State exams for school leavers in Estonia get underway on Monday, starting with the Estonian language exam.

7,507 students have registered for Monday's Estonian language high school exam, with a further 2,599 due to take the exam in Estonian as a second language between April 25 – 28.

Aimi Püüa, director of the Testing and Evaluation Department at the Education and Youth Board, wished all those taking exams this spring strength and nerves of steel. "(after) twelve years of schooling and wisdom, now is a great opportunity to demonstrate all your knowledge and skills. I wish everyone good luck in the exams," Püüa said.

Secondary school students have the choice between taking the state exam in Estonian or Estonian as a second language, plus math and English. Instead of the state English exam, they may also opt for an internationally recognized foreign language exam.

This year, a total of 10,843 students will take the Estonian state exams. 8,714 are high school (Gümnaasium) pupils, 1,514 are vocational school students and 615 have already left school.

Estonian Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200), will also welcome students at the start of the examination period. The Minister's address could be heard on Monday at 10 a.m. on Vikeraadio and will be repeated at 10 a.m. on Tuesday April 25 on Raadio 4.

The Estonian language exam comprises two parts and tests candidate's reading and writing skills.

The Estonian language exam began at 10 a.m. on Monday and ends at 4 p.m.

The written part of the Estonian as a second language state exam will take place on Tuesday April 25, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 2.30 p.m. The oral component will be conducted between April 25 – 28. 25. The exam measures language proficiency at B2 level and consists of five sections – reading, writing, listening, language structure and speaking.

Candidates, who are unable to attend exams on the main day can register to take the supplementary examination. The supplementary Estonian state exam will be held on May 23 and the supplementary Estonian as a second language exam will be on May 18 and 19. To take the supplementary exam, candidates must submit an application to the Education and Youth Board.

The state exam period will continue with the English exam on 2 May and ends on May 17 with the math exam.

International foreign languages for this academic year have, for the most part, already taken place, with the exception of the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and B2 examinations in German, which run from May 8 to 12.

The results of the Estonian state high school exams will be made public no later than 18 June via the examination information system and on the state portal eesti.ee.

Candidates who manage to achieve the maximum score of 100 points in their exams are invited to the "100 points party" organized by the Education and Youth Board on June 27.

More information about national exams in Estonia can be found here.

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