A small graduation exam starts with Serbian language test: These are main guidelines

A small graduation exam starts with Serbian language test: These are main guidelines

A three-day final exam, a small graduation exam, has begun for more than 64.000 eighth grade students, and future high school students are taking the Serbian language test on the first day.

This year, due to reports of bombs, the number of schools where the test will be organized has been reduced to 522, from 1.260 as planned.

The relevant Ministry emphasized that the schools will be safe and that an operational plan has been developed with the Ministry of the Interior in order for the exams to go in the best order.

Ruzic: A great effort has been made

Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia, Branko Ružić, stated today that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has made a huge effort to secure 522 school buildings, in which students take final exams from today until Wednesday, due to possible bomb threats.

"In accordance with the protocol and legal obligations, we will act at the level of the Republic Enrollment Commission and make a decision, if God forbid, during the final exam, there'll be some reports on bomb threats in these three days," Ruzic told Serbian Radio and Television.

He pointed out that there are clearly defined procedures and that all options and scenarios have been prepared for these three days to pass regularly. "I call on our eighth grade students to be calm, not to perceive this as a traumatic experience. We have done everything we can and all the actors in the chain are committed to passing these three days as a holiday of the Serbian education system," the minister said.

When it comes to the level of safety of the tests, Ruzic stated that it is at the "highest possible level" and added that he expects that there will be no problems, as in the previous year.

Order, timetable and guidelines

Preliminary results of the final exam at the school level will be announced on July 1, while the final results will follow after five days, on July 5. At the same time, wish lists are being filled in by July 6.

For the first time this year, since June 10, students have been able to prepare for the final exam through the eExercise function on the My High School portal, which has been made available by the Institute for the Evaluation of Education and Upbringing. In the two weeks since the eExercise room was available to eighth grade students, more than two million tasks have been done, according to the Ministry of Education.

The wish list can be submitted through the My High School portal, with the possibility of an unlimited number of changes and additions until July 6, while on July 13, the portal will contain a list of students distributed by educational profiles and directions in high schools.

Enrollment in high schools will also be able to be done completely electronically using the mentioned portal. By connecting to the health care system, for the first time, electronic enrollment is enabled for students who enroll in profiles for which a health examination is required, provided that they have completed it by the time of submitting the electronic application for enrollment.

The final exam for eighth grade students consists of three parts and is realized from June 27 to 29 according to the following schedule:

Test in Serbian (mother tongue): 27.06.2022, from 9 to 11 o'clock

Mathematics test: 28.06.2022, from 9 to 11 hours

Combined test: 29.06.2022, from 9 to 11 o'clock

Preliminary results of the final exam: 01.07.2022, until 9 p.m.

Publication of the final results of the final exam: 05.07.2022, until 8 o'clock

The official results of the distribution by schools and educational profiles in primary and secondary schools will be announced on July 13.

When it comes to the method of calculating points for enrollment in high schools, the principle is the following - students from the school can "transfer" a maximum of 60 points, while the successes achieved in all grades are not taken into account, but only for the last three, i.e. in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.

When it comes to the final enrollment, the following is planned:

July 11: Final student wish lists

July 13: Final results of the distribution by schools

July 13: announcement of vacancies for the second round

July 14/15: enrollment in person in high schools

Students have 120 minutes to solve the tasks.

Every point counts

As it was published in the latest Informant for eighth grade students, in larger cities in Serbia, enrollment in more sought-after schools has not been possible in the last three years without a minimum of 90 points, as the interest is great, every point will be important. When it comes to Belgrade, enrollment in one of the most popular high schools requires approximately 90 to as many as 98 points.

The most sought after are high schools in the center. For example, in 2021, the most points were needed for enrollment in the Third Belgrade Gymnasium in the mathematical department - 97.08 points, while slightly less, i.e. 94.66 points were needed for the social department in that institution.