شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

This paper reviews the main requirements and procedures for admission to first degree programs (Bachelor /Licence) in the Arab countries, in terms of: coordination mechanisms (central coordination at state level, or decentralization by leaving decisions to the higher education institutions themselves); type of qualifying certificate required; minimum admission score required for admission; competitive selection on the basis of student ranking; duration of validity of certificate; and aptitude tests, or competitive entrance examinations, or personal interviews, etc. The paper then reviews in detail and compares examples of admission policies and procedures at a selection of public and private universities and their various colleges (depending upon available data) in a number of Arab countries representing the various geographical regions (Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen).The most prominent examples of best-practice admission policies are then discussed, such as: standardized testing for ensuring equity and equal opportunity at entry level; use of more than one criterion for admission; granting concessions to certain disadvantaged groups and less developed geographical areas; and providing more than one admission opportunity in a year. The most prominent challenges are also discussed, such as: low rates of enrolment in higher education; educational imbalances resulting from admissions based on sole criterion (e.g. secondary-school final examinations); having “parallel sections” in some government colleges levying higher tuition fees to the detriment of equal opportunities; unjustified positive discrimination in favor of some groups; and the large proportion of students opting to study humanities and social sciences in preference to scientific disciplines. The paper concludes with numerous suggestions for developing higher-education admission policies and procedures in the Arab countries. (Published Abstract)