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Free Practice Questions for MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores

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Key Facts: MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores Exam

Decreto 56 de 2025

Executive decree that sets the requirements and procedures for selecting teachers, supervisors and school directivos in Panama

Gaceta Oficial Digital N.° 30384-A

Top 15 candidates

Highest-scoring applicants per vacancy who advance to the jury competency phase

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Art. 104

3 jury activities

Written competency test, strategic plan defence, and interview

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Art. 108

4 jury members

Director General de Educación, regional director, Universidad de Panamá (Administración Escolar) and a civil-society representative

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Art. 105

75% / 25% FECE

Split of each school's FECE funds between the Fondo de Matrícula and the Fondo de Bienestar Estudiantil

Texto Único de la Ley 47 de 1946, Art. 264

5 years encargado

Service as acting director or subdirector that gives prelación for vacancies of the same post and stage or level

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Art. 114

Terna

Top-ranked finalists sent to the Minister for selection; a tie that persists can enlarge it beyond three names

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Arts. 113 and 112-B (DE 18 de 2026)

Up to 5 vacancies

Maximum number of vacancies a candidate may apply for, with one strategic plan per vacancy

Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, Arts. 5 and 98; Convocatoria MEDUCA 2026

Panama's MEDUCA Concurso de Directores y Subdirectores ends in a jury-run competency phase: a written test, a defence of the candidate's Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and an interview, all based on the competencies in Decreto Ejecutivo 56 de 2025. This independent OpenExamPrep bank offers 100 English-language multiple-choice study questions on contest rules, FECE management, pedagogical and attitudinal leadership, and the strategic plan; it is a study adaptation, not a simulation of the Spanish-language assessment.

Sample MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Decreto Ejecutivo 56 de 2025 (Art. 100) divides the candidate-evaluation stage of the contest for directores and subdirectores into three phases. Which list gives those phases in order?
A.Verificación de documentos, determinación de elegibles, and reclamos
B.Convocatoria y apertura, postulación, and selección
C.Verificación de documentos, evaluación de la formación profesional, and evaluación de competencias
D.Evaluación de la formación profesional, entrevista con el jurado evaluador, and conformación de la terna para el ministro
Explanation: Art. 100 of DE 56 splits the evaluación de candidaturas stage of the directivo contest into verificación de documentos, evaluación de la formación profesional and evaluación de competencias. The Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos runs the first two phases; the evaluation jury runs the third. Only the 15 best-scored candidates per vacancy reach the competency phase.
2In a directivo vacancy, 40 applicants pass document verification and the professional-training evaluation. Under DE 56, who moves on to the evaluación de competencias, and what happens to their professional-training score?
A.The 15 highest-scoring applicants advance, and their professional-training score is not counted in the competency phase
B.The 15 highest-scoring applicants advance, and their professional-training score is added to the jury's score
C.All 40 applicants advance, and the professional-training score is used to break ties after the jury evaluation
D.The 10 highest-scoring applicants advance, and their professional-training score counts for half of the final ranking order
Explanation: Art. 104 of DE 56 sends only the fifteen (15) applicants with the highest professional-training score in each vacancy to the competency phase. In that phase the earlier score 'no contará ni se tomará en cuenta', and Art. 112 excludes it again when the eligible list is ranked. Ties are resolved with the seniority criteria of Art. 112-A, not with the earlier score.
3Which group matches the evaluation jury that Art. 105 of DE 56 assigns to the competency phase of the directivo contest?
A.The Director General de Educación (or designee), the regional director (or designee), a member of the Comisión Regional de Selección de Personal Docente, and a representative of the recognized teachers' associations of the region
B.The Director Nacional de Recursos Humanos, the regional director (or designee), a Universidad de Panamá education-faculty representative, and a parents' association representative
C.The Minister of Education (or designee), the Director General de Educación, a regional school supervisor, and a civil-society representative with human-resources experience
D.The Director General de Educación (or designee), the director of each school region (or designee), a representative of the Universidad de Panamá's Departamento de Administración Escolar, and a civil-society representative
Explanation: Art. 105 names four members: the Director General de Educación or designee; the director of each school region or designee; a representative of the Departamento de Administración Escolar of the Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Panamá; and a civil-society representative, preferably experienced in human management and personnel selection. Art. 106 adds that the jury acts autonomously and may bring in other human-resources specialists.
4Art. 108 of DE 56 lists the activities the jury uses to evaluate directivo candidates. Which set is correct?
A.Prueba escrita de conocimientos, clase demostrativa, and entrevista
B.Prueba de evaluación de competencias, Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and Entrevista
C.Revisión de méritos, Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and evaluación psicológica
D.Prueba de evaluación de competencias, portafolio de evidencias, and visita de observación al centro
Explanation: Art. 108 lists three jury activities: the competency test, the defence of the Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and the interview. MEDUCA's 2026 schedule ran them in that order, with the written test on 27–28 July, plan defences from 12 August and interviews from 26 August. The jury phase includes no demonstration lesson, portfolio or psychological test.
5A finalist believes the jury under-scored her interview and asks how she can challenge the competency result. What does DE 56 provide?
A.She may file a reclamo with the Comisión Regional de Selección de Personal Docente within three days of publication
B.No challenge is available, because Art. 110 says the jury's evaluation result admits no recurso
C.She may request a second interview before a substitute jury named by the Director General de Educación
D.She may file a recurso de reconsideración against the jury score within five business days
Explanation: Art. 110 says candidates are scored with the rubric and rating scale the jury sets, and 'el resultado de la evaluación del jurado no admitirá recurso alguno'. The decree does allow challenges at other points: a reclamo against eligibility evaluations within three days (Art. 160) and a recurso de reconsideración against the final selection within five business days (Art. 163). Neither reopens the jury score.
6After the jury submits its signed reports, how does the Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos build the eligible list for a director vacancy?
A.It lists all 15 finalists, adding each one's professional-training score to the jury score
B.It lists the finalists who passed the jury evaluation, in order of professional-training score
C.It lists every finalist by years of service and uses the jury result only as a pass/fail filter
D.It lists only the finalists who passed the jury evaluation, ranked by competency score
Explanation: Under Art. 112, the eligible list contains only candidates who passed the jury evaluation, ordered by competency score from highest to lowest; the professional-training score is not applied at this stage. Under Art. 113, the Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos then sends the terna to the Minister for the selection stage.
7Profesora Ríos has served six years as directora encargada of a primary school. She applies for a primary-school director vacancy and for a director vacancy at an Educación Media school, and she meets the requirements for both. How does the prelación in Art. 114 of DE 56 apply?
A.It applies only to the primary-school director vacancy, the same post and stage she held as encargada
B.It applies to both vacancies, because Art. 114 rewards any five years of acting directivo service at any level
C.It applies to neither vacancy until she has held the post as encargada for ten years
D.It applies to both vacancies, but only if she also places in the top three on competency score
Explanation: Art. 114 gives prelación for director vacancies to an educator who has served, or is serving at the time of the contest, as director encargado for five years or more, provided the candidate meets the post's requirements; the same applies to subdirectores encargados. Its second paragraph limits the benefit to vacancies of the same post, stage or level held as encargado. Her primary-school experience therefore does not carry over to an Educación Media school.
8Two finalists for a subdirector vacancy end the competency phase with identical scores. Under Art. 112-A, added by DE 18 de 2026, which criterion is applied first to break the tie?
A.Higher score in the Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción
B.More years of teaching service in difficult-access areas
C.More years of service in the Ministerio de Educación
D.Home address closest to the school with the vacancy
Explanation: Art. 112-A resolves ties in the professional-training or competency evaluations in this order: (1) greater seniority of service in the Ministerio de Educación; (2) greater seniority as an educator in the first and/or second level; (3) the date the candidate began working at MEDUCA. If the tie persists, Art. 112-B keeps the candidates in the same position.
9Three finalists remain tied for third place after every Art. 112-A criterion has been applied. How is the terna for that vacancy formed under Art. 112-B?
A.The Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos holds a public draw to choose one of the three
B.The jury re-interviews the tied finalists and sends only the highest-scoring one to complete the terna
C.The tied finalist with the higher professional-training score takes the third place
D.All tied finalists keep their position, and the terna includes all of them, even beyond three names
Explanation: Art. 112-B, added by DE 18 de 2026, says candidates who remain tied keep the same position. When the tie affects the terna, it is formed with every candidate sharing those positions, 'aun cuando excedan de tres (3) participantes'. The 2026 convocatoria repeated this rule.
10A 63-year-old teacher has asked the Caja de Seguro Social for an old-age pension (pensión de vejez) that has not yet been granted. Can he enter MEDUCA's 2026 directivo contest?
A.Yes, because only educators who already receive a pension are excluded
B.No, because Art. 10 as amended by DE 18 also excludes educators whose pension recognition is in process
C.Yes, if he signs a declaration committing to withdraw the pension request once he is appointed to the post
D.Only for subdirector vacancies, because the exclusion covers director posts
Explanation: DE 18 de 2026 rewrote Art. 10 of DE 56: retired educators, those with an old-age pension, and those whose recognition is 'en trámite' may not take part in MEDUCA appointment contests. The 2026 convocatoria made women aged 57 or older and men aged 62 or older submit a Caja de Seguro Social certification that they are not retired or pensioned and have no such request in process.

About the MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores Exam

In Panama, directors and subdirectors of official primer and segundo nivel schools are selected by public contest under Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 10 de octubre de 2025, as amended by Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 18 and N.° 28 de 2026. Candidates apply through PROVEL with a Plan Estratégico y de Acción for each vacancy. After document verification and professional-training scoring, the 15 top-scored applicants per vacancy go before an evaluation jury. The jury gives a written competency test, hears the plan defence and holds an interview, assessing the administrative, pedagogical and attitudinal competencies listed in Article 107. The decree, convocatoria and schedule are published only in Spanish. This OpenExamPrep bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of that mixed assessment, not an official translation or simulation, and it keeps official Spanish names such as PROVEL, FECE and the Registro Permanente de Elegibles.

Exam sponsor: Ministerio de Educación (MEDUCA), Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The contest has five stages: convocatoria y apertura, postulación (online through PROVEL), evaluación de candidaturas, determinación de elegibles and selección. Candidate evaluation has three phases. The Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos verifies documents and scores professional training, and the 15 top-scored applicants per vacancy advance. An evaluation jury then runs the competency phase: a written Prueba de evaluación de competencias, the Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and an Entrevista. Finalists who pass are ranked by competency score, and ternas go to the Minister of Education for selection.

Time Limit

not-published

Passing Score

Not published; the jury sets its own rubric and rating scale and decides pass or fail (DE 56 Art. 110)

Exam / Certification Fees

No candidate fee listed in the 2026 convocatoria

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

34 of 100 study questions (34%)

Competencias Administrativas — Education Law, Staffing Rules & FECE

Covers the directivo contest rules in DE 56 (phases, jury, tie-breaks, appeals, requirements, disqualifications) and the staffing rules directors apply (organización escolar, internal moves, transfers, preventive separation, reajustes). Also covers the structure of Educación Básica General and Educación Media under Ley 47 de 1946, FECE financial management (75/25 split, Comunidad Educativa approval, cambio de objeto de gasto, quotations, monthly reconciliation), and PROVEL and the Registro Permanente de Elegibles.

30 of 100 study questions (30%)

Competencias Pedagógicas — Observation, Curriculum, Inclusion & Technology

Focuses on instructional leadership: classroom observation with effective feedback, clinical supervision, curriculum advising, teacher training and learning communities, data-informed responses to learning gaps, inclusive education under Decreto Ejecutivo 1 de 2000, Universal Design for Learning, equal opportunity, and responsible use of technology, Teams and AI.

16 of 100 study questions (16%)

Competencias Actitudinales — Emotions, Listening & Resilience

Addresses the three attitudinal competencies in Article 107 (managing emotions for a good school climate, empathetic and active listening, and resilience under pressure) through scenarios on conflict, burnout, emergencies, angry parents, student wellbeing and community trust.

20 of 100 study questions (20%)

Plan Estratégico y de Acción — Structure, Diagnosis, SMART Goals & Defence

Examines the plan structure required by the 2026 convocatoria (portada, introducción y presentación, análisis in situ, propuesta pedagógica y administrativa, ejes de acción, metodología SMART), authenticity, diagnosis data, indicators and monitoring, FECE feasibility, risk analysis, the oral defence and the jury interview.

Preparing for the MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Not published; the jury sets its own rubric and rating scale and decides pass or fail (DE 56 Art. 110)
  • Assessment: The contest has five stages: convocatoria y apertura, postulación (online through PROVEL), evaluación de candidaturas, determinación de elegibles and selección. Candidate evaluation has three phases. The Dirección Nacional de Recursos Humanos verifies documents and scores professional training, and the 15 top-scored applicants per vacancy advance. An evaluation jury then runs the competency phase: a written Prueba de evaluación de competencias, the Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción, and an Entrevista. Finalists who pass are ranked by competency score, and ternas go to the Minister of Education for selection.
  • Time limit: not-published
  • Exam / certification fees: No candidate fee listed in the 2026 convocatoria Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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MEDUCA Directores y Subdirectores: Suggested Study Strategy

1Learn Articles 100–114 of Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 2025, as amended by DE 18 de 2026: the three evaluation phases, the top-15 cut-off, jury composition, the three jury activities, the no-appeal rule, ranking by competency score, tie-breaks and Article 114 prelación.
2Know the three Article 107 competency groups for directors: administrative (law, mediation, finance, delegation, institutional evaluation, digital platforms, accountability), pedagogical (teacher improvement, inclusive environments, training, curriculum advice, observation with feedback, technology) and attitudinal (emotions, empathetic listening, resilience).
3Master FECE basics: the 75% Fondo de Matrícula / 25% Bienestar Estudiantil split, budget approval by the Comunidad Educativa through the PEC, the cambio de objeto de gasto procedure, quotation thresholds and the monthly bank reconciliation.
4Build your Plan Estratégico y de Acción on the convocatoria's mandatory structure, with real data from your in-situ visit, the four action axes and SMART objectives with baselines and deadlines.
5Review the staffing rules a director applies under DE 56: preparing the organización escolar, the ban on movimientos internos, transfer causes, preventive separation and the reajuste order.
6Study inclusive education under Decreto Ejecutivo 1 de 2000: who counts as a student with NEE, preference for regular schools, who prepares adecuaciones curriculares, and the role of parents and IPHE.
7Practice scenario questions on classroom feedback, mediation, de-escalation and emergencies, and prepare to explain your reasoning aloud for the plan defence and interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MEDUCA Concurso de Directores y Subdirectores in Panama?

It is the public contest the Ministerio de Educación de Panamá (MEDUCA) uses to appoint directors (directores) and subdirectors (subdirectores) of official schools at the primer nivel (Educación Básica General) and segundo nivel (Educación Media). It is regulated by Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 56 de 10 de octubre de 2025 (Gaceta Oficial 30384-A), amended by Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 18 de 7 de mayo de 2026 and Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 28 de 2026.

How does the selection process work under Decreto Ejecutivo 56 de 2025?

Under Article 100 of DE 56, candidate evaluation has three phases: document verification, professional-training evaluation and competency evaluation. Under Article 104, only the 15 highest-scoring applicants per vacancy reach the competency phase, where their earlier credential points no longer count. Finalists who pass the jury evaluation are ranked by competency score, and ternas are sent to the Minister for selection.

What does the competency evaluation consist of?

Under Article 108 of DE 56, the evaluation jury uses three activities: a Prueba de evaluación de competencias (written test), the Sustentación del Plan Estratégico y de Acción (plan defence) and an Entrevista (interview). The jury scores candidates with its own rubric and rating scale, and its result cannot be appealed (Article 110). MEDUCA does not publish the written test's item type, length or pass mark.

Who forms the evaluation jury for school directors?

Under Article 105 of DE 56, the jury has four members: the Director General de Educación (or designee); the director of the school region (or designee); a representative of the Departamento de Administración Escolar of the Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Panamá; and a civil-society representative, preferably with human-resources experience. The jury acts autonomously and may bring in other specialists (Article 106).

How are FECE funds divided and managed by school directors?

Under Article 264 of the Texto Único of Ley 47 de 1946, each school's Fondo de Equidad y Calidad de la Educación (FECE) allocation is split 75% into the Fondo de Matrícula (infrastructure, equipment, technology, furniture and teaching materials) and 25% into the Fondo de Bienestar Estudiantil. MEDUCA's guide for directors adds that the FECE budget comes from the school's Proyecto Educativo de Centro and is approved by the Comunidad Educativa. Schools submit a monthly bank reconciliation for each fund to the regional FECE office.

What structure must the Plan Estratégico y de Acción follow?

The 2026 convocatoria requires a cover page, an introduction with a diagnosis of the school (enrolment, staff and the realities of the post), and an in-situ analysis from a real visit. It also requires a pedagogical and administrative proposal with mission, vision and values, four action axes, and SMART objectives. The axes are pedagogical management (including AI and Teams), administrative-financial management (FECE), community management and infrastructure. The plan must be the candidate's own work, and a separate plan is needed for each vacancy.

Is this practice question bank an official translation of the MEDUCA assessment?

No. MEDUCA publishes the decree, convocatoria and schedule only in Spanish, and the jury phase combines a written test, an oral plan defence and an interview. This OpenExamPrep bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation for the competencies in Decreto Ejecutivo 56 de 2025 and the plan requirements. It is not an official translation or a simulation of the assessment, and it keeps official Spanish terms so learners recognise them.