A gap year is typically taken between which two stages of education?

A gap year is typically taken between high school and college. It is a planned break from formal education, most often after secondary school and before a student begins higher education.

Students may spend the year traveling, working, volunteering, learning a language, pursuing an internship, or preparing for university. The pause can provide practical experience and time to clarify academic or career goals, although it is not automatically beneficial for everyone.

The term is especially associated with the British education system, where taking time out before university became a recognizable tradition. In the United States, the practice has also grown, and some colleges allow students to defer enrollment for a year after admission.

“Gap year” does not strictly mean exactly twelve months, and people sometimes take one later—for example, between college and employment or during a career change. However, the standard quiz answer refers to the transition from high school to college.