Answers to the conference issues from Estonia

1.1. Does the "final examination" serve
a) to achieve both aims - Why and how?
b) as the school-leaving "maturity" exam - Why and how?
c) as the "entry examination" to higher education - Why and how?

In Estonia, to finish secondary school the students have to pass five final examinations called 'gümnaasiumi lopueksamid'. These examinations are of two kinds: national examinations (riigieksam) and school-based examinations (koolieksam). The aims of the final examinations are: to evaluate students' knowledge and skills according to the national curriculum, to effect classroom teaching, to intermediate educational levels in succession.

In addition to that national examinations serve to achieve two aims: they are school leaving examinations and entry examinations to higher education.

1.2. The final examination as an intermediary between secondary and higher education and/or a pathway to occupation and employment.

The school-leaving certificate together with the certificate of national examinations lead to higher education, i.e. to university programmes; it is also a pathway to employment.

1.3. The individual achievement at the final examination as a selection criterion for admission to higher education

The individual achievement at the Riigieksam is the selection criterion for admission to higher education. Still some faculties use their own entrance examinations in the major subject.

Issue 2: Compulsory and optional subjects in the final examination:

2.1. The number of compulsory and optional subjects and the aim of such a division

To finish secondary school the students have to pass five examinations three of which must be national examinations (Riigieksam) and two school-based exams. For the Estonian-medium schools the mother tongue is the only compulsory national examination (the 'maturity' should be demonstrated by being able write an essay in the mother tongue), the other two can be chosen from among the following subjects: foreign language (English, German, French, Russian), mathematics, history, biology, chemistry, physics. For the Russian-medium schools there are two compulsory examinations: the mother tongue and Estonian as the formal language. All five final examinations may be chosen from among national examinations (Riigieksam). As the aim of secondary school is to give general education, among the three national examinations there may be only one foreign language.

2.2. Breadth vs. depth of the examination

In each subject offered there is only one examination for students to demonstrate their proficiency in the particular subject. The breadth and depth of the examination is determined by the national curriculum.
A permanent issue is whether to have different examinations for different levels. The Riigieksam deals with it by having items of different levels of difficulty in one paper.

2.3. The role of Mathematics and Foreign Language(s)

Mathematics and foreign languages are both optional subjects but 80 -85 per cent of school- leavers take both of them as the Riigieksam serves as an entry examination to higher education.

2.4. Optional subjects: only academic or others in addition?

In Estonia it wouldn't be wise to have a wider choice of subjects for the Riigieksam because of the size of the country and the money available.
The Riigieksam is academic but still the aim of the national curriculum and from there of the Riigieksam is for students to demonstrate how they can apply their knowledge and skills (critical thinking, problem solving), what they can do with their knowledge and skills in that particular subject.

2.5. Effects on class teaching - Are there "(de)privileged subjects"?

If the subject is one of the national examinations (Riigieksam), it has a bigger number of periods in the timetable and a higher degree of students' attention.

2.6. Are students specially prepared for various levels (standard, higher levels)?

No preparation for different levels but still preparation for the Riigieksam in the last school year, as they were something different from ordinary work. Probably the reason for that is the young age of the new examination system (this is the third year).

Issue 3: Assessment and certification of achievement

3.1. The definition of national standards (if defined)

National standards in the upper secondary education in Estonia are regulated by the general gymnasium curricula. Teaching is based on subject syllabuses that comprise aims, content, activities, and final outcomes.

For the Riigieksam every subject has its examination syllabus (on the basis of the national curriculum) containing the content and format of examination, aims of assessment, the examination level. The subject examination syllabuses are prepared each year and they are supplemented by analysis and samples of the previous examinations.

3.2. What is to be measured: knowledge alone or also other skills and abilities?

As in Slovenia, in Estonia in the national examination, the knowledge of different taxonomic categories of educational objectives is assessed and also a 3-level scale has been adopted:

• 1st level: knowledge, e.g. facts, data, concepts, definitions, formulae;
  
• 2nd level: comprehension and application, e.g. theory, cause-effect relations, problem solving;
  
• 3rd level: knowledge proficiency, e.g. independent problem solving, generalisation and abstraction, interpretation and judgements;

3.3. Assessment of different levels of examination

All subjects are examined on one examination level.

Two years ago we had an examination on two different levels in mathematics but for a small country like Estonia it would be waste of funds because too few students are interested in taking the lower level exam.

Every paper has items of different levels of difficulty so that it would be possible to stimulate also motivated students and to make it possible for higher education institutions to use the Riigieksam as the selection criterion for entry.

Issue 4: External and/or internal (school-based) final examinations

4.1. The definition of "external" and "internal" final examinations

The 'external' examination: (i) written tests, which are prepared, marked and invigilated by experts from outside the school. Examinations are taken on the same day at the same time in all schools. The students' scripts are identified only by the numerical code. A well-trained external examiner, who does not know the particular student, marks each written examination paper, the papers are marked under the supervision of the Examination Centre; (ii) oral part of the foreign languages examination where the questions are prepared by experts from outside the school, students are interviewed by their own teacher but assessed by an external assessor or by a teacher from the same school not knowing the student.

The 'internal' or school-based examination: oral or written examinations in front of the board of teachers from the student's own school (the principal examiner is the student's teacher), the questions are prepared by the teachers of that school; The school-based examinations are the competence of schools but the examination rules and procedures are established by the Ministry of Education and equal for all schools.

4.2. Reasons for the selected type of examination.

By the external examinations greater objectivity in assessment is guaranteed. All the papers are marked by external markers and according to the standardised marking scales or answer keys and all school-leavers have equal opportunities to apply for admission to higher education. The external examinations make the education system transparent and we hope that in the future the Estonian upper secondary school-leaving certificate will be recognised by other countries as well.
The external examinations enable the schools to evaluate themselves and the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to evaluate the schools in reaching national standards. The first two years of the national examinations the leak tables of the schools were released by the media and it has enormously harmed the young system. This year it is regulated by a ministerial decree and every school can find its place in several different groups according to certain criteria.

The oral part of the national examination in foreign language is internal in that sense that every student (except former graduates) is interviewed by their own teacher. The reason for that is financial (interviewers are not paid). Still the teachers need more training, especially in assessing.

Two school-leaving examinations out of five may be school-set to leave credibility, autonomy and authority to the teacher in class. Still most of the school-leavers prefer national examinations.

4.3. The proportional weighting between external and internal assessment and the aim of such a division

As it was said before the Riigieksam in foreign languages is partly internal the ratio between external and internal assessment being 80 % : 20 %, all the other national examinations are 100% external. But the Riigieksam certificate is valid only together the Gümnaasium school leaving certificate and vice versa.

4.4. The advantages and deficiencies of external and internal examinations

Through school-based assessment and school-set internal examinations the competence and authority of the teacher are retained.
The advantage of the external examination is its objectivity, reliability, validity, and ability to discriminate, level of difficulty of test items and test as a whole, comparability.
Still the parts of the examination procedures that need much improving is the data analysis, making examinations comparable from subject to subject, from year to year and drawing conclusions for curriculum development, for teaching materials, for a particular school; training external examiners and assessors.

4.5. Effects on class teaching

The national examinations have an enormous effect on class teaching although some teachers still say that they are not trusted. Most of the teachers admit that during these few years they have learned a lot. The time allocated for the lessons is used more intensively. With the help of in-service teacher training the quality of teaching has improved. Criteria for grading in class have become clearer.

Issue 5: The organisation of the final examination

5.1. The start dates and duration of the final examination: one or more examination sessions per year

There is one examination session: the mother tongue in April, the other examinations start around 15 May, the results are issued by 25 June.

5.2. The design of question papers

For each subject three different sets of question papers are prepared each year by members of National Subject Commissions. After pretesting (it is extremely difficult considering the size of the country), analysing the pre-test and making corrections, making layout, the papers are printed by the National Examinations Centre.

5.3. The time available for marking the papers

Examination papers are marked after candidates have taken their exams and the papers are taken back to the Examinations Centre. It takes two to three weeks to complete marking, depending on the subject, the number of candidates and the type of question paper. The marking of the mother tongue essays takes five weeks.

5.4. Regulations for sitting examinations and the invigilation of examinations

Regulations for sitting examinations are set by the Ministry of Education. Everybody learns from experience and now they have become stricter than they were for the first national examinations two years ago. Examinations are invigilated in the examination room by one external invigilator and an invigilator from the school per every 20 student.

5.5. Is grading part of teachers' workload or is it paid separately (If so, how much - in Euros)?

Markers sign a contract with the National Examinations Centre. They are paid a very small fee (around 1.5 Euros per hour) taking into account the length of the paper and the time needed to mark the paper. Teachers who interview their own students are not paid.

5.6. The role of external assessors (experts, teachers, university teachers …)

Both secondary-school teachers and university teachers take part in the examination process at different stages: they are members of national subject teams, markers, assessors, invigilators, and chief examiners.

5.7. Regulations and provision for students with special needs

Examination procedures are adjusted for students with special needs (e.g. Braille for blind candidates, etc.).

5.8. Students' rights to complain and complaint procedures

Students can appeal to the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education. The candidate's examination paper is reassessed by a special commission and in case of a mistake or incorrect mark the mark is corrected.

Kristi Mere (kristi@hm.ee)
Chief Inspector, Ministry of Education
tel. +372 6 281 236
fax: +372 6 281 350

Meelis Kond (meelis@hm.ee)
Head of Inspectorate
tel. +372 6 281 307
fax: +372 6 281 350

Enn Mänd(enn@ekk.edu.ee)
Director of the Examinations and Qualifications Centre
tel. + 372 6 461 677
fax: + 372 6 461 676