The National Evaluation Exams – 2024
Three quarters of the Romanian eighth graders have passed the national assessment exams
Ştefan Stoica, 04.07.2024, 14:00
In a country where functional illiteracy and school dropout, especially in the rural and disadvantaged areas have the tendency of getting chronic, the results in the National Evaluation exams involving eighth graders are a relevant indicator of the education quality. Three quarters of the students have this year got over 5, a mandatory mark for their further high-school accession, one percentage lower than in the past three years.
The results published on Wednesday show that the students found the mathematics exam more difficult, as the percentage of those clearing the admission threshold or those who scored above proved to be lower as compared to 2023 and 2022. Roughly 78% of the students fared better in the Romanian language exam, whereas only 69% of them obtained the minimum required score in mathematics.
Roughly 400 eighth graders got the maximum number of points in the Romanian Language exam, and over 1,000 in mathematics. However, only 65 of them managed to get the maximum number of points in both exams.
Education Minister Ligia Deca, sees the glass half full and says that although lower than in the past years, the number of those who cleared the threshold is higher than in the simulation exam.
Results obtained by children in the rural area continue to be weak though: only 40% of these managed to get the needed number of points in the aforementioned exam. Ligia Deca has also referred to the attempted frauds and their outcomes.
Ligia Deca:” It happened as every year that subjects had been leaked before exams kicked off. However, that didn’t happen before the students had been placed under supervision in the exam halls. These cases have been identified because now we have methods to quickly discover the centre, which leaked the subjects. And we cooperate with police in this respect. The students attempting frauds are being eliminated from the exams and aren’t allowed to take the next sessions. Those who are members in various commissions and provide the subjects ahead of the exams are being prosecuted.”
Nearly 153 thousand students have attended the National Evaluation Exam this year, which accounts for 95% of the total number of eighth graders. 8,300 of them took the exam in their mother tongue. Bucharest and other five counties have reported the highest attendance, over 98% and for the first time this year, exam papers have been graded by means of a digital platform. Thursday, July 4th, was the last day when the students dissatisfied with their results could apply for a remark.
(bill)
