Answers to Conference Issues from Slovakia

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 Slovakia, the final examination (secondary school-leaving examination »maturitná skúška« serves to achieve both aims: it is a secondary school-leaving exam as well as general prerequisite for enrolment in all higher education programmes - there is only one exemption from this rule- the secondary school-leaving certificate is not a necessary condition for the admission to the study of arts at the higher education institutions.

The secondary school-leaving examination should verify if the students acquired the knowledge and skills in the volume of subject matter defined by curricula and syllabi for the appropriate type of secondary school.

The secondary school-leaving certificate as a qualification giving access to higher education is issued by three types of secondary schools (general secondary school - gymnasium, technical secondary school and vocational secondary school) after 12-13 years of schooling. Completion of the school-leaving examination is conditional upon successful completing of the final year of study.

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

The general secondary education is primarily designed to prepare students for direct access to higher education. The majority of graduates continue their education in higher education institutions. Only a small part of the graduates transfer directly to labour market. Their chances at the labour market are quite good, sometimes even better than the chances of graduates from vocational schools (both, without and with secondary school-leaving exam giving access to higher education) because of their flexibility and more general education, including good command of foreign languages and computers.

1.3. The individual achievement at the final examination as a selection criterion for admission to higher education (e.g. in the event of the numerus clausus, etc.)

The marks achieved at the end of this final examination are as a rule taken into account in the admission procedure in higher education institutions or study programs. The wage coefficient varies from 10 to 25 %. However, some selective higher education institutions rely only on the admission tests prepared by themselves (e.g., Law, Medicine, and some economic branches of study).

For some programmes (not so selective) the students are admitted only on the basis of average marks achieved in the secondary schools or final secondary school-leaving exams, e.g. in some technical branches of study. In some cases, the students who were not admitted based on their marks obtained in the secondary school because they were ranked below the given limits, are offered the chance to take part in the entry exams. That means, 80 % of places available are allocated to the graduates admitted on the basis of their marks from secondary school and 20 % to the applicants who successfully completed the entry exams.

The general rules, criteria, content and method of entry exam are the responsibility of the academic senates of the faculties, in the case of institutions of higher education not divided into faculties, academic senates of the institutions of higher education. The entry exams for different branches of study may differ.

The form of the entry examinations may be both written and oral, or written only (tests). As a rule, it is organised in two subject's areas.

Faculties apply the principle of point evaluation while assessing the results of entry examinations. The final decision is made by the dean. The list about the admitted and not-admitted students, including the results achieved in admission procedure, is public. Appeal is within the jurisdiction of rectors who are competent to change the decisions.
 

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

The school-leaving examination at gymnasium consists of four subjects:

1. a written and oral examination in the language of teaching and literature,
   
2. an oral examination in Mathematics or a foreign language, which the student studied at gymnasium,
   
3. an oral examination in two additional optional subjects according to one's own choice.

The school-leaving examination in classes of 5-year study consists of written and oral examination in Slovak language and literature, and of written and oral examinations in the second language of instruction. The written examination is held by student after completing the first half-a-year of the 4th or 5th year of study; the oral examination is held after completing the corresponding year. The school-leaving examination in 2-5 optional subjects is held after completing the fifth year of study. The examination is taken in the language, which the subject was taught in. The form of examination is specified by the school head.

In gymnasium with different language of instruction than Slovak, the school-leaving examination is taken in language of instruction and literature (written and oral examinations), Slovak language and literature (written and oral examinations), written examination in two or three optional subjects.

The school-leaving examinations in vocational subjects in gymnasium are not divided into theoretical and practical parts. The students' work performed during the entire study is also considered.

2.2. Breadth vs. depth of the examination

The final examination is compulsory for all gymnasium graduates only in one subject "Mother Tongue and Literature", so the students have a wide scope for their individual decisions about the profile of their final exams. The choice of the remaining three subjects of the examination are as a rule conditioned by the subjects of their future admission exams.

The depth of the study of individual subjects of the final examination is also expressed in the name of the concentration attended by the student. In 1998/99 there were the following major concentrations:

1. General concentration
   
2. Mathematics
   
3. Mathematics and Physics
   
4. Biology and Chemistry
   
5. Ecology and foreign Languages
   
6. Programming
   
7. Cultural educational activity
   
8. Foreign languages
   
9. Bilingual gymnasium
   
10. Sports
    
11. Arts.

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

Mathematics or Foreign Language can be chosen as the second examination subject, that means, not all students have to necessarily complete the final examination in Mathematics.

Compulsory final examination in Mathematics is introduced only for the students studying the concentration of Mathematics. These students take in addition to written and oral examinations in the Language of Instruction (the first compulsory subject) and oral examination in two optional subjects, also the written and oral examinations in Mathematics, the students of the class with the concentration of Mathematics and Physics take the oral examination in Mathematics or Physics, the students of the class with concentration Programming the oral examination in Mathematics or a group of subjects Programming, Algorithms, Computing Systems.

The introduced opportunity for a choice between Mathematics and Foreign Language follow the opinion that a more extensive study of Mathematics is not a necessary precondition for further university study in all branches of study as well as the fact that the students can be divided into two groups: more gifted or interested in Mathematics and Sciences or in Humanities.

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

They are not only academic subjects that can be chosen as optional subjects of the final examination.

The optional subject of the student at the secondary school-leaving examination in gymnasium may be any subject, with exception of Physical Education, in which the total weekly hours during the study in gymnasium is 6 at least. The cumulative number of hours may also involve an hour for seminar and exercises of equal orientation. In exceptional cases the school head may decide otherwise. It means that the spectrum of optional subjects can be quite broad.

The choice of optional subjects at part-time study is based on hour load of individual subjects listed in curricula of full-time study.

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

Some subjects are privileged insofar as they can (or must) be taken for the written examination: German, Mathematics or one foreign language (or Latin) is compulsory, the others are optional.

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

Various levels of studying of individual subject were not introduced in Slovakia.

ISSUE 3: ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION OF ACHIEVEMENT

The students' achievements in individual subjects are assessed on the grounds of 5- mark scale (1 - excellent, 2 - laudable, 3 - good, 4 - satisfactory, 5 - fail).

The students' marks at the school-leaving examination are approved by the examination board upon a proposal of the examining teacher by a vote. At equality of votes the vote of chairman is decisive.

The written school-leaving examination in the language of instruction and literature, at gymnasium with concentration Mathematics also in Mathematics, are marked by teachers of the respective subjects. Insufficient achievement in written examination is discussed by the teacher with a deputy of the Examination Board and his assistant. The results of assessment are announced by the teacher to students one week before starting oral exam.

Marking in written and oral part of the school-leaving examination in the language of instruction and literature, at schools with other language of instruction than Slovak in Slovak language and literature, and in concentration Mathematics in written and oral school-leaving examination in Mathematics, is considered in final marks. If the student obtains the mark fail in some of the written examinations, he re-sits for both written and oral exams in the respective subject in the next examination session.

The cumulative assessment does not include achievements in the subject that the student applied for voluntarily.

At the cumulative assessment of student the Examination Board considers his achievements during the entire course of study; the student is marked as follows:

1. he/she passed with honours
   
2. he/she passed very well
   
3. he/she passed
   
4. he/she failed

Re-sit-examination

In case that the school-leaver received mark 5 in more than two subjects, the Examination Board may allow the re-sit in the subjects or a part of examination in the nearest extra examination session.

The student who failed in the first re-sit in individual subjects or a part of examination in one subject or in one part of the examination because of serious, especially health reasons, the Examination Board may allow upon his/her request a re-sit examination in this subject or a part of examination.

The student who failed in the first re-sit in two subjects or one part of examination, or in second re-sit in one subject or one part of examination, the examination board may allow repetition of the whole school-leaving examination. This examination is then held in the following year in regular examination session.

The student who for serious, especially health reasons, cannot take the examination, is obliged to excuse himself to the chairman of the Examination Board within 3 days at the latest from the date of examination. If the chairman of the Examination Board doe not accept the apology, the student cannot be assessed. The Examination Board sets up a substitute date for the examination.

If the student will not apologise for his absence from examination or if his apology was not accepted for some reason, he is assessed as if he abandoned the study on the day following the date of examination.

If the student has unacceptable behaviour at the examination, the chairman of the Examination Board or the supervising teacher will interrupt his examination. If the Examination Board, during the written examination the school head, will not allow to the student to continue in examination, the student will re-sit for the exam, or its part, in the nearest examination session.

At schools with two languages of instruction the student may also take the examination in the second teaching language as a state general language examination.

The certificate is issued to the student who successfully completed the examination, within 5 days at the latest from completion of the final meeting of the examination board. The certificates should indicate date of completing the examination.

The student who successfully completed the school-leaving examination will be issued the certificate in both teaching languages, eventually, a certificate in Slovak language and a certificate in the second teaching language. Both certificates are equivalent.

3.1. The definition of national standards (if defined)
3.2. What is to be measured: knowledge alone or also other skills and abilities?

After the discussions starting in nineties the educational standards are defined as a document limiting the basic core of education - the part of the contents of education which should be offered to all students at all gymnasia, as well as the requirements on knowledge, abilities and skills which should be in connection with this core acquired by students during the education at gymnasia, and which should be at various level achieved and shown by all students.

That means, the educational standards are developed at the level of two relative independent but, simultaneously, directly tied and internal connected parts.

The first part is Contents (standards of contents) and includes facts, terms, relations, laws and regulations, theories, working methods in appropriate subjects, which have principal importance for this subject and create the basis for the further education and self-learning. These standards have to be also accepted by the development of alternative educational concepts. It does not mean though that additional contents cannot be added to his part according to the abilities and interests of students and the place of the appropriate subject in the curriculum (its concentration).

The second part - Requirements on the Knowledge and Abilities and Skills defines the goals of education in individual subjects in relation to the defined standardised contents of education. The scope and the pretensionity of the given requirements can be increased in the teaching according to the abilities of students and the function of the subject in the curriculum (its concentration).

3.3. Assessment of different levels of examination

As mentioned above, there are not different levels of final examinations and there is not any wild discussion about this issue in Slovakia at the moment.

ISSUE 4: EXTERNAL AND/OR INTERNAL (SCHOOL-BASED) FINAL EXAMINATIONS

In Slovakia, secondary school-leaving examination is a school-based examination consisting of two parts (written and oral), both organised in the appropriate school.

The contemporary system of assessing the knowledge of the graduates from secondary schools through secondary school-leaving examinations is marked by great impartiality of teachers. As a result, mark excellent is of different value at each school. The school-leaving examination is more or less a private affair of the particular school in spite of the fact that the chairman of the examination board comes from another school. A majority of higher education institutions therefore stopped respecting the marks of school-leaving certificates as a criterion of selection and precondition for the admission to higher education studies. As a consequence, the admission requirements are set up individually by the higher education institutions themselves now.

One of the reasons is that there are no common standard tests in individual subjects at secondary schools. Therefore the Ministry of Education has worked over the standard development for more than ten years. Some of them have been already developed, unfortunately, they are often a mere copy of the existing curricula. After the development of standards for the second stage of basic school recently the standards also for the four-year gymnasia were developed. Today the development of standards for general subjects has progressed best of all.

Simultaneously the work on the development of the new secondary school leaving examination started.

The task to develop the project of a new concept of secondary school-leaving examination is also included in the Program Declaration of the Slovak Government of 1999. The new concept of the secondary school-leaving examination shall be based on:

1. introduction of a written examination in all subjects in which it is possible simultaneously accenting all positive features of the traditional examination (supporting the combination of a written and oral examination in all subjects where it is useful and necessary),
   
2. adaptation of the contents of education to the requirements of the modern education characterised by more extensive independent study, activity, productivity and creativity of students.

For two years the schools have been engaged in piloting. In 1998/99 school year, 84 gymnasia with over 6000 students have applied voluntarily. For example, about 3000 students took the school leaving examinations in Slovak language according to new tests, just like in Mathematics, and about 1000 students in English. Gradually, the project will be expanded to other subjects, as well.

The new school-leaving examinations adopted a form, which is quicker and cheaper. Tests are constructed in such a way as to reveal how the students understood the subject matter. They are forced to think, to show their own approach and opinion, and thus to thoroughly examine the Slovak Language, Mathematics or English. Another difference against classical maturita rests particularly in impartial approach. The person who will correct the tests, will not know the name of the student, the school or the town he comes from.

The themes would be prepared by educational agencies, and would be uniform for entire Slovakia, and solved in one day. A half of the school-leaving examination in each subject should be oral as previously.

The horizon of implementation of a new concept of school-leaving examination, being already based on the standards, is viewed by the Ministry within the time span from 2001-2003. It is expected that in practice it would mean that a teacher in Veľký Krtíš will have the same demands for a secondary school leaver as a teacher in Trenčín or Bratislava, equally at private, public or church-affiliated secondary school.

ISSUE 5: THE ORGANISATION OF THE FINAL EXAMINATION
The temporary secondary school-leaving examination is a combination of a written and oral part of examination. The written examinations take place as a rule in April, the oral examinations in the end of May and June.
At a written examination in teaching language and literature the student will choose one theme from the defined group of themes. At written examination in Mathematics at gymnasia in classes with concentration Mathematics the student solves two set problems and two problems which he himself has chosen from among defined set of problems.

At the oral examination and theoretical part of examination the student chooses one of the approved themes.

The written examination in a general subject lasts 240 minutes.

The written examination in the second language of instruction and in optional subject at schools with two languages of instruction lasts 360 minutes at most. The content of the written examination is defined by school headmaster upon agreement with the respective body of a foreign party.

The oral examination in one subject lasts 10 to 20 minutes; if the content of the oral examination is the subject matter of several subjects, it lasts 15 to 30 minutes. The preparation of students for oral examination lasts 15 to 30 minutes according to character of the subject.

The school-leaving examination is public, with exception of written examination and examination in the field of study in which it is impossible owing to sanitary reasons or health protection and labour safety.

The oral and theoretical part of examination is organised in groups so that it is finished in one day. The examination board may examine 9 students per day at most.

The student of the final year of secondary school will notify his class teacher of the optional subjects he had chosen, by the end of February. If the student does not notify of the subject he had chosen within the set up date, the class teacher will specify it.

The student of the final year of secondary school, who will take the school-leaving examination in additional subject voluntarily, will notify, in a written form, his class teacher of the subject he had chosen for examination by the end of February.

Before the beginning of the oral school-leaving examination the students do not attend the classes for 5 days.

The school-leaving examination is held before an Examination Board. The Examination Board has permanent members and other members. Permanent members are chairman, deputy chairman and class teacher.

Other members of the Examination Board are examining teacher(s) and assistants designed for each subject or a part of examination (including examination taken voluntarily).

At schools with two languages of instruction the permanent members of examination board are a chairman, appointed by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic from among teachers who have teaching qualification and a state language examination in the second language of instruction and two deputy chairmen of which one is appointed by foreign party. Another deputy chairman and other members are appointed from among teachers of the school by the school head.

The chairpersons of examination boards are appointed until April 15 by the appropriate department for education of the regional offices.

At re-sit examinations in extra examination sessions and at oral exams in a substitute date the chairman of the examination board is the school head or a deputy charged by the latter.

The deputy of chairman and other members of the Examination Board are appointed from among educational staff of the school by the school head by April 30. The deputy of the Examination Board may be a member of the educational staff of the school having at least four years of teaching experience.

The assistants sitting on the Examination Board for each subject is appointed by the school head from among teachers who have qualification for the subject examined or a relative subject.

The chairman of the Examination Board checks the work of the Board, inspects the preparedness of exams, and evaluates the level and assessment at examinations.

If the chairman of the Examination Board cannot for serious reasons execute his function, the function of chair is performed by his deputy. Deputy may perform the function of chair of Examination Board during practical part of examination in vocational subjects, especially if the nature of the study field requires to separate in time this part of examination from oral ones.

After completing the examinations of all students the chairman of the board will summon final meeting of the Examination Board in which he will evaluate the course and overall level of examinations.

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

The final examination can take place within three sessions of which only one is regular:

1. within regular examination session from April to June, or
   
2. within extra examination session in September, or
   
3. within extra examination session in February of the following school year.

The written school-leaving examination in Slovak language and literature is held in April. The date of oral examination is defined by the Head of the LEA upon the proposal of the secondary school head.

With the consent of the school head the student may also take the oral examination in additional subject in the regular examination session. Upon successfully completing of school-leaving examination the student may also take the examination in additional optional subject in extra examination session upon prior consent by the school head.

5.2. The design of question papers

The themes of individual subjects and parts of the school-leaving examination indicating teaching aids that the student may use are approved by the head of school upon the proposal of the subject commission.

The secondary school head approves on proposal of the subject commission:

1. four themes for the written examination in language of teaching and literature, Slovak language and literature,
2. a set of 6 problems for the written examination in Mathematics in gymnasia in classes with concentration Mathematics

5.3. The time available for marking the papers

Examination papers are marked by the appropriate subject teachers as a rule one week before the oral part of examination starts.

5.4. Regulations for sitting examinations and the invigilation of examinations

The regulations for sitting final examinations are given by the Decree of the Ministry of Education about completion of study at secondary schools. This decree describes the rules in a very detailed way, but there are no special provisions about invigilation of examinations . As a rule, the teachers of the respective school are operating as invigilators during written examinations. Only specially marked papers and specially allowed teaching aids are used by students.

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

Grading is part of teachers' workload.

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

The chairman of the Examination Board is external person. The function of chairperson is an honorary post. The chairman of Examination Board may be an educational worker with professional and educational competence who has five-year experience at least. The chairman cannot be in any case appointed from educational staff of the school where the examination is held.

The workers of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, the respective school inspector or the educational staff charged by him, have the right to put additional questions to the student; they, however, do not participate in his assessment.

5.7. Regulations and provision for students with special needs

There are no special legislative regulations and provisions for students with special needs, but it is in the competency of the school head to decide about special conditions for individual student according to his individual needs. For example, students with sight defects can instead of a test dictate their essays or use computer or Braille.

5.8. Students' rights to complain and complaint procedures

Students are given the possibility to see their essay upon their own request as well as to receive additional explanations.

Prepared by Mária Hrabinská
Centre for Equivalence of Diplomas (Slovak ENIC/NARIC)
Institute of Information and Prognoses of Education
Staré grunty 52
842 44 Bratislava
tel/fax . : + 421 7 654 26 521
e-mail: hrab@uip.sanet.sk

in co-operation with
RNDr. Igor Gallus
Head of the Department for General Education
Ministry of Education of the SR
Stromová 1
813 30 Bratislava
tel.:+421 7 59374 427
fax.:+421 7 54772181