of teachers perform instruction and education from grade 5 to grade 8 in single structure primary education (altalanos iskola) in practice. However, in principle, they are qualified to teach up to grade 10 (up to age 16) by a college-level degree. The second group of professionals teach grades 9 to 12 (up to age 18) in secondary schools, leading to the secondary school-leaving examination (erettsegi vizsga). However, they are, in principle, qualified to teach from grade 5 to 12 due to them holding a university-level degree. This second group of teachers teach general knowledge education and also participate in vocational training by teaching one or more subjectS according to their initial subject specialisation. | |
| specialis szakiskola | special vocational training school (plural, special vocational training schools) | is a short vocational training school offering one- or two-year courses in certain professions, usually for students with special educational needs or suffering from social disadvantage. Special vocational training schools usually operate as a separate branch of a general school or of a vocational training school. |
| szakiskola | Vocational training schools | |
| szakközépiskola | secondary vocational school (plural, secondary vocational schools) | caters for students, aged 10, 12 or 14+ and combines general academic with vocational education in three main types of courses (five-year vocational courses leading to the technicians' certificate; four- or five-year courses preparing for the service professions; and four-year courses combining vocational, technical and general education and leading to the maturity examination and a vocational certificate). |
| szakközépiskolai tanár | Vocational school teacher | |
| szakmunkásképzo iskola (or szakiskola) | vocational training school (plural, vocational training schools) | generally caters for students aged 14+, leaving the general school and provides vocational-technical courses without leading to the maturity examination. Courses usually last three years and lead to a vocational examination. |
| szakoktató | Vocational training instructor | |
| szociálpedagógus | Social pedagogue/pedagogy | |
| tanár | School teacher | |
| tanárképzõ | Secondary school teacher training | |
| tanító | Primary school teacher | |
| Tanító- és Óvóképzõk Egyesülete | Association of Primary School and Pre-primary teacher Trainers | |
| tanítóképo | Primary school teacher training | |
| Tanárképzõ Fõiskolák Fõigazgatói Kollégiuma | Forum of the Executive Directors of School Teacher Training Colleges | |
| Tanárképzõk Szövetsége | Association of School Teacher Trainers | |
| vezetõtanár | Supervising school teacher | |
| zárótanítás | Demonstrational teaching session |
| BA | Bachelor of Arts |
| EU | European Union |
| FKgP | Party of Small Holders (one of three parties forming the coalition government elected in May 1998 (for a four-year period) |
| GDP | Gross domestic product |
| HOOK | National Conference of Student Governments |
| HUF | Hungarian Forint |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation |
| ISCED | International standard classification for education |
| MA | Master of Arts |
| MDF | Hungarian Democratic Forum (one of three parties forming the coalition government elected in May 1998 (for a four-year period) |
| NABC | National Assessment of Basic Competencies |
| NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
| NCC | National Core Curriculum (has been gradually introduced since September 1998) |
| NCVQ | The former National Council for Vocational Qualifications (in England), which merged with the former School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) on 1 October 1997 to form the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). |
| NFER | National Foundation for Educational Research (in England and Wales) |
| NIP | National Institute of Pedagogy |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
| OKEV | National Centre for Educational Evaluation and Examination (http://www.om.hu/okev) |
| PE | Physical education |
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (in England) |
| SCAA | The former School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (in England), which merged with the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) on 1 October 1997 to form the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) |
| US$ | United States' Dollars |