This year’s centralised exam results have turned out generally higher when compared to last year. This includes the exam that traditionally has poor results – mathematics, according to information from the National Centre for Education (VISC).
Results of the mathematics exam, which is mandatory for all students, are on a gradual rise in Latvia. In 2020 the average score in mathematics exam was 35%, in 2021 it was 36%. This year it reached 37%.
In the mandatory Latvian language exam students scored an average of 52.2%, which is half a percentage point higher when compared to last year but 0.7 percentage points lower when compared to 2020.
In the English language exam, which is traditionally picked by the largest number of students for their foreign language exam, the average score is 69.1% this year (66.8% in 2021 and 70% in 2022).
Russian language exam is the second most popular foreign language exam in Latvia. This year’s score reached 77.7%, which makes it the highest of the last three years.
The average scores in the German and French language exam turned out 75.4% and 77.2% respectively, which are higher when compared to a year ago.
In choice exams such as chemistry, biology, physics and Latvian and world history a considerable improvement was observed this year.
In Biology the average score has improved from 50.2% in the last academic year to 66.1% this year. The average score in Latvian and world history exam the average score has improved from 46% last academic year to 65% this year. In the physics exam the average score has improved from 48.8% to 55.7%. The score in the chemistry exam has improved from 55.3% to 58.2%.
VISC does remind that, considering that the number of students that take these choice exams is small, this also affects the average result. On top of that, it is necessary to keep in mind that due to Covid-19 pandemic it was necessary to partially adapt exam contents and clarify scoring criteria. Exam scores may yet change, since the current compilation does not include score of the students that retook exams.
Education institutions issued 21 486 students their exam certificates for passing centralized exams to receive secondary education.
Mandatory exams were taken by an average of 14 400 students. Latvian language exam was taken by 14 069 students, mathematics was taken by 14 257 students, English language exam was taken by 12 034 students, Russian language was taken by 1 538 students, German language was taken by 29 students and French language was taken by only six students.
This year to receive a certificate for secondary education, students had to pass Latvian language, mathematics and one choice foreign language exam.
For the first time exams were taken by 11th grade students and students of vocational education institutions that studied courses at the optimal level of learning content in accordance with the requirements of the new standard.
This year the mathematics exam was taken by 4 325 students, Latvian language was taken by 3 348 students and foreign language exams were taken by 4 441 students of vocational education institutions.
The highest results in optimal level exams were observed for English language exam, where the average result is 66.1%, followed by French language (61.7%), Latvian language (56.7%), German language (53.7%), mathematics (40.1%). In the general level exam the average score in mathematics exam was 30.6%.
VISC will be able to provide more comments on exam results once they have been evaluated in more detail and feedback is received from teachers.