First of This Year's National Exams Gets Under Way
Thousands of 12th-graders are taking the first of this year’s state exams today - the mandatory Estonian language test for schools with another language of instruction.
The exam consists of a written and oral part, with the first taken today and the latter taking place from April 24 to 26.
In total, 2,980 students have registered to take the exam. Of those, 1,791 are from upper secondary schools, 1,126 from vocational schools and the rest are high school graduates retaking the test.
The mandatory graduation essay for Estonian-language upper secondary level students will be written on April 30. Compared to previous years, the form of the essay has changed. Instead of students having to write a 600 to 800 word essay in six hours on one of 10 topics given by the National Examination and Qualification Center, the length of the essay has been cut and additional tasks added on understanding and answering questions.
In order to graduate, all high schoolers have to pass five exams. At least three of those must be national exams (with the essay being mandatory and the rest chosen by the student). Just like in previous years, the most popular national exams chosen this year have been English language, social studies, geography and mathematics.
The examination period will end on June 12, with a second physics exam for those who did not make it to the first one.
Ingrid Teesalu